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Post by maxandpaddy on Nov 21, 2014 15:17:02 GMT
Was it the Horse and Pony mag that did a thing I think with Malcolm Pyrah where you sent in a picture of you jumping and he commented and advised you on it? I almost stalked him sending tonnes in and never got picked so in the end I wrote asking why not
Never heard back and went off him for a while hahaaaa
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Post by blagdon01 on Nov 21, 2014 17:34:30 GMT
Sorry don't know if the jumping field still exists though I remember it well and the ash path up to Cleadon Hills. Have only seen Lizard Lane on their website as it is many years since I have been to that area. Great fun though
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Post by GaynorStones on Nov 21, 2014 17:43:04 GMT
Sorry don't know if the jumping field still exists though I remember it well and the ash path up to Cleadon Hills. Have only seen Lizard Lane on their website as it is many years since I have been to that area. Great fun though O will go and look at website. Thanks Wow that looks a bit different than I remember!!!
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Post by 2connies on Nov 21, 2014 17:55:22 GMT
Qualifying a connemara for Olympia in an eggbut SNAFFLE in '89 was something I doubt we'll see these days!
Before that,feeding that Bailey's feed which looked like crushed sweet biscuits ...supposedly suitable for Natives! The bag used to have a picture of a lovely Connemara mare on the front called Tirecel Witchazel who was mainly responsible for us getting into Connies in the first place,all those years ago.
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Post by blagdon01 on Nov 21, 2014 18:01:50 GMT
It certainly does maybe one day I will go back for a nosey. The tracks and tubs for training pit ponies were still there when it was my second home looks like a school now.
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tda
Junior Member
Posts: 55
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Post by tda on Nov 21, 2014 20:29:25 GMT
I had a poster (well a page torn out of a magazine) of Ginny Leng on Priceless by my bed!
I also had a picture of a dapple grey pony, think it was an old fashioned welsh sec.b there was a short write up about it, and its pedigree and I used to recite it before I went to bed every night....Hoping for good luck to get a similar pony.
We only had ponies intermittently when my parents could afford, and then my taller older sister had them first, until she grew out of them then I got them.
No Rugs, pony nuts and bran if anything. String girths were THE thing!
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Post by chloesmum on Nov 22, 2014 10:07:27 GMT
WIN A PONY COMPETITION - YES IT WAS REAL - I WON!!!!!!!! A bag of horse cubes!!!! - I think it was about the 35th prize in the list! I had to attend a prize giving in London - my mum was very proud and made me go 'smart'!! so I felt I right idiot ,think I was about 12 at the time! I am sure there will be a picture somewhere - this might prompt me to sort through her old pictures now.
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Post by sparklepony on Nov 22, 2014 15:26:12 GMT
Tea towel numnah, lavenham coats, blue or green, Main Ring coarse mix, red or blue!
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Post by sparklepony on Nov 22, 2014 15:34:48 GMT
Has anyone else kept their pony books from the "old days" ? I have just re-read A Dream of Fair Horses by Patricia Leitch but I also have loads from the Collins pony library on my bookcase. Wasn't life simple in those pony books!!!!! This book got me into show ponies, off to find a copy!
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Post by 5874julie on Nov 22, 2014 17:15:24 GMT
i can relate to so much of this, although my parents could not afford to buy me a pony so i used to beg, borrow and steal rides on all kinds of unsuitable naughty ponies as well as having weekly riding lessons. Because my parents were not remotely horsey they would just say 'that's nice dear' when I headed off to ride somebody else's psychopathic youngster for them. I lived and breathed riding. I had one pair of jodphurs that lasted me for years, by the time I was 11 they fitted like a second skin and they were my pride and joy. Then one day I decided I would iron them myself and promptly put the hot iron straight onto the bum, leaving a massive iron shaped burn. I had no choice, I had to keep on wearing them anyway, there was no money for new ones! But I cried buckets at what I had done. i used to read and reread the Jill books by Ruby Ferguson till they fell apart. I had just 2 rosettes to show for an entire childhood of riding, both 2nds and won in the end of week competition on a riding holiday. Bought my first horse when i was 34 and still have her more than 20 years later, we have never competed so no more rosettes to add to the collection! And does anybody else still find themselves craning to look at every horse in every field they drive past? I have done that from the age of about 3!
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Post by maxandpaddy on Nov 22, 2014 17:48:15 GMT
The French and Saunders go riding clip was soooo true we use to do similar. From about the age of 9 if we helped at the local riding school we got to ride at the end of the day for free, so we'd be up there for 8am armed with a potnoodle - no sandwiches for us there was A KETTLE ! and work our tushes off all day so that we got that ride. On the naughty/lazy ponies we'd be in hedges, scattered in differnt directions, aim them at jumps way out of their league - plough through them or just stand looking at them, we'd kick kick and kick some more to get them to trot. Anyone that managed a canter got a cheer and a clap! So after putting them away again we'd all go back in the field and jump them ourselves riding our favourite top showjumper - Ryans Son for me. We'd do flying changes, make the noise of the crowd. click click and tap our whips on our bums...happy days ! I've got the full French and Saunders clip for those with facebook who fancy a chuckle.... www.facebook.com/video.php?v=799153936809005
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kayjayem
Happy to help....a lot
Posts: 10,046
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Post by kayjayem on Nov 22, 2014 19:16:25 GMT
Has anyone else kept their pony books from the "old days" ? I have just re-read A Dream of Fair Horses by Patricia Leitch but I also have loads from the Collins pony library on my bookcase. Wasn't life simple in those pony books!!!!! I had loads, all the Ruby Ferguson and Diana Pullein Thompson ones and my mum loaned them to someone in hospital! I was furious because I knew I wouldn't get them back but she promised me I would - I didn't
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Post by rubyshoes1 on Nov 22, 2014 21:27:24 GMT
I remember being taken to a show in a cattle truck and dropped off for the day!
Carrying tack on the front of a bicycle for a mile or so to the field, ponies were out 24/7, canvas New Zealands that went rigid when they got wet, bran mash and pony cubes, you could buy 7lbs of pony cubes from the feed shop!
I also tried to win the pony!
Adverts for horses for sale were in print, H&H, western gazette or local paper, no photos, no internet!
Watching the Horse of the Year & Olympia show jumping on BBC1 at 9pm, it was on every night the show was on - wouldn't happen now...
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Post by clifton on Nov 22, 2014 22:10:51 GMT
who remembers when most places had cattle markets, I used to go most Saturdays to our local one as there were usually some sorry looking ponies for sale, I always wanted to fetch one home and just like the pony books mentioned turn it into a super duper jumping pony. my non horsey parents would not even pay for riding lessons for me as money was a bit tight back then, so most of the time I usually had to ride mad ponies for dealers to be able to ride. I was 19 when I bought my first horse and I have never stopped owning them and riding them since and I hope to carry on until I am very very old.
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Post by beachbum12 on Nov 23, 2014 15:49:39 GMT
This thread is brilliant !!! takes me back I had to myther my parents for a pony of my own for 3 years ! eventually I got one for my birthday and a bridle with money given by realtives , no saddle, I had to wait till Christmas for that a whole 7 months ! so spent that first summer hacking everywhere bareback and we did hack everywhere literally for miles and miles
After I got my saddle the follwing summer we hacked to shows did loads of classes and hacked home , the roads were quiet then , but boy were our ponies fit , one of mine lived to the grand old age of 37 was still out hunting in his 37th year , we lost him to an injury in the field one summer , all that work they got must've done good, and for a lot of his life a lot of the products we have available today didnt exist .. but they were healthy ! my Dad used to worm them with tobacco ?!! can't have done any harm as they lived to a ripe old age ! oh those were the days ! showjumping in your school blazer and tie with jods if you were lucky and a pair of wellies !! I remember saving up for a pair of proper boots stylo matchmakers from the tack van that used to travel round yards on a Saturday selling tack, and being devastated when I grew a size too big for them, I carried on wearing them even though they pinched my feet ! and the jobs I did at weekends to pay for the pony, my Dad paid for the livery that was it, if I needed shoes or hay or feed or anything I had to earn the money myself ! shoes back then were £6 a full set and you hacked there to the farrier to get them done !! but what fun we had !! and learned to appreciate and look after things you worked hard or saved hard to get , and oru ponies were our utter pride and joy we'd cycle in all weathers to see to them , fab days !
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Post by rocknroll on Nov 23, 2014 21:00:20 GMT
I had my first riding lesson in 1959 on a scruffy little skewbald pony called Pip and did I think I looked the bees knees in my bedford cord jodhs. Being a bloke, I had to have a new pair as the majority of outgrown hand me downs were girls and they didn't have the essential fly, which you needed if you got caught short out on a mixed ride. I used to be so green with envy when we came across the Patchetts Green riding school mob out on a hack wearing their pristine outfits, jacket, bowler, yellow roll neck jumper and oh those cavalry twill jodhs with suede leg strappings. I really dreamed of having a pair of those. We regularly hacked on a six mile round trip to the blacksmith (no visits then) which was fantastic fun and we were charged £1 10s (£1.50 now) for the privilege of taking the school owners ponies to be shod with about four hours riding, mostly off road with loads of canters and log jumping. Pip was known for having a roll in the river and seeing as you had to cross two sections of river with your legs around his neck (he was only 12 hands) and the river came up past his belly in the Winter, it was pretty precarious. As he started to paw the riverbed when we were halfway across I can hear the school owner now bellowing out "pull him up, pull him up for christ's sake". Oh happy days!
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sarahp
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Post by sarahp on Nov 24, 2014 9:58:25 GMT
Our shared first pony used to get down and roll at PC rallies - rather encouraged by us as it served to mitigate the boredom. The teacher we had, who shall remain nameless, although I still remember it, used to have us doing musical ride type figures at unrelieved sitting trot for hours and hours so any interruption was welcome. She had a very pale blond non-riding son known to us as the Milky Bar Kid.
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Post by picklily on Nov 24, 2014 12:29:05 GMT
What a fantastic, memory stirring thread! I remember learning at Cringleford Riding School, owned by Paula Sykes. It must have been back in mid/late 60's!!! I had 4 teeth out when I was 9 or 10 and as a 'reward' for being brave my parents bought me 4 riding lessons. Managed to continue my lessons whenever I could save 5 shillings for another hour. Riding down 'The Loke' to put the ponies out in the evening - no hats and just head collars. Some lovely ponies and used to bike a couple of miles at the weekend to help out - not paid but 'allowed' to groom as a reward for mucking out! Needlecord jodhpurs and short boots that had long straps to do up rather than elastic insets, string gloves, string girths, home made saddle cloths, hats with no elastic, leaking green canvas NZ's and jute stable rugs that got dirtier and dirtier.
The 'Jill' pony books and Rissa and Tamsin having adventures.
The 4 lessons have led to a lifetime of fun and pleasure. Gradually saved for my own pony, progressed through Pony Club - taking our saddle off cantering over a fixed jumping lane! Over the last 25 years we have produced our ponies from home for my children and when you look back the changes are massive!! So much fun looking back to the simple days - non-existent Health and Safety back then. So much more pressured today! What a lot to look back over and remember!
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Post by oldschooler on Nov 24, 2014 12:30:32 GMT
I had my first riding lesson in 1959 on a scruffy little skewbald pony called Pip and did I think I looked the bees knees in my bedford cord jodhs. Being a bloke, I had to have a new pair as the majority of outgrown hand me downs were girls and they didn't have the essential fly, which you needed if you got caught short out on a mixed ride. I used to be so green with envy when we came across the Patchetts Green riding school mob out on a hack wearing their pristine outfits, jacket, bowler, yellow roll neck jumper and oh those cavalry twill jodhs with suede leg strappings. I really dreamed of having a pair of those. We regularly hacked on a six mile round trip to the blacksmith (no visits then) which was fantastic fun and we were charged £1 10s (£1.50 now) for the privilege of taking the school owners ponies to be shod with about four hours riding, mostly off road with loads of canters and log jumping. Pip was known for having a roll in the river and seeing as you had to cross two sections of river with your legs around his neck (he was only 12 hands) and the river came up past his belly in the Winter, it was pretty precarious. As he started to paw the riverbed when we were halfway across I can hear the school owner now bellowing out "pull him up, pull him up for christ's sake". Oh happy days! i also had Bedford cord jods and dreamed about some cavalry twill ones, they looked fab. Also brought back memories of riding school rivalry, I must confess to going to the "lower end" riding school, where instruction just didn't happen. As soon as you could you rode bareback. We had a riding school close by which was probably much better, but more expensive and as I paid for my rides out of my paper round it wasn't going to happen. Also remember taking my first pony to the forge and waiting in the queue. I was only 16 and the farrier was Polish and had a cleft pallete which made conversation very difficult. Ashamed to say he frightened me to death but he was a good blacksmith. Remember there was no ragwort, no laminitis, so it wasn't all bad, but I did ride some cart ponies. The quality has certainly improved but then so have the accompanying ailments. I also remember not getting my first rosette till I was 18. Fraid no chance of transport, money was tight, so it was not until a show hackable came up that I could enter. Got second in the Chase me Charlie on a really super coloured 14hh that I bought to sell on. She was a cracking jumper and would have made a Wembley WHP now, but at the time coloureds were under valued. Unfortunately I have never been the bravest showjumping and hated the class as I knew she would carry on jumping whatever the height! Still as much of a chicken now.
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Post by maxandpaddy on Nov 25, 2014 21:23:16 GMT
Do they still do Handy Pony classes? Surely health and safety would have a field day with Sergeant Major Jeffries blowing a whistle directly in your pony's ears as it walked over plastic sheeting with the stewards washing hung up along the sides?
My wonderful ole 13.2 pony excelled at this class, mainly due to the fact that it spent a fair bit of its time in our back garden, I even remember my mother mowing the lawn around him !
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Post by proudwilliam on Nov 25, 2014 21:27:41 GMT
Putting up umbrellas,going under washing lines, ringing bells, dismounting via the rump and tail! No health and safety would have a field day.
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Post by ilovenatives on Nov 25, 2014 21:29:24 GMT
Yes they still do handy pony at some fun shows .
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Post by maxandpaddy on Nov 25, 2014 21:55:53 GMT
Putting up umbrellas,going under washing lines, ringing bells, dismounting via the rump and tail! No health and safety would have a field day. I remember the umbrella's hahaaaaa At one show I remember them shaking plastic bags on a stick at you as you walked past, then yep under the washing line then halting while they blew the whistle and waved flags to the count of 10 seconds We nearly always won but seriously suspected my pony was deaf
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Post by proudwilliam on Nov 25, 2014 23:04:20 GMT
I won a jute stable rug one year!!! about 1959 so proud of it. What happened to walk trot and gallop!! going around Lustleigh show field with no brakes a field that had a serious slope. I had a pony Fern who was mustard at musical blocks she would turn when the music stopped and I would be carried into the middle.
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halfpass
Happy to help....a lot
Return of the Dame
Posts: 12,964
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Post by halfpass on Nov 26, 2014 11:59:13 GMT
Oh guys keep up this thread, I'm house bound at the moment after a serious illness and I've howled with laughter at this thread earning a telling off just in case I have a re-laps, gosh this evokes some very happy memories.
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Post by maxandpaddy on Nov 26, 2014 14:08:06 GMT
Gymkhana games were my life in the early days. I didn't have my own pony back then but the local riding school let us ''helpers''(the slave labour brigade) borrow them for local shows She'd put the ponies names in a hat for us to pull out to see who we got. Everyone prayed for Timmy the supersonic Shetland who was the Gymkhana equivalent of Shergar. He was amazing and frequently got carried away with the day especially if the jockey on top wasn't up to his standards - at one show lined up to do the sack race he took off so fast his poor little jockey (Maxine with a continually snotty nose) did a lovely backwards somersault dismount. So Timmy the wonder horse kept going ran down the line picked the sack up in his mouth and ran off with it ! I got him a few times and still have the rosettes Proper Thelwell days !
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sarahp
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Post by sarahp on Nov 26, 2014 16:06:06 GMT
Years ago I used to help run an unaff 10y and under charity show with some friends. It was run in a NT park, and laying out the rings always started with "find the pothole", which was fenced off and served as the corner of two adjacent rings, then we did the other rings from these. I'm sure nowadays it would be deemed unsuitable ground on which to hold a show.
We always had a handy pony, and a set of gymkhana games, the bane of our lives - not because of the children but because of the mothers! Solved by recruiting one of our husbands, who didn't know the first thing about ponies but had a very commanding presence and a loud voice. "Next heat, you you and you". "Your pony trotted (in the walking race), turn a circle". "Winner is the chestnut pony" etc, etc, etc and they all did exactly what they were told with no arguing.
One year I recruited a wonderful aunt of my husband's, a very knowledgable top class Shetland breeder, to judge the show classes for us - unaff remember - and I stewarded for her. We lined up her choice of FR, and she asked me quietly what I wanted her to do as one of the ponies wasn't totally sound. I said we didn't really want to send people out if at all possible, so she then asked the child how old her pony was. 37 came the reply, so we reckoned it was entitled to be a bit stiff and left it where it was, 4th or 5th I think, not the top of the line anyway.
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Post by chloesmum on Nov 26, 2014 16:17:31 GMT
Mounted Games were my thing as my 'rag and bone yard' pony was brilliant at them. I used to hack miles to get to PPCup practices and loved being in the team. Semi finals were always held at Butlins Holiday Camps in those days - pure magic! Amber was a star at all games apart from ones you had to vault on him and then he would buck you off - so I got really quick at a stirrup vault! When I think about the 'ringcraft' in showing now actually it was just as crafty in the games. Hanging back to get in the right heat, buzzing your pony up on the line to get the best start! I had to laugh at Sarahp's post re the pony getting down to roll - Chloe's first pony was a major fiend for this, always in a sand or indoor school. He would suddenly fly buck, charge accross the middle and get down and roll, she got really quick at jumping off and yanking him up! With me screaming watch his saddle! I always remember one silly PC lady telling me to let him as he would not do it again - rubbish! and of course being grey he looked horrendous once he had rolled in a rubber school!
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Post by maxandpaddy on Nov 26, 2014 18:23:00 GMT
Your post chloesmum made me remember doing my YTS trip to Butlins Pwllheli in the 80's for Team Work Training. You went in winter out of season when its closed to the public, there was about 40 of us mostly from horsey jobs a few agricultural, we canoed, rock climbed, got drunk and took the boys on at arm wrestling
YTS hahaaaaa I did over 50 hours a week caring for Eventers and Hunters often up at 5am to get them ready for £27.50
Gawd I enjoyed it and learnt a lot x
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tda
Junior Member
Posts: 55
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Post by tda on Nov 26, 2014 19:08:53 GMT
Putting up umbrellas,going under washing lines, ringing bells, dismounting via the rump and tail! No health and safety would have a field day. We still have a Handy Pony class at the Dales Pony Performance Show! I'm going to suggest over the rump dismounting for next year!!!!!
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