"Wow, they do that now?" -- Surprises after a long absence

[NoSuchPerson]

No, I am very sure that insulated ones did not exist back then. I think you were just supposed to wear more/thicker socks. Or suffer.

[NoSuchPerson]

@ZuzusPetals

Hang on. People are showing in these things?

Yes. I have, at local shows. My paddock boots are way more comfortable for my fat duck feet than my tall boots.

[widge]

@Texarkana

rust breeches: everyone swears they are coming back in style, but they never actually do

I hope they do! I just bought some

[candyappy]

@ZuzusPetals

What are your surprises after returning?

Well I have never left and don’t ride your sport of choice but I have to say that something has changed in either the way they make saddles or the way we are breeding horses because saddle fitting has changed!

Used to be you( well I did) had a couple saddles and they fit wide variety of horses? Now it is almost impossible to get 1 saddle to fit 1 horse…

[AllTheCarrots]

@HipNo34

I found a photo of me in the 80s riding in Schooling Sweats (they don’t still make those, do they?) and sneakers. No socks, of course

I found a pair of my old teenage Schooling Sweats deep in a drawer and brought them back into rotation this fall. So cozy!

Back in the day, I paired mine with LL Bean duck boots.

[foursocks]

I started riding when I was 8 or so, and until my mom bought me some tall rubber boots (lol) I used to wrap standing wraps around my lower legs. They were the ones with the ties, because velcro wasn’t yet a thing, so I would tie them and then tape them.

A few years later, I got full chaps, and wore them with either duck boots or Chuck Taylors. I feel like I also masking-taped my full chaps at the ankles…

[ZuzusPetals]

I spent a lot of time in chaps and Tretorns. Back when Tretorns were good.

Chucks, though. Chucks is inspired. Why didn’t I think of that?

[kirbydog]

I used to masking tape the ankles of my 2 way stretch Tailored Sportsmens and show sheen the crap out of the legs, so I could get my custom Vogels on without the breeches riding up! Made them easier to get off, too
One time I used duct tape instead of masking tape and it didn’t have the flex apparently. I ended up bucking a shin . Had to ice and cold hose it in the hotel room that night so I could wear the boots again the next day

[JBCool]

Ouch!

[MHM]

@kirbydog

I ended up bucking a shin

It always cracks me up when horse people use our terminology for human issues. Like the time a home health aide corded my mother’s leg when she wrapped it.

If you don’t know how to wrap a leg, you should probably not attempt it on my mother. I will notice.

[Peggy]

@MHM

@kirbydog

I ended up bucking a shin

It always cracks me up when horse people use our terminology for human issues. Like the time a home health aide corded my mother’s leg when she wrapped it.

If you don’t know how to wrap a leg, you should probably not attempt it on my mother. I will notice.

I still refer to my dad’s colic surgery. And I think the surgeon was impressed when I asked if they needed to do a resection.

[kirbydog]

Lol, my orthopaedic doc is cracked up at how well I can read my own xrays…

[ZuzusPetals]

“On Thursdays we wear rust.”

[Jaegermonster]

@quietann

No need to get hostile.

BTW, I haven’t showed H/J since I was a teen in the late 1970s/early 1980s. And then it was only schooling shows.

The dressage community, of all places, has become way more accepting of show outfits that prevent overheating, jacket waivers if it’s really hot, and outfits that don’t necessarily require dry cleaning. Of course, their competitors are more likely to be “ladies of a certain age,” for whom overheating is definitely a concern.

@quietann

No need to get hostile.

BTW, I haven’t showed H/J since I was a teen in the late 1970s/early 1980s. And then it was only schooling shows.

The dressage community, of all places, has become way more accepting of show outfits that prevent overheating, jacket waivers if it’s really hot, and outfits that don’t necessarily require dry cleaning. Of course, their competitors are more likely to be “ladies of a certain age,” for whom overheating is definitely a concern.

not hostile one bit. Just dont care how others choose to deal with the issue.

[awaywego]

There is no terror like hearing you’re 12 trips out and you’re still back at the barn trying to get your boots on your swollen legs on a hot day

I later learned that the best trick for getting on the perfectly-fitted-10ishlbs-ago custom boots is a torn-off magazine cover in the front and back of your leg. Super slippery!!

[Mander]

Not that this is relevant now since everyone has zippers, but rock climbers (who often wear shoes several sizes smaller than their street shoe) use plastic bags to put their shoes on. It’s actually so common that most manufacturers package the shoes with a piece of slippery plastic instead of the standard tissue paper sheet.

[foursocks]

I used to use bread bags and baby powder to get mine on. It usually took one of the big male grooms to get them off. The fashion was dress boots and I have a very high arch so it was torturous. If we’d just gotten me field boots things would have been way easier!

Sheesh, those boots, the puke-green, very thick, side zip TS, ratcatcher with monogrammed collar that went OVER the regular collar and then buttoned to it, and a black/dark blue/dark grey wool coat were hell on earth in August!

[IPEsq]

@kirbydog

Lol, my orthopaedic doc is cracked up at how well I can read my own xrays…

My sister is a doctor, and a few years back while she was doing her internship to be a surgeon, I posted an Xray of mine on facebook, and she seemed not to notice the very obvious (to me?) fracture in my finger at the DIP joint. And my horse had a vet appointment soon after, and I explained how I was a little limited in handling him, and my finger may have been somewhat black colored still, so of course the vet was like oooh can we see the Xray?

[blondewithchrome]

@erinmeri

That table II, 2a seems to have largely disappeared from the jumpers, at least at lower levels.

This makes me sad but I also understand! It saves a lot of time to do a 2b instead, and a lot easier for horses to jump then be done. I like that it’s saved for finals or big classes.

[erinmeri]

@blondewithchrome

This makes me sad but I also understand! It saves a lot of time to do a 2b instead, and a lot easier for horses to jump then be done. I like that it’s saved for finals or big classes.

It makes my adult brain sad (and scared to go back to showing)!! I can barely remember the partial courses we do in lessons. I foresee some real bloopers with me going off course!