Are You From A Non Horsey Family?

D

DougalJ

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 April 2008
Messages
603
Location
South
Visit site
Listening to the sad news about the loss of Ginger McCain yesterday and seeing the clips of Red Rum on the news, reminded me on how I became to love horses. It was watching the likes of Red Rum, and FollyFoot Farm, Black Beauty, Flambards etc that my love of horses began. There is no one in my family that is a horse lover, only me. I asked my dad not long before he died, why is it that I've got the horse bug as no one on both sides of the family have any interest in them? He told me that my great grandfather was a farrier so there is a little equine gene somewhere! Anybody here are on there lonesome in a non horsey family?
 
I am! Got into horses after reading a book that came in a box of things I got after my grandad died. We all tried out lessons at first but I'm the only one who stuck it. Most of my family are actually quite scared of my big man, no matter how many times I tell them he's w gentle giant. Don't think there are any farriers lurking in my family tree but will need to investigate!
 
Yup, me too. No interest at all on either side. Long suffering Dad used to drive me to stables for a lesson, until I was old enough to get the bus. Mum just used to get fed up with the mud and horse smell. When I'd been at the stables all day helping out, I used to have to come into the house through the garage and strip off in there!

Absolutely no chance of having a pony as we lived in London. I did have friends at school who kept ponies out in Kent or Surrey and their parents would drive them down there every weekend. Obviously it wasn't a cheap thing to do and it was out of the question for us.

Funny thing is, when I told my parents I was getting my kids a pony, my Mum said it was a really bad idea. Now they have seen her, and how much enjoyment the children are getting from her, my Mum's changed her mind. I said that was about 35 years too late :D
 
I wasn't & non of my family either! Until 11yrs ago when my then 4yr old daughter had a nasty accident. After coming out of hospital she became very clingy & nervous so to give me a break from her my friend started taking the daughter to see her horses. (She had been once before but didn't like the poo!!! )

Well it well & truly hooked her!! We started to loan a friends pony then after 2yrs bought our own - now the daughter is 15 & competes SJ at a pretty high level (had her 1st national at 10yrs old & done 8 classes so far this year ) Unfortunately the friend turned out to be far from it so we are no longer in touch but I will always be grateful for her bringing horses into my daughters & my lives & for teaching her to ride as well as she does!!
 
Im a lonesome horse lover:( But i started taking my niece horse riding when she was 4 yo and now shes hooked, shes 8yo now, so i now have a little horse buddy :D
But even though my family isnt very horsey, they are quite supportive of my horsey ways and my mum always made sure i got to go horse riding, even when times were tough. ( and my sister has to now that her daughter is a die hard horsey love nowr, he he.)
I,m looking to get a horse on loan in the near future, and i think shes just as excited about it as me lol.

Thanks Ma
xxxx
 
My mum loves horses but my grandparents never did anything to nuture the love of it in her and she never had a horse or got to ride, she just used to pet the milk horse when it came by the house in the 50's!

Two of my cousins (both from my mum's sisters), were into horses, but never owned them, just used to take lessons. I got into horses when my cousin Lori, gave me her old riding boots as I was obsessed with My Little Ponies! I'm the only one in the family who actually ended up with a horse!
 
My mom used to mess about with horses when she was at school, but that was only because her best friend owned one :)
Other than that, it's just me :D

I got into horses mainly because my best friend at primary school rides, and I wanted to see what it was like :) Got the horsey bug, and the rest is history :D
 
my mothers side of the family are extremely horsey so i guess it was inevitable. my father was so against horses that i couldn't even take my riding hat into the house, he hated them with a passion so i (and my brother) used to wait for him to go to work and then open the doors of the house and ride through it on our ponies. :D

a couple of my aunts and uncles plus my grandmother on my fathers side weren't into horses but always supported us and helped us out.
 
Just me in my family, my mum and dad used to take me to lessons, and now im in my twenties, my dad sometimes pops round and gives her a pat...on the head!!! Poor pony thinks he is telling her off, no matter how many times i tell him to pat her on the neck, and stroke her on the head, he never remembers! Last time she shot to the back of the box as soon as he touched her!! Haha, he tries bless him.
Mum used to come and give a polo every now and again but was terrified of them, neither of them do mud, or anything outdoorsy really!!

Turns out my great great granddad was a horse breeder, so its come from somewhere i guess!!!
 
Oh good, it's not just me then! LOL My mum is terrified of horses and never comes to see mine. Dad liked them, but no real interest in them, only on the Grand National once a year! My boys when they were younger, I popped them on some friends ponies to ride out....but that last a couple of months and now football and cricket is the big love in my household. I have to fight over the red button for Badminton or Burghley over them missing a goal or a wicket!
 
In my very close family I'm the only one. My best friend at school talked me into lessons and even though it didn't last long horses kept creeping back into my life. My mother has an OCD thing about smell and I have to get changed outside but I never remember it being that bad as a kid. Might be the fact I dumped my nursing job for life on a yard... Although my brother has ended up with 2 "hay burners", as he calls them, now he lives in Canada.
My cuz has always had ponies/horses and now has 8. In the wider family we are the only 2 though.
 
Only me though parents like racing, mum had a few lessons as a child but since my great oaf spooked and landed on her foot is only happy when they are behind a stable door! Both are animal people though.

OH has no horsey history at all - his parents (just mum now) didn't get animals as pets - his mum likes the horses and cats etc and had a dog as a child but that's all
 
It started off as just me. I cant remember nort being in love with all things equine. We lived in town and couldnt afford a pony so I didnt get my first until I was 21. My other half had a horse for a while but thinks that thy are just there for burning a hole in his pocket:D. Kids were brought up around my aged ponies that I couldnt ride very often. They were both ten before they took much interest and now they both compete for the pony club in different diciplines and have 5 ponies between them. I cant ride anymore so have just broken their outgrown pony to drive. I dont need to ride but need to be around them.
 
I'm from a completely non-horsey family. The only contact I know my mum/uncle had was my uncle trying to jump on a horse and getting bucked off!

Was taken riding by my parents at a very young age with my sister and brother but I was the only one that kept it up! Having had a break of about a year or so whislt doing grown up things such as training for a new career, buying a dog between me and my boyfriend, and buying a house (!) which is near completion. Once moved in will start getting back into horses properly again!
 
Yes - me! I have loved horses/ponies ever since I can remember . . . much to the dismay of my very un-horsey family.

My maternal grandfather was in the cavalry and used to show me his horse brasses, etc., but my Mum (his daughter) insists that he always hated horses.

Mum takes a polite interest bless her and used to come with me up to the yard to help me poo pick when Kal was on DIY livery. Dad thinks I'm mad and that Kal is a waste of money. Brother is terrified of horses - it'll be interesting when he visits in November b/c I plan to drag him up to the yard and may even put him on Kal!!

Interestingly, my grandfather's surname (and, obviously Mum's maiden name) was Ahern - which apparently means something like "Lord of the Horse" :D.

P
 
My story is very sad

My daughter was the first one to go horse mad. WE got her lessons and then her own WC. we had no idea what we were doing but learnt along the way.

Then she was tragically killed and I was left with her WC. He would not let anyone but me ride him, and so I lean't to ride on him

I am now on the 2nd horse of my own and don't know what would have happened to me had she not left me this wonderful legacy
 
Soulfull - that has brought tears to my eye

I am the only horse mad person in our family, loved all things horsey since i was little, watched black beauty etc. etc. snuggled up with mum to watch HOYS etc as a little girl, Mum is terrified of horses, dad quite likes them, but has never ridden.

Bought my first pony 18 years ago, still have him and another one.

Found out a while ago that my Grandad who died when i was only four, did work on a farm & plough with horses, maybe thats my horsey gene :)
 
Last edited:
soulfull said:
My story is very sad

My daughter was the first one to go horse mad. WE got her lessons and then her own WC. we had no idea what we were doing but learnt along the way.

Then she was tragically killed and I was left with her WC. He would not let anyone but me ride him, and so I lean't to ride on him

I am now on the 2nd horse of my own and don't know what would have happened to me had she not left me this wonderful legacy
Click to expand...


Terrible to lose a child, but how lovely that you kept him and learnt to ride.
 
Me again... my three kids all ride, and my oldest has started a career with horses.

My middle son swears he wants to work with horses as well, but I am trying to talk him out of it, my youngest is mad keen on horses - my OH would turn purple if all three ended up working with horses
 
Neither of my parents are in the slightest bit horsey although I have 1 older cousin who used to keep a horse just to hunt (he is a farmer). I discovered about 4 years ago that my Mums older half brother, who I barely knew has a couple of NH horses in training and was a keen horseman in his younger days. I honestly dont know what sparked my interest but I remember as a child watching the ITV7 on Saturday afternoons and building a show jumping course around our garden and pretending I had a team of showjumpers. I lived and breathed horses, drove my Mum mad, Dad was always more tolerant, but we simply werent in a position where I could have a pony. Dad used to take me once a week for my riding lesson and when I started work, aged 16 lent me £400 to buy my first horse, a proper old fashioned coloured cob! 30 years later I have my own racehorse, albeit retired and completely useless on the track, he is a complete joy to own.
 
It skipped a generations for me! My parents aren't horsey, but Mum's father was a market gardener and had horses, although he wanted to be a jockey. He bought a pony for my mum before she was even born, but it died of lockjaw. My parents would be hard put to recognise Harley even though I've had him for 14 years, but they now understand that it isn't 'just a phase'!
 
I am from a totally non horsey family. Didn't start to learn to ride until I was 24, had a few years off due to multiple abdominal operations (thankfully there's nothing left for them to take now!) and finally realised my dream nearly 7 years ago at the ripe age of 36 when I got my own equine :D My family do not know where I got the obsession for all things equine from - I was determined from about 4 that I wanted to ride. I think it stems from reading books like the Silver Brumby seires and Black Beauty and of course the TV - Follyfoot etc. I love my horse and love my life and I am sure my family still think I am a bit wierd for having a horse, my sisters are scared of her though she's more like an overlarge labrador !, but accept it's what I want :-)
 
Yes, I am in the fact that my mum's not horsey and my dad wasn't. It was my grandad who loved them, I suppose he passed the bug to me! He plonked me on a shetland when I was about 2 and that was it! He died when I was 11 though :( My poor mum and dad had to take me once a week for a lesson/hack for about 15 years until I could drive myself! My nan's dad also had horses but they got taken off him by the army for use in the war :( Lot's of my friends had ponies so I used to jump up on them and tag along to pc rallies with them! When I reached about 12 I used to help people out in my village with their horses/ponies and got to ride as a thanks and then I worked for rides at the riding school/holiday centre!
 
No one at all in my family likes horse!!

While growing up my best friend (of my whole school life) was into horses, she had a pony, her sister had a pony and her mum had a horse. They also got a foal when we went to high school!
I was always so jealous, she'd come to school telling me about what they'd been doing, what shows they were at and ribbons she'd won ect!! I harped on about getting lessons to my mum but she never ever budged!!
Anyway, I went to their stables to watch them getting a lesson one night and my friends big sister was dumped against the wall of the indoor!! and she broke her collar bone!!! :O That put me off for abit! LOL
Few year on I had my daughter, I noticed from an early age she'd beem when she seen a pony on the telly or in a field or in general!! Saw this as my chance! haha!! I took her to my friends yard, and she wasn't scared! Right in there petting the biggies!

4 years on, she's now 8 and has had her own pony for a few years now and we take her to pony club and un aff shows where she is jumping 65cm courses! She's flippin awesome and I'm sooooo getting my own wee horsey fix!

My parents and o/h's parents hate it, but TBH I couldn't care less! My wee ones are out in the fresh air getting exercise and not sat infront of the telly or computer like others! And we love the social side of it :D
 
I'm from a non-horsey family. My parents and grandparents knew nothing about horses whatsoever, but by some accident of fate we ended up with a horsey nextdoor neighbour who took me riding when I was two. I think my parents lived to regret letting her as I grew up totally obsessed with horses and had weekly lessons at great cost throughout my childhood. My sister also learnt to ride, and now her little boy rides too. His step dad is quite disgusted that he'd rather go riding than play football!

My mum quite likes my horse, as long as she is the other side of a door/gate! She sends her polos occasionally.

OH doesn't have anyone horsey in his family. They didn't even see our horse until we'd had her six months!

I have a few horsey connections further back through the generations but then you'd expect that as horses were essential to life/work not that long ago.
 
Another one from a completely un-horsey family here. I've loved horses for as long as I can remember, had my first riding lessons (well walks out on the lead rein) at 2 yrs old and first proper lessons at 5 yrs old along with my best friend from school. My parents (especially my Dad) were very supportive and always made sure I got my lessons no matter what, My Mum always said it was a phase I'd grow out of but still took me to the stables every week.

My Dad soon realised it probably wasn't a phase and he said "I'll buy you a horse of your own when you're 12" (as this was the youngest age you were allowed to keep your own at livery at the riding school)....I nagged and nagged and nagged, at age 10 I got my first horse to share with another friend, she quickly gaved up and lost the borsey bug so I also lost the horse :-( I was gutted so my Dad gave in and we looked for my own.....a few loans later and I ended up with my little Lewi (Welsh Sec D) whom I've had since I was 11 years old now.

Whilst I kept him up in Newcastle (where I'm from) my Mum would always come to the yard with me and offer to get my stable chores done so I could ride on cold winter nights (bless her heart)!

I've moved away and now have 2 horses, parents are still as supportive as ever and have now definitely realised horses aren't something I'm going to grow out of.
 
KristmasKatt said:
His step dad is quite disgusted that he'd rather go riding than play football!
Click to expand...

Well yea, Stevie freaks the nut if the wee dude comes home and says he's been a hack on the pony today :/
My o/h's more into cars and says the boys will be into go-karts ect not horses :(
 
My mums terrified of horses and my dad can't stand them. I've always loved them and had my little ponies and used to buy horse and pony magazine religiously and loved Milton!
When I was 10 and moved North, my dad knew of a yard and they told me that morning they'd booked me in for a lesson plus I'd spend all day helping at the yard.

Since then, I spent every moment I was allowed up there, and worked there when I left school. I bought 2 of my ponies from them as well :)

I now consider my RI there to be one of my most treasured friends as well as a vaued teacher, who without her, I would never have been able to take on either of my current ponies due to the skill required for them.

So a huge thanks to my parents who didn't understand my love of horses, but did everything to get me close to them. I still remember going to my first XC competition and then being picked up to go straight on holiday :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top