Do you remember getting your first horse?

PinkCob

PinkCob

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Just got me thinking today, although I don't own my own horse (yet) i'd really like to know if any of you HHO'ers, can remember getting your first horse and what your emotions were like.

Was it a suprise? (birthday/christmas), You buy it yourself? Or did you just 'happen' to get a horse?

Please post pictures if you can!!

:D
 
Yes! :D I remember my first pony because i still have her! lol :D:D:D

Bless her wee socks she is now 22years young and Ive had her since I was 8 yrs old. Hated her for 4 years, not the best to get an 8yr old a 3yr old young mare!! haha :rolleyes: She was a present from my mum as I had been getting lessons and was horsey mad. :)

Now, I know my mare better than myself and even though I dont ride her often I use her to give the kids lessons as she is so good. She pretty much taught me everything in the early days and I love her to bits! :D She will be with me till the day she dies. :)
 
Vividly! And what a moment it was!:D I was 26.

Went against all the rules. Bought a young unbroken filly, first I looked at. She was half Arab and had a mind of her own and no training, never been away from her Mum.

It was a very steep learning curve. Luckily I had been working with big strong warmblood dressage horses and polo ponies so a lot didn't faze me. But I did make mistakes as the only youngsters I had handled were in a pony stud.

There are milestone that stay with you forever. The first time she whinnies when she sees you, charges up the field to come in, the first time you put your leg over, first on the road/trot/canter/jump. The realisation after months of struggling that she hadn't done this or that since whenever. (I kept a diary too)

Also the first shoeing and the cost. The first load of hay and straw and the cost. The first (frightening)emergency vet....and cost. Dentist, saddle, winter rugs and cost. (still have the first rug, brush and headcollar)

A lot of fun, love and heartache over 25 years, and the total absolute devastation when you lose them.

And now, at 55, (and arthritic) I am starting all over again, but with an 11yo gelding....first one I saw, luckily not shod, no saddle........:eek:
 
I only got mine coming up for 8 years ago and he was my first horse purchase....in my early 40s. Had ridden for years when younger and helped out at stables, ridden school friends horses etc but never owned one before. I had made some money by moving house and was living further out of the city surrounded by horses and yards and knew it was now or never. Financially it had never been an option before then.

I just knew when I tried him that he was for me. I think you call it "personality" or "character" :D In the weeks between trying him, the vetting and just going to see him a few times whilst locating a livery yard to keep him at I was a bag of nerves but went to a yard with some experienced people who when he started being naughty after a 3 month honeymoon period were great at helping me through that initial year. He still can have his moments but is a genuine pony with lots of native guile and self protection/sense that I love. Can also live on fresh air which brings its own challenges :) He makes me smile and laugh most days and to me that is priceless. He's also taught me to be calmer, a lot more confident and not to take my stress to him.
 
I do, and still have her almost 2 years later :) She wasn't a present really but I got inheritance money from my great grandma and that got put towards buying Bella. We'd been thinking about getting a horse for a while, started looking, took about a month until we found Bells, she had literally just been advertised on horsemart, we rang up, saw her the next day, got her vetted 5th May 2010 and she came home 6th May 2010 :)

I was bouncing off the walls between seeing her and getting her home, I just knew she was 'the one' from the moment I walked into her stable at the dealers. Admittedly I didn't know loads then, and still have loads to learn now but me and Bella have learnt together. When I got her she was green and unbalanced and hadn't been in work long after having a foal and then coming over from Ireland. She couldn't even trot in a straight line, let alone canter or jump. We had lots of ups and downs but she's the most loving horse I've ever met and she just loves work and loves attention and cuddles. Am planning to start taking her out showing and things this year, so hopefully she will enjoy that. She's got me through loads in the past few years and I don't know what I'd do without her.

Here ares some photos from when I tried her out, and some photos of her now. She's changed so much! :)

Trying her out:
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And now:
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Sorry that was a bit of a ramble, but essentially buying Bella was the best thing I ever did and I love her to bits :D
 
Oh what a lovely story! Both of you! Bella is beautiful!
I hope, I get money from family inheritance (when they pass away in many MANY years to come) so I can buy my first horse! :-)

That sounds mean! But I don't mean it in a nasty way.. HONEST!
:)
 
Thank you, I think she is too but I might be slightly biased :p
No I know what you mean, I was told I had to use it to buy something educational, and my great grandma knew I wanted a career in horses so for me, a horse counts as something educational :) I wish she could have met Bella though, she would have loved her :(
 
Yes and I've still got him 12 years on and he will be with me till the end of his days. Always wanted a pony as a teenager, but my parents had other plans! Spent years grooming, mucking out, cleaning tack for half the village in order to get some free rides on top of my weekly lessons at the local riding school. Had to wait years till I was in the position to buy my own horse as an adult and I still remember how daunting it all suddenly seemed when we went to pick him up. Looking back it was quite overwhelming for the first week or so. I so much wanted to get everything right! I remember the saddler coming to fit a saddle and as I was trying different ones in the school he did an huge buck ... I thought OMG what have I bought! Thinking about it now its just the fact that I really didn't know this horse, he was a stranger, where as years later I know everything about him - what scares him what doesn't. How he will react to this or that. That is what is so wonderful about knowing a horse so well, and I think what can also make riding a strange horse seem quite scary once you are conditioned to always riding the same one. He's getting old and stiff these days, but is really my best friend and makes me feel so much better after a cuddle when I'm having an off day.

Bought my second horse last year - a youngster and I had exactly the same feeling in the first month when he arrived - here was this horse that I had no idea how he ticked and felt a complete lack of connection with... nearly a year later and I know his ways and personality and feel totally chilled about it all.

Now I wouldn't want to be without either of them.
 
muddygreymare said:
Thank you, I think she is too but I might be slightly biased :p
No I know what you mean, I was told I had to use it to buy something educational, and my great grandma knew I wanted a career in horses so for me, a horse counts as something educational :) I wish she could have met Bella though, she would have loved her :(
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Aww bless you! I want a career in horses too so that's a good 'excuse' ;)
Muahahaha!
:D
 
Yes! I'd ridden him at a crummy ish "riding school" for a couple of years and they'd said they were willing to sell him. I'd been nagging my dad for YEARS for my own horse. Anyway, we were watching this thing on TV about horses and there was a girl about the same age as me riding (galloping) on a pony and he said "Gosh, look at that girl riding like that"! (I was 11 at the time). " I can do that!!" i said. SOMEHOW I managed to get him to come to look at the pony and amazingly he said we could buy him (I'd done all the research and found out where we could keep it and how much it would cost). We paid £125 for him, with saddle and bridle. I hacked him to the new place about 2 or 3 miles away with a friend on foot and my mum driving ahead in the car and waiting in lay bys for me to catch up. Utter bliss - dream come true!! He was a little shite though - fantastic gymkhana pony though!! Heady halcyon days which I am reliving now with my 4th horse many years later....
 
BubbleGum. said:
Aww bless you! I want a career in horses too so that's a good 'excuse' ;)
Muahahaha!
:D
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Bit off topic. At the risk of sounding like your mum, please try to get some qualifications in something more sedentary too. I was convinced, when young, that I was invincible and with willpower I would be strong enough to be able to work in the industry forever, but by the time I was 35 I was too beat up and worn out and arthritic to do it full time.:(

Then I remembered my mum's advice about getting some secretarial training first. Good old Mum, she knew best!:D
 
Equinus said:
Bit off topic. At the risk of sounding like your mum, please try to get some qualifications in something more sedentary too. I was convinced, when young, that I was invincible and with willpower I would be strong enough to be able to work in the industry forever, but by the time I was 35 I was too beat up and worn out and arthritic to do it full time.:(

Then I remembered my mum's advice about getting some secretarial training first. Good old Mum, she knew best!:D
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Well, thanks for the advice!! :')
I wanted to work with horses but I also want lots of money!
Hahaha! Any Idea's?
:D:D
 
Waffles said:
Yes, it is thanks... can almost look at pics of my last one without crying. Life is fab at the moment. new horsey is lush, beautiful and sane - what more could a middle aged woman want?
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An old riding school pony who taught me to ride for many years was PTS a few years back. Even now I still can't look at the pictures without crying so well done to you! :)
 
Oh yes. Well we loaned two trekking centre ponies one winter to see if we wanted to take the plunge and the following year we did :D

We purchased 3 local horses on the same day, they were sold as a 3, 2 pure bred welsh cobs, mare and a stallion, and a TB mare, they were a lovely bunch who we had for many years, we walked them home as they were only about 2miles away. We added to the collection, my beloved Seren came about 7months later from auction and I remember it so clearly seeing her stood there and the gypsy giving me a leg up on her and pulling her tale to show how quiet she was!! I remember those days very well indeed, that was 20years ago :eek: I was 10/11
 
My first 'proper' pony was a complete surprise. I was just turned 11, and had had a totally unsuitable horse who was a sympathy buy on mum's behalf. He'd bolted with me and terrified me, and the yard owner stepped in. Wally was sold (very quickly- he was a lovely horse who just needed someone who had the experience to help him) and I was pony-less and sad.

Got home from school on Jan 21st, and was asked to go and skip out the lorry as Wally had been dropped off in it and had made a mess. I trudged off, sniffling, stomped up the ramp and was faced with a fat, hairy little connemara pony. He was called Joey, and was the best pony I could have ever wished to own :D He quickly lost the fat and when he was clipped out he was a really smart little chap and I had the best summer ever with him.
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He very sadly died a year later to the day. I came out of school to be greeted by my mum who had clearly been crying. She told me she had to tell me something and I knew- as soon as she said that I asked what was wrong with Joey... He'd died that morning of an aneurysm. He was just turned 10.
 
I was 7. A lorry pulled up outside my house and I remember a very hairy New Forest Pony cantered down the ramp and straight into the hedge to eat. She seemed huge! I remember feeling like it was the best day of my life. But also a little terrified!!

I spent many years being chased by and falling off that pony who was Elsa but I loved her more than any thing, and into adult hood, I always knew I was her best friend. She took me everywhere and always did it with a buck and great gusto! I hadn't realised how attached we were until I had to move away with my husband who was in the army then. I left her with my mum, but had to move back home after a year because Else had depression! Oddly enough, my coming home was enough to get her back to normal.

Elsa died last year at the good age of 27, and it marked the end of my childhood. That last little bit I was hanging on to. She taught me everything I know today about horses, and then also taught me what it was to grieve and feel like you have lost a little piece of yourself. xx
 
Little Claybrooks said:
Elsa died last year at the good age of 27, and it marked the end of my childhood. That last little bit I was hanging on to. She taught me everything I know today about horses, and then also taught me what it was to grieve and feel like you have lost a little piece of yourself. xx
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Oh no! How sad but how lovely. That brought tears to my eyes!!
 
I've got my first pony :D

Got him when i just turned 14 (now 16) and he was 9. hes a little black Fell with a heart of gold and a cheeky temperment.

I didnt like him at first, he used to bronk me off and canter off as soon as i got on him ( he wasnt in pain!) And for the first few months i was quite nervous/scared of him ( ive been riding since i was 7) but now i'll do anything on him

All the things he used to do that scared me i now find funny and we have a great partnership, i can lead him from the field with no headcollar or anything and he just follows me.

unfortunatly he is too little for me as i took a growth spurt and is now for sale :( Im going to miss him more than everything, i know its only been 2.5 years but hes my best friend and we get on so well, but i know he can be anyother girls best friend somewhere else.

*off to go cry my eyes out* :(:(
 
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This is Chloe and she's my "proper" first horse. I got her on loan 2 years ago, we weren't looking for another horse as we had our gelding who was mainly my OH's ride and Chloe is on the small side for OH.

A friend was looking for a loan home for her and OH said I could have Chloe on loan until friend found a more permanent home for her, 2 years on and she's properly ours. She's taught me so much and as our other horse is due to cross Rainbow Bridge in a weeks time, she'd making the situation a little less hard, we love her loads!
 
Rocky, the most handsome, bright bay New Forest. My neighbour needed someone to help break him in. I was only 7/8. Then she was selling him so my mum, nan and auntie bought him for christmas.
I had Rocky for 23 years until he was an old man. Finally pts in 1999.
I still have his name plate on his old stable door so our life together is often spoken of with my children.
He gave me the best childhood ever.:)
 
He was a welsh x called Star, a chestnut colt. I kept him at a livery yard, i do remember wondering what i had done! I got loads of help with him though so it was fine. I was 17.
 
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