Do you remember getting your first horse?

Yep, very vividly, and I still have him to this day, 15 years later!

I started riding at a very young age, and my Dad always said "when you're 12 you can have your own if you stick at it", that's because for insurance reasons, 12 was the youngest age you were allowed to Livery a horse on the yard without constant parental supervision.

I nagged and nagged daily, I rode 3 times a week (yes I was a very lucky child in some ways) and I helped out at the stables 2 evenings a week, every weekend and every school holiday. My Dad finally let me loan a pony when I was 10, but as I said above, a few failed loans and I was heartbroken as it felt like I'd never find a horse and I knew I had to wait 2 years to have my own.

We started looking as my Dad finally agreed we could keep my horse at another yard if we found a suitable place, we found loads, we went to view loads, eventually we went to view a lovely grey Arab Gelding in the back of beyond, who was totally not suitable but, because his yard was miles away my Dad asked if there was anything local that might be suitable....In the stable next door was a gorgeous little Black Welsh D, nothing like what I wanted (I wanted something fine and girly and pretty, not a chunky hairy thing lol), I tried him out, he pulled my arms out of their sockets leaning on the bit and I fell in love.

We bought him, He was delivered on the 2nd September and I've never looked back. It was very hard work for the first 2 years (he was a very green 4yr old, I was an 11yr old girl!) but well worth it, he's the most 100% horse I've ever met in my life and I'd NEVER part with him.
 
Yup, only very recently. It's been something I've wanted since I was about 6 yrs old and I'm in my forties. Sadly, have only had him 3 months and he's been diagnosed with full-on Headshaking Syndrome, it's come on very suddenly and very severe. So I've had to retire him to grass on private land for his own and others' safety.

But it's been the best 3 months of my life. I'm heartbroken but at least he has a chance at retirement rather than the alternative.

My lovely children have offered that I can share their Section A . Lovely thought but I'd need to lose about 6 stone and a few feet
 
I do I was 10 could not ride, knew nothing about horses :( I was having lessons and the yard owner convinced my mother to buy the pony. Luckily my mother had sense and moved us to a decent place and made me have weekly lessons :( .
He was only 12.2 and I loved him to bits but he was not a novice pony, he would bolt any chance he could, any gap he seen he was gone. I remember vividly I was in the school which was post and rail the top fence was up but the lower fence had come off. I was trotting around and he spotted the gap he ran towards it, my face was level with top fence I decided to try to duck the fence but it was not high enough o was in a right mess.
The other vivid memory I have of him is I was out on the field stupid I know but novice and young he seen a gap in the hedge bolted and it lead on to a housing estate. Off he went straight across the road we narrowly missed a bus :(
That was enough for my mum to stop me riding him and sold him I often wonder what happened to him. He was at his happiest jumping, he was amazing so I always hoped he ended up with someone experienced as a jumping :)
 
I do!
I was 10 and fell in love at first sight with this demon pony - despite him biting me multiple times before even going in the stable, bouncing up and down so much i couldn't get near him, bucking me off 3 times on the test ride and bolting down a bridleway with me for about 5 minutes before deciding to stop dead, for some reason i was not put off and begged for my 'perfect pony' - because he was being sold by my dads friend this apparently made the ponys behaviour acceptable (he was just "being cheeky" :rolleyes:) and he became mine! The test ride was indeed a sign of things to come though, all through my childhood he had me off at least once every ride. He's still with us now, still walks all over me, does what he wants and takes off with me across the field when I try to lunge him but at least he hasn't lost his spirit in his older age :D - my lucky little brother and sister get "pony rides" on him now & again but these consist of them being strapped down to the saddle, at least 2 people holding the pony back and 1 person running alongside holding child on - don't want to put them off too early ;)
 
I've still got my first pony 21 years later! My parents finally gave in to me begging for a pony as a kid and bought me him. They took my instructor with them to try him out but otherwise they simply turned to me in the kitchen one day and said I had a pony and he was arriving a few days later! I remember being so excited, best day ever especially as a child. He arrived at my instructors yard first and I remember seeing him for the first time and thinking he was so pretty (which he was and still is!). But he was only a 5yo and obviously being in a new place, he was rather wound up. They left me to play about with him while they sorted out paperwork or something and I remember not being able to get near him with a brush. At that point thinking "oh god, they've bought me a nutter!". But he soon settled and was a fantastic pony. I made mistakes with him as everyone does and he didnt let me get off with everything which was good. He's now 26 and I'm pregnant with my first child so I'm desperately hoping my child will be able to learn to ride on him!
 
I was 18, bought with my own money, I had ridden the horse for six months already so he was a known quantity. I was thrilled.
 
i got my first horse 6 months ago :)

he was the first horse i had ever looked at! i had ridden since i was five and my parents were 'thinking' of getting me a horse.

my mum was looking on the internet for me when she saw a sweet cob for sale near us, she said that he was the type of horse she would love :)

of course i grabbed the chance and pleaded to go and see him, so we went and in 5 minutes there i was cantering around the arena on my future horse :D

we all fell in love with him and we keep him at the yard there, with many friends who looked after me living there :)

i now am in pony club with him and if you let him off the leadrope in the arena he follows me everywhere :D

he is truly my dream horse!!
 
I do I've had him 3 years this year I'm 27 and he's my first horse. I bought him myself after looking at loads of unsuitable horses and just clicked with my boy. I remember thinking he's not mine until he's passed the vetting then once he passed that I was like he's not mine until I get him home in one piece! Was so worried it was going to go wrong. Happened v quickly when I got him home I couldn't believe he was mine! A lovely moment having always wanted one for as long as I can remember! He's a v special boy and had a bad start in life but he's with me for life now he's my perfect horse fun but can act like a child at times when he's having a strop! Lol I think it's something to do with him being Spanish he doesn't have a lot of patience! Lol he has improved a lot since I first got him though bless him x
 
Yes, I remember. I was having a quiet drink on a Saturday afternoon, carefree, with friends, in Dartford. No plans to get a horse or pony, although I'd recently checked out some 15hh types for loan. Friend from oop North calls me in a crisis, having driven 200miles (with 50 to go) and been told that the riding school she was taking her little exmoor to had decided they didn't want him and he was homeless. Ten minutes later I had a stable reserved for him at a work colleague's yard. Fifteen minutes later I was wondering what the hell I'd just done.

Twelve years later, he's still the apple of my eye, lol! :D
 
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