How did you get to where you are?

emmanash

emmanash

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17 September 2009
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Hi all. just curious and would love to know how you lovely people worked your way up from novice child etc to the experienced bunch you are now?
Did you go through pony club? Work at a yar? Just wondered how you gained the experience you now have and what would you reccomend to someone wanting to gain as much as they can?

I didn't have lessons really until a few years ago, but have ridden since I was little, hacking out and was kinda self taught! I feel that with the amount of bloomin years i've been around horses I should be a far better and effective rider but i'm trying to improve! My management of horses is good and I know quite a lot but it's putting into practice. I think my riding lets me down and am determind to get better. So just wanted to find out about you and where you started too!
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Pony club was the absolute best thing that happened to me. we weren't well off and I always thought it would be more for the rich kids but when I joined at 12 I stayed as long as I could, took all the exams and generally had an incredible time! Other than it was from making many little and some huge mistakes!
However though I am now an adult and would consider my self an adequate rider and horse owner I still feel I have a lot to learn and get lots from lessons, riding club and horsey peers.
P.S. I started with a little 12hh dartmoor pony who I kep on our farm and fell off at least once a day, even though his only paces were walk and slightly faster walk!
 
for me i only started riding 7 yrs ago, but i did everything horsie i could, i have worked with farriers, riding schools, racing yards, show jumpers to get all the experience i could. i think i must have read every horse book ever made and then i threw it all away and use the relivent stuff. i ask loads of question (think my YO dreads hacking out with cos its like mastermind with her in the black seat lmao) and i try and do everything practical i can that includes my farrier teaching my to take a shoe of correctly, helping my YO with the naughtier horses and have regular lessons to improve.

and more important i never assume i am right and i am happy to be i am told i am wrong. (but i don't take s**t at the same time)
 
I started riding donkeys age 8/9yrs

We then had two trekking ponies on loan over a winter and loved it when I was 9
Age 10 my parents bought some of our own, we lived in the middle of nowhere, I never had lessons, I taught myself all the way and learnt from the many different characters we had, was fabulous.
I have had literally a couple of shared lessons as an adult but thats it.

But I am only a happy hacker
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It would be nice to have the odd lesson in the future just to make sure I am sending the right messages and am correct in my position, but for now, I can count on one hand my lessons.
Its just self taught all the way for me, with hints and tips given along the way
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I am now 28
 
I had never had anything to do with horses until I was 13 (9 years ago). I had a bad skiing injury, so my dream of being a pro skiier was no more! I was at my friends house one day and she had a horse, as soon as I saw him I was hooked. My parents didn't really want me to ride due to my skiing injury, so I just booked myself a lesson at my local riding school, went along and loved it! I started having weekly lessons, but after 2 years the riding school closed down. As luck would have it i heard about a pony on loan through a friend, so I had Bella a 13.2 new forest for a year until I grew out of her. Together we did pony club team jumping and collected score sheets at Bramham 3 day, which was amazing! After Bella my parents finally bought me my 1st horse a 15.2hh IDxTB. I evented her to BE PN level, and did pony club activities with her. When I left school I became a working pupil at a local event yard, I was rather taken advantage of, but made myself stick it for a year! During this time I rescued a tiny TB from the meat man, who was a real diamond in the rough. After the event yard I went to college part time and got my NVQ level2 in horsecare and riding. I also worked part time in my local tack shop. I started taking my TB to some unaffilliated ODE's and she won every one!!! She then came 2nd at the MK 3DE. I affilliated her and she came 2nd in her first Intro. She moved up to PN, and then Novice. After finishing college I became a student at a very well known Equestrian centre, and achieved my stage 3, and PTT exams. I also got a new horse to run along my TB. Murphy had done 2*, but is quirky (2 years on i'm still trying to learn how to ride him!). I then became an instructor, and was in charge of the full liveries at the equestrian centre where I trained. My TB completed CCI* clear xc, despite everyone telling me she was too small to do it (she makes the FEI ponies look big!) In Febuary 2009 I left that job to start up my own yard, based at my parents farm. I now have a 4yo I broke in myself aiming to start BE next year, my TB is infoal, Murphy is aiming for 2* next year, and I have a mare that has won a couple of intros to event aswell. Plus I still have my 1st horse who is now semi retired! Sorry that went on forever, I seem to have done quite alot in the past few years!!!
 
all sounds good! Shame I can't join the pony club anymore (aged 27!) Have joined the local RC though and they're so friendly and helpful and within hacking distance so ideal! Just need to get along to some of their clinics next year and improve!
 
Was in Pony Club 6- 16 when I left because of the politics, was on the eventing team, worked with showjumpers, driving horses and polo ponies when travelling in gap year, went to Talland for a year, got my BHSII then set up event/schooling/training/selling yard (ie anything that paid me!) - did BE, BD etc. Retired (!) aged 30, went back to college and got my MSc in equine science and now do horses for fun - hunting in the winter and anything the boys are good at in the summer - mainly showing.

Still have training ( when I have time), still teach a little and learn from every horse we have
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