What antique/vintage equestrian bits and bobs do you have? Or otherwise meaningful horse related things?

[risuenaVT]

Courtesy of @Ghazzu mentioning the Vermont 100, which is run at the same time as a 100 mile ultramarathon for humans, I remembered that I knew someone who was an ultramarathoner. And also his son, who is best known for being one of the 12 people who completed the first ever Hawaii Ironman in 1978, but the son was also apparently a respectable show jumper at some point and he gave me his crop.

I believe it’s from the 70s and it has obviously seen better days, and yes that is a masking tape handle and the flat part of the crop is long since gone and I totally used it in the 90s as a kid in one a week lessons…

But then also, some point in her youth, my mom dated some Hungarian aristocrat and he gave her this crop

I think the handle is carved from bone. I have never and will never ever ride with it. It is extremely rigid because it

Is also a dagger…

I think it’s super cool though and I’d forgotten about both them until I found them cleaning out my mom’s condo recently.

Also, I don’t currently have photos, but in the attic at my dad’s house we have several sets of half-chaps that predate zippers. They have leather laces that wrap around the outside to keep them fastened. Which I also think are pretty cool. Sadly my calves are thicker than my ancestors…

Oh, and why not? Mom had a small collection of cameos, and this one is the largest, and probably also my favorite because it depicts a horse…

What nifty old horse or horse related things do you guys have that you think are cool?

[Ghazzu]

A couple of bits a friend acquired in the middle East, IIRC.

[risuenaVT]

Those bits are terrifying! But also fascinating!

[2DogsFarm]

Does a 1985-vintage Roma pad count?
Bought when I didn’t yet own a horse, for the one I was shareboarding.
Displayed on a DR chair in my LR, along with a crop thrifted by a friend & older than the pad

This was hung on the garage when I looked at the property in 2004, but obviously much older.
So, of course, I had to buy the farm

[cayuse]

I have a couple of old vintage model horses vintage the 1940’s. You all know the ones, they look like parked out saddlebreds and have a western saddle and chain reins. One was my mom’s when she was little, it was passed around to all the horse loving cousins in her family as they grew up. I have a trophy cup I bought off ebay years ago, I put a plant in it lol. It must be about 100 years old and it was awarded to “Sunshine”. I can’t remember offhand the rest of the engraving, best amateur horse maybe. Somewhere in a box is my old brown velvet helmet from the early '80’s. Beautiful brown that matched my chestnut perfectly.
Does a 50 year old pitchfork count? Have my first one and still use it.

[Paint_Party]

@2DogsFarm

This was hung on the garage when I looked at the property in 2004, but obviously much older.
So, of course, I had to buy the farm

That was definitely a sign. I would’ve bought it, too!

[Luseride]

I have a couple of mule bits that we found near where my granddaddy had a barn.

What I really love is a pair of spurs from the mid 1800s made in England. The company still exist but only makes bespoke boots and shoes, no longer spurs. I was not going to use them but my late husband insisted so I do. They just feel better. Only use them for showing but have had them for ten or more years.

[2DogsFarm]

You know COTH Law:
Pictures, or it didn’t happen

[Hidden_Oak]

IIRC these were my mom’s as a child. Hope the pic works.

[risuenaVT]

Those are really cute!

[Jo]

I have a lot of my mom’s old gear, including her saddle, boots, bridles, and bits. She rode until she had me… and I’m 44. I even rode in the saddle for many, many years. It is SOLID and still looks great!

[quietann]

A big draft horse shoe we found when digging a hole in the garden. We live in an old farmhouse, so that’s no.surprise. It’s at least 60 years old as that is when the farmers sold up.