Were you part of the horse-show scene of the 1970s? That decade of buckstitched tack, disco-inspired Western wear, the "taco" hat, and no such thing as bling? When the morning's grand champion halter horse could readily be the afternoon's all-around performance horse? When trail classes featured livestock and wild animals? When it wasn't unusual to see a horse trailer hitched to a V8 passenger car?

No, thank God.  Although I've been involved with horses all my life, I've never "shown" so I didn't have to suffer though those fad disasters!  I will agree with you on one thing though, it was fairly common to see the large, land yacht vehicles pulling horse trailers, mainly because they were just about the only vehicles that could handle it! (i.e. the huge convertible caddilacs)

 In my early years I was unable to show except twice at the county fair.  I rode my horse 9 miles to get to the fair and then home the next day.  I remember leaving our small farm at 3:00 am and heading  out to the highway over the river bridge and into town.  We were not going to make it in time for halter so I galloped the last few miles over city streets to get there.  I wanted so badly to get to show my horse and be in the ring instead of standing outside of it watching other kids and their horses. My poor horse and I were totally worn out before the show started but it was still the greatest day of my youth .  I was 15 at the time the horse was 2.   The horsemanship class consisted of each of us showing the judge what our horse could do best.  I remember trotting out to the center and performing what I thought was a spectacular reining pattern.   I did get a blue so something must have been all right. My Mom made my shirt and I wore my brothers hand me down jeans, a pair of boots I got from a garage sale, a staw hat shaped like a taco and the biggest grin in the world.  It was a great day for me.  I still wear that grin when I get to show my horse..but my hat is felt and my jeans  and boots were bought for me and a good friend made my shirt.

 I do! I had the buckstitched saddle/bridle, the Tom Thumb bit and striped saddle blanket. Pants were worn inside the boots. I looked like such a dork in those days, lol!  The manes were shaved and quarter horse tails were to be just above the hock....short, like our stirrups!  Long/low and slow was already starting to win in the pleasure classes. The days when you went to the show for the whole 5 days and slept in the stalls next door. The best time of all was when the show ended for the day, the public left and we had the place to ourselves.  The life behind the scenes was like a family gathering...old friends, good times and tons of good memories. You could enter your horse into any class you wanted. I rode a horse called Lucky Wimpey, who had Wimpey P-1 on her papers, no less. We did everything. Western Equitation, Pleasure, Reining, English Equitation and Hunter/Jumper classes. All you needed was the entry fee, no restrictions. The horse trailer weighed a ton before it was loaded and Dad pulled it with a Chevy Nova. Ah! the smell of frying onions in the Midway!  

I was born at the very tail end of that decade, but I love to look back at my sister and mother's show pictures!  LOL!  LOVED that hats that matched the clothes (puke green anyone?  maybe canary yellow?) and the saddle pads with the color-coordinated pompom trim.  Reins with the fake silver ferrules (splits, not rommels-we're too far east for that).  Polyester showmanship outfits with the big floppy ties and snakeskin boots.

Not that some of my clothes from the 80's/90's are much better... who's idea was it to wear tuxedo shirts and bowties?

 

Those were the days! It's funny how the fashion that seems so hip and "in" at the time seems so tacky a few short years later! LOL Yes, I was a part of the seventies, eighties, ninties and 2000 +. I know I am telling my age here but who cares?  I sewed my own show cleothes sometimes my saddle pads made from different colors fleece. I loved the white buck stitch and yes even regular cars were seen pulling horse trailers. Some trailers had the horrid one axle, poor horse lurching back and forth. We hauled in our first horses in the back of a truck with a cattle rack! Didn't realize the danger back then. Later we had a wonderful homemade trailer made from a U=haul axel. Pulled like a dream and yes I remember one of those horses who haltered in the morning and showed all around in the evening. I showed one, then the kids rode her around the show grounds!

Sharon