Are you from a horsey family?

[cambrica]

As a child my mum was horse mad, grew up watching wagon train and riding the garden gate. Owning a horse was never an option but she did steal one once naively thinking it was abandoned!! So when I had the opportunity to ride at five there was no problem, soon had my own pony . Mum still rides her cob, I ride and my daughter. Daughter no.2 is 2 1/2 and horse crazy.

 

[Ginger Bear]

I have a horsey mum, we share our love of tb's. my mum's family are originally Romany gypsy origin and so through out the family there are quite a few that like driving. I met a cousin in the winter at a family funeral to find that she is a jockey in training. my mums cousin shows and breeds hackneys, her aunt and uncle also breed hackneys. A few generations back they used to work at the race courses telling fortunes :-0 lol.. The funny thing is that with the driving people although they are current with the showing they are soooo old fashioned with their training methods! Wouldn't let any of them near my precious tb's.

 

[Casey76]

Well it's good to know that the gene for hippomania does seem to make a sporadic occurrence without any seemingly possible reason

 

[jaquelin]

Skipped a generation with me. Maternal grandfather was in the ( horse drawn) artillery & loved to ride til he slipped a disc; paternal grandfather was known for his fine driving horsesParents didn't ride - mother supportive, father less so. My daughter has picked it up from me, & I am happy to see her ride.

 

[kajabe]

My mum rode occasionally when she was younger, but hasn't ridden in like 25 years! My dad doesn't ride, but i think he is a farmer at heart and I am lucky enough that he mucks out my horse every morning and cleans my stable - oh and also walks with me when I go out on hacks, no matter how many miles! I am so lucky really!!!!

 

[Echo24]

Nope, no one in my family are particular big animal fans, let alone horsey people! I did want to ride when I was younger but my mum felt that it was too dangerous, so I managed to pick it up when I was at uni and free to do what I like! I now share a pony and my mum still doesn't like me riding (she paranoid what happened to Christopher Reeves will happen to me!)

 

[tinap]

Not at all. My daughter had a nasty accident when she was 4 - was on life support. During her recovery she became very clingy so to give me a break, my friend started taking her down to her yard. Tgat was when my daughter got the bug!!

She started riding lessons then I loaned a pony & my friend taught my daughter to ride & me how to look after it.

Now its 12yrs later & I am unfortunately no longer in touch with the friend but my daughter still rides. We are onto our 3rd pony now, soon to be going onto horses & she still had the bug!

She competes BS upto national level & does a bit of unaffil dressage & eventing & also pc.

She still remembers the accident but sees it as the beginning of a life she loves.

 

[YorksG]

The horse gene skipped a generation on one side of the family and a couple on the other side Both sister and I have ridden since we were children (i only went because big sister bullied me into it so that she could go every week ) Paternal Grandfather had a driving pony for his veg and egg round, mothers side of the family that came here from Ireland had nothing to do with horses, but we found out later that those that stayed there now breed show shires
We were teenagers when parents bought us our first horse and Dad always helped out. He later took up driving and his retired mare still lives with our herd.
Mum and Dad always came to shows, and Dad still attends RC events if our horses are going. Mum came to watch me show the Appy the last summer she was alive and that is one of my best memories of her

 

[Cupcakes and Horses]

Well both my mum and dad ride/rode dad stopped before we came along and is sadly looking after the lost ones in heaven. But there were no horses about when I was small...no money so I wasnt born into it as such. Not sure where my mum came from though her family were into cats she's into dogs and horses

 

[Shutterbug]

I had a horsey grandfather but never knew him as he died when I was little - he rode horses all his life and was in the Royal Horse Artillery - my dad said he would have been proud that at least one grandchild took an interest in it

 

[Archangel]

When I look at my family I really think there was a terrible mix up at the hospital when I was born. Somewhere there is a lovely rural family looking with great consternation at their bookish daughter and my family are looking at me wondering where this horse riding, whip cracking, pheasant plucking, rat catching yokel came from

 

[MrsHutt]

It skipped a few generations with me too! My paternal grandfather was in the cavalry in the First World War (like War Horse!) but my dad had no interest whatsoever (my cousins always had ponies growing up, though). My great grandfather on my mum's side had a horse haulage company (in Wales), bringing the logs down from the mountains with heavy horses. They always had a pony or two as well, but although my mum always fancied the idea of riding, she was too afraid to have a go!

 

[Vixxy]

I had ridden since I was 2.5 yrs in lessons in a mixed aged class because Mum and my older Sister rode also. My Step Father my Mum later met was my show jump trainer before they got together. He competed against the likes of David Broome in the 60's and 70's on his grade A mare he produced himself as an amateur. Sadly he died but his teachings with me remain and live on and having taught myself in my own riding school/dealing yard for many years it passes on. my eldest son rode then got to an age it was 'uncool', my youngest son still rides and my Sister own a large livery yard and riding school in the UK.

 

[zaminda]

Nope, mine are into racket sports, and don't get my obsession at all, which neither do I sometimes! One of my favourite memories is watching my dad trying to wash out a bucket without getting water or mud on his suede shoes!
Both my nieces look like they are going to be interested though, so I suspect my brother will keep them away from me!

 

[Merlin11]

not from a traditional horsey family but my dad worked in the forestry when he left school and worked with clydesdales to pull the logs. my great grandfather also drove cattle by horseback in the highlands and came from the scottish clan who looked after the horses for the macdonalds so guess it is in my genes. apparently my surname means 'looks after horses' in gaelic.

 

[EquiGal92]

Nope not at all, BUT my Mom did want me to improve my balance etc... when I was younger (so much more better now LOL!) so she suggested do you want to start horse riding lessons and without a second thought I said "Yes!!!", however she moans now that I drag in mud and horse hair into the house and that the car is always filithy - shouldn't have got me into horses then!

 

[Tonty Tont]

Nope

No one in my family is remotely horsey. They're all quite disappointed that I got 'sucked in', and that I'm never clean

I got into horses through seeing my best friend's pony a few times. I wanted to see what the fuss was all about, and eventually had a few lessons

I do feel bad for my mother though. She doesn't get any pleasure out of the horses, but she has to take me up to see Tont every day. She always stays and helps too, rather than drive all the way home and back. I know that I'm very lucky that she loves me enough to put up with this!

 

[.Redmerl]

Sadly not. Mine are not only not horsey, but they are anti- horse. They don't understand the time or money required and blame not having a grandchild on horses. They often say I am weird

 

[laura_lor]

Yep, my entire family are animal mad. In fact, without horses it is safe to say I wouldn't be here. My Mum got her horse when she left school and got a job, and kept her in a field on a tiny village lane. My Dad lived a few houses along and would stop to talk to her every day on his way to and from work while she was sorting out Amey. Dad's a farm worker so also animal mad, and was looking after a couple of retired horses for their elderly owner - so the conversation was fairly easy apparently!
Long story short, romance blossomed. They went on riding holidays and things together as they had to sell Amey when they got married but Mum still had the bug!
I was put on a pony for the first time more or less as soon as I could walk, and have had my love of horses fostered by them both. Both Mum and I had a break from horses for a few years after she had a nasty accident, and I went to university but I've finally gotten back into the saddle properly in the last couple of weeks.
I'm grateful my parents are animal mad as they're being really supportive of me in following my dream to buy my own horse in a couple of years time, and I'm determined to persuade my Mum to get back into the saddle again!

 

[moana]

Not really. My mother hates them, my father has no preference, is happy if I am happy. My siblings generally are not interested, but my Grandfather had a working farm and adored his working Shires. He died when I was a baby and I am now an OAP, so you know how long ago this might have been. My partner has a totally unhorsey family, but loves horses himself.

(yes, an Oap recovering from anorexia!! It happens)

 

[MagicMelon]

I'm from a motorbike family! My mum did ride a few times when she was a lot younger, but nothing serious at all. My brother also went riding when he was a kid, I think just because mum thought it was a nice thing for him to try - they made the mistake of plonking me (at age 4) on his pony to plod back to the yard each time. When he grew out of it, I decided I liked it so kept going. I had to do a LOT of whining and begging but eventually they bought me a pony when I was 9. Then the whole pony club world began and I've never looked back, have never been horse-less and I'm now 28! My family have always been very supportive. My mum still comes with me to events and helps with the horses, she misses not going to events nowadays! I'm pregnant at the moment and she's getting so bored of coming to dressage comps (and not BSJA / BE!). My dad and brother didnt get involved much, dad occassionally came to the odd event but he was more into taking my brother dirt bike racing I felt I should attempt motorbiking and passed my "big" (!) bike test 2 years ago, cant say I enjoy it much, find it too terrifying and am always dropping the thing... give me a horse any day!

 

[islander]

No, my parents weren`t at all horsey but my maternal grandmother and grandfather both had horses on their farms and my grandfather could ride and loved horses. When my parents said "I don`t know where you get it from" I could `blame` my grandfather! Luckily my parents encouraged me to learn to ride though I could never afford a pony of my own.