Best childhood pony memories

[Spotherisk]

The thread on did you have a pony as a child got me thinking… I didn’t have a pony but my absolutely best memories (of my whole childhood) are of a lucky few riding holidays. I was 11 in 1980 when I went in my first riding holiday in Cornwall, OMG I was in heaven. My Dad had offered them cash so I figure it was the cheapest and closest place for me to go to but it was wonderful. For an only child living in surburbia it was amazing, being a long time ago my memory is probably way out but I remember water fights, huge breakfasts, no washing for a week (as there was no bathroom provided, all we had was a tiny basin the size you get in a downstairs loo), riding for hours, helping with the hay, riding to the beach, stripping down to our swimmers then swimming on the horses, fresh milk from the farm, all of us travelling standing up in a cattle lorry to a local Cornish tourist town to spend our few pennies. I adored my allocated pony Carnival (and as he was a chestnut skewbald I do wonde if this is why I picked Tinner) and in that week had my first ever canter and gallop, my first ever cross country jumping, my first ever rosette (still have that). I cried loads when I had to leave. It speaks volumes that 42 years later my memories are so strong, and so happy, despite not having a pony.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I remember pony trekking in Wales with all of my family-the smell of the bracken, rope halters, getting so wet in the rain my knickers were wet (and I cried lol-I was 6). Those holidays were just magical for a small kid; ponies, kittens, sheep dogs, sheep, camping, pub rides, streams and waterfalls-we lived in Ewell at the time, Wales was my dream home.

I remember the first clear round I got on my Exmoor after months of having 3 refusals at the first fence.
I remember the acceleration my last pony had-he was the fastest pony in the village and once I had the measure of him, we had many awesome rides.

parents didn’t have money for transport (except for a few months), lessons, new tack (everything was part ex at Sandy) but am very grateful they managed to hang onto the pony even through the 80s interest rates and dads redundancies.

 

[Lucky Snowball]

I also had great riding holidays before having my own pony. Met two girls on holiday and we're still best horsey friends nearly 50 years later. I can remember the names of all the ponies we rode and still have the rosette for being 'Best turned out' at the show on the last day. Happy times.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

When I was about 8 we went to an island off the coast of Denmark called Romo. My horse radar picked up a herd and I dragged my dad to investigate. Found a load of horses, ponies and even foals in a large field above a beach. Discovered they belonged a riding school and every morning they all trotted/cantered down to the stables on the beach. It was about 2 mikes away. If you were there around 6am and helped bridle them you could hop on any of the bridled horses and ride bareback down to the beach stables. Well that was dad’s lie ins for his holiday gone. I was there every morning to ride them down and every evening to ride them back. Those bareback beach canters in a huge herd with young stock alongside were utterly, unforgettably magical.