KEN'S COLUMN
Bring back a really useful tool!
I was recently asked to give a talk about ‘Fashion’ in equestrian terms. This got me thinking around issues which I had never previously considered.
Years ago, when I was first involved with horses, ‘fashion’ as such didn’t exist in equestrianism. Smartness and appropriateness were the bywords – what really mattered. Rather than standing out from the crowd and attempting to express personality and be ‘different’, it was as though everyone was in a uniform. When you went hacking, you wore a hacking jacket – over a shirt and tie! The jacket might have been discarded for schooling sessions – and the sleeves of the shirt tidily rolled up – but the chances are the tie stayed on!
The only really big differences in what riders wore related to money! If you were rich, you had your jackets tailor-made – your shirts, too, if you were really wealthy. If you couldn’t afford bespoke tailoring, you bought off-the-peg – preferably in a smart London store such as Moss brothers or Giddens. When that was too expensive, you found the nearest saddlery. In those days, there weren’t the numbers of well-stocked outlets offering the wide ranges and multiple choices that today’s riders have open to them. Colours were very limited - ‘subtle’ and ‘discreet’ were what mattered. ‘Loud’ and ‘bright’ were definitely infra dignitatem!
I like to think that I was one of the retailers who first introduced ‘fashion’ into the equestrian scene. I had the one of the very first ‘shops-within-a-shop’ in Lillywhites of Piccadilly which, at that time, enjoyed worldwide fame for its wonderful ranges of stock for just about every known sport. Not surprisingly, it was a ‘destination’ store that was high up on the agenda of thousands of tourists. Shortly after I opened in Lillywhites, German, French and Italian manufacturers began to produce jodhpurs and breeches that were really well-cut and had style and an elegance that was new to equestrianism. British manufacturers soon followed suit and, within a very short time, riders were spoilt for choice.
It wasn’t too long before the high street stores began to sell stylish look-alike jodhpur boots and hacking jackets. Elegant boots - with a close resemblance to the top boots worn by riders – quickly caught the attention of the fashion aficionadas. And the fashion world went on borrowing from equestrianism – and continues to do so today. Earlier this year British designer Paul Smith included riding capes and horse-print fabrics in his 2010 collection at the London Fashion Show. And last year Jimmy Choo - whose name seems to be on the wish list of every single lady - teamed up with Hunter and Osprey to woo the fashion gurus with their equestrian-inspired footwear.
Sometimes – in fact, often – it said that applying the word ‘equestrian’ automatically doubles the price. When jodhpur look-alike boots first made their appearance in the high street stores they sold at prices far in excess of the real thing – and the latter were often better quality! The same happened when jodhpurs became fashionable. Quite a few canny shoppers - whose closest proximity to a horse was often restricted to those they saw on television - found their way into saddleries. Good for the equestrian retailer – but it also goes to show that equestrian retailers generally offer pretty good value!
Fashions – and fads – come and go. What goes around comes around – sometimes several times over. I would like to see one item of equipment make a comeback. Years back it was virtually mandatory in every stable yard. It isn’t an item of clothing. It is functional. It is often perceived as for the exclusive use of older riders or those who are less agile. The best is sturdily constructed with steps. Every reader who is also a rider will realise that I am referring to - a mounting block!
For some reason or another, horse owners in this country are disparaging of the use of a mounting block. Silly them! I cannot count how many times I have witnessed a rider gyrating - grinding on the horse’s back – in futile attempts to relocate a saddle that slipped when they mounted from the ground. Or - using the cantle as a lever - they haul themselves into the saddle thereby unbalancing it and risk causing the tree to twist. I have seen patient horses standing with the saddle under their bellies. On more than one occasion, I have seen a terrified horse plunging, rearing and bucking in efforts to free itself of a saddle that became misplaced when the rider was mounting.
Let us return to the days when a mounting block was a de rigeur item of equipment in every equestrian yard worth its salt. The benefits – in terms of equine welfare – would be profound! Bring back a really useful tool!
Ken is a Society of Master Saddlers’ qualified saddle fitter. He specialises in fitting competition horses and those that are difficult to fit. He is also available to give saddle fitting demonstrations, lectures and talks. Ken can be contacted at head office (01622 844440) or on his mobile: 07973 501873.
