How things have changed.

[Milliesmum]

Having come back to riding after a break, it struck me how much certain things have changed since I learnt to ride in the early 80's.

for example:

Loud colours! We had jods in black, cream or navy - definitely no patterns or bright colours! also horse clothing seems to have gone the same way - we would never have put our ponies in pink and purple saddlecloths/boots etc.! New Zealand rugs came in one colour - green. Now they are called a turnout rug and come in any colour you like!

Bits/Bridles! When I learnt to ride you had a snaffle or a pelham, maybe the odd kimblewick and if it really had no brakes it wore a gag (english!). Nosebands were cavesson or drop. And where has the standing martingale gone? Nowadays everything seems to wear a three ring gag, flash noseband and running martingale - is this just fashion or because it really works?

Synthetic saddles - not sure if like them or not - if we weren't lucky enough to own a saddle we rode bareback and got horsehair stuck in our jeans - my mum used to go barmy!

It used to cost £1 for an hours hack at my local riding school - now I think it's closer to £20 - and that's not expensive compared to some places. You could pay £5 at a local show and enter any classes all day!

Hats - we had the choice of black or navy velvet with an elastic strap (which we never wore!!!!!) Nowadays the different standards and choices available are mind boggling. We didn't know what a body protector was!
Is it just me that's noticed all this? What do you lot think?

[Milliesmum]

And those 'string vest' type sweat rugs - they always stretched for miles and got ripped - where have they gone? And string girths? and rubber over reach boots that you had to soak in a bucket of hot water so you could get them on?

All weather schools/menages - we had our lessons in a field and I don't remember the ground ever being a problem - although it did get a bit dusty. And carrying water buckets - the water always sloshed down the front of your leg! - don't you just love automatic drinking bowls?

[flashthecash]

Only, saturday night we were discussing just this No streech jods for us! Stable rugs... well only one sort and that was a jute rug. As for washing rugs, that was left to a hot sunny day, with the yard brush and hosepipe

Transport, that was the bus or car (if you were lucky) to get to the stables. No one had trailers and wagon, well those were a real luxury. If you wanted to go to a show, you had to hack I'm talking early 70's here

[Milliesmum]

I caught the bus to and from the stables - and after a long day mucking out in the hope of a free ride, I always got a seat to myself on the way home!

And riding coats - we had the diamond quilted 'paddock jackets' in blue or khaki, and a wax jacket for the winter, and the rain ran down the back of the wax jacket and you ended up sitting in a puddle with wet knickers! And long rubber riding boots - something else you dont see any more.

There was no such thing as a bungee, balancing rein, myler combination - no gadgets at all really - maybe i'm biased but we had to rely on our riding to get the pony's head in the right place, and they were never overbent like you see so many ponies today.

We cleaned tack with a bar of saddle soap and some spit (!), and maybe added a bit of neatsfoot oil. Now I'm confused by all the products available. We washed our horses with baby shampoo and maybe a bit of blue bag in the water for white tails. No coat shine, glitter gel, hoof polish or similar. The money made on these products must be thousands, but we managed perfectly well without them!

[flashthecash]

Saddle soap and a bit of spit! LOL.... I don't even bother these days
I'm still a old fashioned girl... and don't use these new fan dangled schooling things if I can't get the same effect from riding, then I'm doing something wrong.

Those Diamond jackets, were very fashionable in days gone by I had a blue one well a few! No wax jackets in my younger days... Just a good old Kagool

As for coat shine, we used Mr Sheen well it was used on Mulgrave supreme, who was HRH CB Good enough for him.. good enough for us. As for Dolly Blue, that was my best friend I had a grey.
And another thing, no fancy pads to put under stable/traveling bandages.. we used baby roll! remember that? Gamgee was the other option but very expensive and when your young and only pocket money and paper rounds to pay for your pony.. needs must
I have got to say.. that to this day, I still have my original Show bridle

[HUNZASCHOCIE]

Milliesmum and all we must be about the same age lol as you have just brought back so many happy memories..especially the £1.00 an hour ride , sometimes for working at the yard we would get one ride free !! the the horse show as you said £5.00 any class you just can't believe it.......

[Milliesmum]

Indeed I am a lady 'of a certain age', won't be any more specific than that!

If you are of a similar vintage, this might make you smile (read it on a birthday card):

Whats the difference between your bra and your knickers?

At our age, about an inch and a half!

[Milliesmum]

Just remembered, did anyone else used to nick the sugar lumps if you went in a cafe so you could feed them to your pony? The waitresses must have thought i liked my tea really really sweet! Its a wonder the ponies had any teeth left.

[flashthecash]

Do they still do suger lumps? LOL... this thread is so funny! Yes going to the local Riding school to help muck out,, lead ponies round etc for hours just to get a free ridde that was to the field 500 yards away but still loads of fun! and making lots of friends while you were there.. funny when you meet them these days and say that your still with horses and they look at you as if your from another planet and all they are into is their hair extensions and nails God help them

[Milliesmum]

Can you remember doing the Chip Order on a saturday lunchtime? Standing in the queue for ages in your riding clothes and then trying to make sure everybody got the right change! Nightmare!

[ferret]

milliesmum said:

Can you remember doing the Chip Order on a saturday lunchtime? Standing in the queue for ages in your riding clothes and then trying to make sure everybody got the right change! Nightmare!

ha ha oh god we used to do that ...we used to even take one of the ponies to the chippy so me and my friend could take it in turns to ride back from chippy !! we couldnt afford our own ponies then

we bedded on straw ( no shavings then )and fed them hay ( no haylage then ), feed was pony nuts , oats ,bran and sugar beet ...no mixes..balancers etc in those days ! we used to use a supplement called clop (think u can still get it )that came in a little hessian sack !
I used mr sheen on manes and tails too !!
we had proper canvass New zealands with one strap round the belly and yes i remember the stingy sweat rugs and jute stable rugs !
i used to have my jumping pony in a kimblewick ...they were great !!and what about nickle bits

this thread makes me feel soooooo nostalgic !

[Milliesmum]

Where I went they used to cut their own chaff and damp the feed with molasses mixed with water. When you put your hand in to mix the feed all the bran used to stick to your fingers.

And they used to use Main Ring Red and Blue, depending on how fizzy the pony was. Do they still sell that?

I still like straw beds better than shavings - they're much harder work though. Rubber matting was unheard of. And we used to take it in turns to climb on top of the muck heap and level off the top. Many a welly disappeared never to be recovered - not mine though although i did once sink to mid-thigh and have to be pulled free! Got the whole back of the bus to myself that day!

[ferret]

gosh remember main ring too ...not sure wether they still sell it ?! and we used to put hot water and treacle in the feeds ! we also had rope haynets with massive holes or hay racks ...no nylon ones then !

[Milliesmum]

Three things that were better then:

Smart turnout in PLAIN COLOURS
Back to basics riding with NO GADGETS
No health and safety nonsense or political correctness!

Three things that are better now:

Mobile Phones - if you fall off in the middle of nowhere you can phone a taxi!
Those tailguard/bag thingies that stop a grey pooing on its tail on the way to a show!
Solo Combs - enough said!

Anyone got any more?

[Noggin]

What about colours?

When I was a child you had a Dun, now you have a Chocolate Dun, a Roan Dun a Buckskin a dliuted this a diluted that, and dont get me started on roans?

Life was certainly simpler 30 years ago!

[Milliesmum]

I thought roans came in Blue, Red or Strawberry - what's next raspberry ripple? LOL

[Noggin]

So did I!

But "Apparently" mine is a varnished bay roan tobiano!

Me, I call him skewbald!!

[Milliesmum]

You have got to be pulling my leg - do people actually describe them like that!!?

Good Lord!!!

[Noggin]

Only to seriously wind me up, which is does. I knew he was roan, but still coloured, which I believe is the most identifying part of his colouring, else how can he be registered CHAPS?

I have a friend who has a varnished roan pintaloosa! He is an interesting colour. Kind of skewbald but also spotty in a Dun kind of way!

[Milliesmum]

OMG!!!!! Can you put a picture on? I can't even imagine what that looks like!!!

[Noggin]

I will see if I can find one. Cute pony though!

[Noggin]

Here he is but as he is not my pony I will not leave him on for long.

Hope this works

i94.photobucket.com/albums/l102/freakzoid666/Picture335.jpg

[Milliesmum]

He's a sweetie, and youre right he's all of those colours!

Now I would never have known how to describe him, probably would have just gone for 'coloured'. or maybe 'unusually marked'.

[Noggin]

I think he will grow into his colours more as he matures. He is only a yearling and has an awful lot of growing to do. I bet he will be stunning when 5 or so.

[holmedown]

OK then, Jacatex (sp?) catalogues, or on the back page of "Riding" and similar magazines.

[Milliesmum]

You've got me there!!! Back then I was still reading 'Horse and Pony', the one with free hoofpics sellotaped on the front!

[holmedown]

milliesmum said:

You've got me there!!! Back then I was still reading 'Horse and Pony', the one with free hoofpics sellotaped on the front!

Oh yes, the plastic ones ! ... and the occasional mane comb or plaitting bands

[Milliesmum]

Plaiting Bands! We used to think we were so cool, plaiting up the riding school ponies, the plaits were like golf balls and the bands wouldn't stay in!!! And we used to plait tails and get into big trouble if we forgot to take them out before the ponies were turned out!!!

[flashthecash]

Stable jackets? WEll there was only one type, Barbour quilted that came in Blue or olive green.. remember them? and not really quilted but a must have.

Now you can get hundreds of different jackets, I know...I have most of them hung in the cupboard, under the stairs and just seen another couple of jackets I like

No such thing as travel boots either... gamgee and bandages were the thing. Even they had one of! Not your fancy fleece ones, you get now.

And bits...well don't get me started

[ATO]

Who remembers the rollers you had to put on juet rugs with giant peices of upholstery foam shoved under the with area, as the rollers were made of really stiff canvas and leather?