Been at my yard for over 20 years and one by one my friends

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teasle

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have gone. Still a yard of nice people ,but really miss the old day when they were all there, I mean the 6 or so people I was really friendly with and used to ride with and sit around drinking coffee with afterwards.. Anyone else had this happen. Now I just feel old and always seem to ride alone.
 
Yes. The people who replaced them were cliquey, wealthy young women who treated me as an amusing old fossil. They were patronising about my lovely horse, and spent more time gossiping and looking at their mobiles than doing anything useful.
I moved, and no longer dread going to spend time with Miss Horse.
 
Yes I have this problem too. My yard is also a riding school, and I am one of two adult liveries. All the other people my age are either staff or parents of young girls who ride. Everybody is very pleasant and I have a chat with all of them, but it's not the same as having my friends there. It feels very lonely at times.
 
I found that being the oldest on the yard by quite a bit it seems difficult to socialise with other liveries at times. Most of my friends the same age have given up horses
 
I know that I am at the right yard, and my loverly horse lives there and it is his home and his friends are there. But I do feel a sadness as some of my 7 friends (re counted ) that have gone went in a sad way after giving up unsuitable horses and loosing the desire to ride and be at the yard. Just hated to see their lifetime with horses end on a bad note. I guess that I would like to put the clock back to when they were all there and we were all happy. But it is too nice a day to be sad , and I enjoyed my morning with my loverly horse on a weekday off work , and the other liveries are really very nice- just miss my mates that I used to see twice a day through the year.
 
I have found that all my horsey friends have now given up. I have been hacking all my life and lots of friends have come and gone along the way. I sometimes feel sad about the past and the fun we had but I try to make an effort to make new riding pals.
 
I am 47, and as I keep my horse at home I mostly ride alone.I can't say I find it lonely though, love the time with my horse. Most of my friends I now communicate mostly with the computer or on the phone. It is different, but OK.

In fact the "old days" with staying late at livery yards just got me in trouble at home with spending too long there. Now it is more balanced.
 
I'm 56, teasle, and while I still have my friends at our yard (been there for about 17 years), the YO is not replacing when people leave and it has gone from quite a "buzzy" but laid back atmosphere, with people around most of the time, to very quiet with often only me around.

There used to be several people who competed reasonably regularly, now no-one does, and most of us (me included) only seem to hack out once or twice a week, if that. I remember when a group of us would go out hacking for two or three hours at the weekend, often spending the majority of the day at the yard, particularly in the shorter winter days.

I really miss the involvement that I used to have, and the enjoyment of watching others school and prepare for shows. It encouraged me to get on and do more, although I do find these days that I just haven't got the stamina or the strength that I used to have (which is another factor in not riding as much as I used to, along with pressure of work).

I do miss the "old days" ...
 
I remember great hacking days with friends at the yard, we used to go for miles and explore. They were fab times but I think we must not dwell too much on what is past.

Nowadays I keep my horses at home. I'm 60, can't hack as I used to for dropping to bits body. But I have enjoyed breeding two ponies of my own, training them up, and now carriage driving with one of them. I feel rejuvenated to discover this lovely friendly and exciting sport. Or we can just carriage hack round the lanes, always with a 'groom' so it's sociable too. Or how about a driven dressage lesson? It's all the same stuff as when you ride but it doesn't pull the old body to bits as much.
 
Yes my enjoyment used to be spending the morning up the yard, getting ready to ride, riding then talking about the ride afterwards ! especially if it had been a hairy one. Also watching others school. Go up do my horses, dont ride now, and go home.
 
I'm 68, never stopped hacking, hunting, competing (very low level stuff now, to educate young Miss Horse). My mother was still hunting (side saddle) with the Worcestershire in her late seventies. Body starting to moan a bit, where it's been broken over the years, but ok once got going. New yard doesn't have any other aged crones, but we hack out together every weekend, and I hack by myself in the week. I find that there are very few "old school" people around now,although our lovely YM, at 30 is certainly one of them, having been taught, since six years old, by a well-known dragon, who was a top eventer back in the 1970's.
Why do people give up riding, do you think - apart from bad, life changing happenings? I've had a few such horrors, but being a b***dy minded old bird, so far, have found a way through.
 
Friends have given up for vatious reasons and some just moved on to take new jobs. Reasons included a dispiriting run of bad luck with horses, horse suddenly dying. Disallusionment with the horsey life- inability to adjust to a new horse after the passing of a much loved, long term partner. Loss of nerve- finance ....and so on
 
I can emphasise with this thread - been at my current yard for about 15 years and most of my close friends have moved on or are up at the yard a lot less than they used to. I am mid fifties and still riding most days. My regular hacking partner's horse is lame just now and won't be hacking out for a while so I am getting used to going out myself. To be honest its not so much the riding company I miss, but having a coffee and a gossip. One of my other pals is still at the yard but we keep different hours thse days. On the rare occasions when we are up at the same time it's great - we have a coffee then go for a mooch round and watch the lessons or whatever is going on and reminisce (sp!) about our glory days when we would go out for lovely long evening hacks and have mad gallops over the braes. Happy days.
 
I am 58 and I ride most days. I've been at a busy yard where everyone was at least 25 years younger than me. It was nice but they weren't falling over themselves to hack out with me. Now I am at a tiny yard and tend to hack out on my own. Its a bit sad.

I wish there were yards specifically for over 40s / 50s. I bet we'd have a whale of a time!
 
I was thinking today about a mare I used to look after/ride about 6 years ago, wondered what she's doing , she may have passed. I lost contact with her owner who lives abroad, she was a wonderful lady and very kind to me. Made me quite sad :(

I'm 46 and have not ridden since , am working on it but as you get older you get rusty and not so confident as you were :)
 
Maybe saga should look into branching into livery yards?! Sorry folks, am not being dismissive. I find it all too easy to get nostalgic about the past myself so I do sympathise.
 
Same thing has happened at the yard I'm in. 10 years ago there was a group of between 10 to 15 people. We would hack out together and go to the beach and every hunter trial and have great evenings in the pub. There are children who would not exist now if not for that group. But one by one, they all gave up for various reasons. One couple has now returned because their kids want to learn. There are only 2 of us left now and we are bff's which is grand but we do reminisce from time to time. Other liveries have come and gone in the mean time but they tend to be a lot younger than us and while we all chat in the yard they tend to make friends with each other outside the yard rather than with us. I am 51 and my friend is 47 and when I say younger I mean in their 20's or 30's.

But, you know, life moves on and situations evolve. How boring it would be if things stayed the same.
 
Not quite the same thing as I have always had my horses at home - but I also long for the good old days when hacking was fun and social. Now if hacking out on our narrow lanes we spend the whole time listening out for fast commuter traffic and giant farm tractors that pose a real danger and take away that sense of fun and freedom that we used to enjoy years ago. Can't say my age as OH truly believes I am a year younger than I really am - but I sure ain't young!
 
My situation is kind of opposite, I am on my first livery yard ever, rode as a child and was a pony helper on a top dressage yard, gave up aged 14 or so then got back into riding in my late 30's, was a sharer, then a loaner and now have my own horse.

I joined this yard thinking good ness I know no one, they all seem young (I'm now late 40's). Made friends with a 50+ year old and we do hack for miles, laugh often and share duties. There are probably as many 40+ as 20+ on the yard in fact.

So I say keep looking there will be like minded folk out there, look us all of us on this thread for a start!
 
I think that it's a common thread at livery yards, people getting older drop out of riding or move yards. I can get quite nostalgic remembering the "glory years of competition" with various friends who now no longer compete.
I sadly have a life-limiting disease although at the moment, fit as a flea. My mantra is "make each day count!" and I get so much pleasure riding, competing in a small way, schooling, hacking be it solo or with friends. I have down-graded (?) to an Irish Draft and ride almost every day.
I'm lucky to have horses at home now but in the past I have moved yards if there were no like-minded friends to share with. So come on everyone over 55, horses are still the best medicine!!
 
It happened at the yard I was at. Most people left because of the dangerous dogs that the YO was helping a charity import into the country and fostering with a view to rehoming. So many people got fed up of their horses being chased they left in droves. There were 45 at one point, now there are about 22 left and most of those belong to the YO.

The yard has been driven into the ground. When I left (got sick of my injured horse being chased by pack of out of control hounds in deep mud day after day) everyone seemed to follow. Total nightmare finding another yard as everyone from the original yard was on waiting lists!
 
Burmilla, loving your frame of mind. :-) i hope to still be riding at 68... I am 46, been riding pretty much all my life, I keep on a DIY yard which is very laid back, go up twice a day to sort out horse and I ride most days. we still compete around BE90 level, but I am not as supple as I was and do ache a lot more afterwards - I must admit.... my OH thinks I should move more towards dressage as I get older as he reckons I won't bounce so well after falling off XC....but a part of me still loves the jumping :-) our yard is lovely, generally someone around each end of the day if you want to chat. I am probably the most competitive person there at the moment, the rest are really happy hackers, which is fine. I mostly hack alone though as often doing faster fitness work which they are not keen on, plus it is my time with my horse. when we first moved to this yard 5 years ago, there were two other kids there and my daughter and they would go off for hours together on their ponies doing all the mad pony stuff we did as kids, brought back many memories.. they have both moved on now and we have just sold my daughters lovely pony ( looming GCSES) (planning to share one horse going forwards) I sometimes miss those times but it is lovely to have the memories ..

Burmilla said:
I'm 68, never stopped hacking, hunting, competing (very low level stuff now, to educate young Miss Horse). My mother was still hunting (side saddle) with the Worcestershire in her late seventies. Body starting to moan a bit, where it's been broken over the years, but ok once got going. New yard doesn't have any other aged crones, but we hack out together every weekend, and I hack by myself in the week. I find that there are very few "old school" people around now,although our lovely YM, at 30 is certainly one of them, having been taught, since six years old, by a well-known dragon, who was a top eventer back in the 1970's.
Why do people give up riding, do you think - apart from bad, life changing happenings? I've had a few such horrors, but being a b***dy minded old bird, so far, have found a way through.
Click to expand...
 
I am 57 and have a 30 year old cob- hack out on my own or with a friend - 67- and her 20 year old cob. Each pair adds up to 80 years and we still have fun- blethering and mainly walking along the tracks with a few trots. Long may it continue ! Lots of young riders at the yard- they do their own thing.
 
I keep my ponies at home. Hack out on my own mostly. Sometimes have a walker, I am trying to restore confidence after a bad fall. I am 63 and returned to riding a few years ago.
 
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