Heels Down, Kick On

#5        It was acceptable in the 80s (and 90s): Part 2   Born in the 80s? Or not too far either side? You might just remember a few more of these… 1.        All the gear and no idea. Or pony. If, like me, you were starved of a pony of your own by your dream-crushing parents (yes, you might have had most other things you wanted, but no way Jos é to the pony), then it might have made you feel a little better having bits of kit you didn’t really need. One of the best Christmas presents I ever received – aside from a set of glorious Fashion Star Fillies – was my own grooming kit. No more ‘own a pony week’ riding holidays spent digging around for a battered body brush that Susan had just filled with enough grey fuzz from Snowy to stuff a couch with, oh no. My very own, very organised, bright red grooming tidy, containing: ·          1 x red hoof pick ·  ...

#4       It was acceptable in the 80s (and 90s): Part 1 Earlier this week, I wrote a post about pony profiles. Writing it was like being shoved from the top of a helterskelter of nostalgia, evoking a flood of other memories on a Noah and the Ark-like scale. Ever since, my head has been filled - two by two - with a number of other horsey reminiscences, which I’ll hedge my bets a few of you will recall too. So grab a glass of wine (it is a Bank Holiday, after all), get comfortable and allow me to bring you a handful of throwbacks to the equestrian 80s and 90s. This may take a few instalments… 11.        A complete and utter disregard for health and safety precautions. Hordes of kids all simultaneously trying to catch 20 different ponies in the same field. Armed with frayed headcollars and homemade lead ropes, we’d storm the field with our buckets of pony nuts yelling “Come oooooooooon!” at the top of our lungs, ...