THERE was a time, not very long ago, when you got off your horse, you got out of your riding clothes. Jodhpurs were thick and fly-away waisted jackets, while fine sitting on top, made your bum look big as you walked across the yard.

It probably all changed with the arrival of the quilted jacket, which hit the scene in the early 1970s.

Suddenly, here was a garment that not only kept you warm, but had sufficient image to be worn everyday in almost every way - shopping, to work, to outdoor events and even as protection over an evening dress on a chill winter's night for the dash across the car park to the hunt ball.

Now, equestrian fashion has simply galloped away.

This autumn, the shops are full of crossover garments that are equally at home in the stable yard, on a shopping trip to the poshest stores or for an evening with friends down at the local pub.

One of the biggest changes is in the types of fabric used. No longer does equestrian mean thick and heavy. Now it is lightweight, easily washable and fashionably cut.

The colours are pretty hot, too. Today's pinks, reds, blues and mauves would have made Miss Maude Dinklebottom-Ffrench, Pony Club district commissioner from the 1950s, have a fit of the vapours.

In a way it all reflects how the fashion world generally has moved.

These are fashions for the young. OK, so they can still be worn by suitably shaped ladies who are older, but this is High Street fashion with a horsey kick. And the High Street is all about young people. They are the ones who spend the money - or, at least, their parents' money - and set the fashion trends.

When Miss Dinklebottom-Ffrench was in her first flush you went straight from being a child to an adult. There was no bit inbetween. There is now, whether its in music, electronic entertainment or clothing.

So cast your eyes over some of the pictures on this page.

All the garments are smart, fashionable and, above all, affordable. They can be worn almost everywhere and teamed with a whole range of equestrian slanted accessories such as socks, gloves, hats or jewellery.

And the good news is that to wear them, you don't need to know the back end from the front of a horse.