bareback hunter!
What do you suppose would be the reaction today if, a bareback hunter over fences, fences,2’6" twice around were offered:eek:?
knies over 3’ jumps bareback in a halter…even backwards! Kids nowadays dont get to do that stuff. I remember taking my Harrisburg qualifying medium to swim in the borrow pit, then being champion the next weekend.
Cap Center
I , too, loved the WIHS@ the Cap Center :lol: __________________despite the stabling on the parking lot:no: Carried around two long mats j:eek:ust for that; though in truth , I used them at other shows,too!:yes:
Outside courses!
There were outside courses,:yes: also handy hunter classes, where dropping a rail, dismounting and leading over a fence was customary; there were fewer related distances, and a more forward hunting pace
I was one of those per say … I showed a noble steed TB but at home was my 3 year old OTTB hot, did I mention HOT filly … ahh yes, how I loved her! I really did too.
Riding the OTTB “school horses” back in the day to learn to ride on made me not so much a “pretty” rider but effective! I can get on and usually stay on any ride now. I thank those days!
We cleaned stalls before we left for a show, we braided and bathe and took the whole day before getting the trailer ready, cleaning tack having pizza. Long days at the barn were nothing… the barn is like a time warp - 5 hours later feels like you just got there!
I will never forget using white yarn on my dark bay’s braids.
I would take the ol’ mare out and hike the jumps up for a knock down and out session… I never thought about wrapping, soaking or poulticing her after those rides.
I remember racing with a fellow boarder up the shaving mound - yes on the horses - I think they had a blast too! Swimming was sooo much fun too in the sink hole creek. I would love to still do these things with my co-boarders but I know it will never happen!
my olden cred
My aunt had a groom whose parents had been slaves. I would sit in the tack room for hours and listen to his stories about tacking up the sidesaddle horses and working with the horse calvary. He taught me how to bridle a horse and then take off the halter. . .(you didn’t want to lose a horse on the plains).
I was at a GM/Jessica R clinic the summer of the first Lake Placid show. They used us to paint the fences. After we were done we got on our horses bareback in halters and jumped them.
[QUOTE=Chall;4049769]
I rode in the 60-70’s at Sleepy Hollow with Mr. DeLavolet ( handsome Cuban ex-cavalry) and at Twin Lakes and it’s western brother “Flying Arrow” run by a Al something. Kentucky Farms is still there flanked by corporate office buildings good for them!). Boulderbrook was Scarsdale riding academy at some point.[/QUOTE]
Actually Twin Lakes WAS Flying Arrow Stables…there were two barns located about 1/2 mile from each other-one mainly english, the other mainly western. I do not remember an Al but do remember George (a crazy man from Maine) who ran both places in the early 70’s. He was fun…used to love to play mounted games and have drill team practices. Trainer then was Ed Hill (Hilliard?) a great horsemen with some mysterious past scandal or tragedy. There was also a crazy Greek trainer there…Tim something or other who later went to Coach House, IIRC.
My parents bought the lease on TLF and were the first ones to try and do anything with the place. I think they did ok…cleaned it up, expanded/improved the lesson program, held rated shows and got kids to the EQ Finals (and placed) within three years with the help of the Dick and Pat Neff.
Kentucky Stables…now that is a blast from the past! Do the Vanorios (sic?) still have that? And what about Hillaire…is it still there or is it condos now?
It was Mike the Greek. I can still see him in my mind after about 30+ years. He was at Coach House for a bit when I was there. Not sure if Dickie Vanario still has Kentucky Stables. I think so…the barn is still there nestled among all the office buildings. It was my first barn when I was 10 and Windward Day Camp brought campers in for lessons 1x a week. I was the first one on the bus each time.
Talking about riding bareback. Does anyone remember the Ride a Buck class. You rode bareback with a dollar bill under you leg. Last one with it still there was the WINNER!! Then there were the Grooms class where the grooms JUMPED a course bareback and were judged. NOW that was the OLD days. We also had Break and Out classes
I rode at Kentucky Stables when Uncle Joe Vanario taught followed by his daughter Terri. Dick her brother was still a kid but ran it and still is, I believe. I moved to Boulder Brook and trained with Al Homewood. Inke was his assistant. We had lots of great fun showing, trail riding and loving the horses and life.
I love these stories. While I was born in the 80’s, I am happy to admit that I have a trainer that still teaches as many of you describe…and it works! I have a young jumper prospect (3yo), and his plan is for her to “spend a year in the hunter ring” before anything else. He wants her to do this so she “is confident with her job.” He also is very adimant that we not teach her how to collect and balance right away, but rather “ride her on a loose rein and let her learn how to carry herself without any help, and then when SHE is ready, we will put the finishing touches on her collection.” It is quite amazing how she has started to move in a very natural, colllected frame - all on her own. We can do downward transitions simply by me changing my seat. Oh, and how can I forget, “drive her forward with the leg!” “Stay out of her way!” “Just do nothing!” Oh, and I also “need to start understanding my mare, know what her body language means, understand her attitude, when she is happy, when she is grouchy…” “You two are a team, She has to trust YOU!” I love my European trainer, even if he is “old school”.
By olden days do you mean no saddle pads, plastic hunt caps for the show ring only, and shenanigans that involved using our show horses for things like (gasp!) hunting, driving, cowboying, etc? 
Also worked from Reiner Neivisch who I understand is working out of some large farm in Westchester. Man, was he a clean freak but boy was that great experience. You should see my barn now, Reiner would be happy.
Reiner was my trainer all growing up!!! Boy do my horses and tack gleam now 
he was tough but boy did I learn tons from him. and still to this day I think of him often.
What these posts tell is that a whole lot of us grew up with a lot more variety and get-it-done attitude, with work ethic attached, than we might see nowdays with BNT trainers and Mom and Pop paying the big bills.
We stuck through the age where a lot of juniors give up riding to go to college, and we are still at it.
I remember when Reiner was working for the Simpsons, and then when he was working out of a barn in Succabone Rd that backed up the the construction site which became I-684.
We used to ride all over the constructions site when they were not working on it.
However, I also remember plenty of kids back then riding “with BNT trainers and Mom and Pop paying the big bills.”
[QUOTE=superD;6751421]
Also worked from Reiner Neivisch who I understand is working out of some large farm in Westchester. Man, was he a clean freak but boy was that great experience. You should see my barn now, Reiner would be happy.
Reiner was my trainer all growing up!!! Boy do my horses and tack gleam now he was tough but boy did I learn tons from him. and still to this day I think of him often.[/QUOTE]
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