how did you grow up with horses?

[ed&arch]

This has been on my mind for a few days. I would love to know how people grew up with horses.

Here is my story so far,
I am only fourteen. My mother has been a riding instructor all of her life, done everything from eventing, to hunting to horse driving trials. At one point when I was about six, we owned about ten horses at once, I had a few shetlands, and sec a's. (first horses) My mother then broke her collar bone one a horse that bolted really badly on her. So all horses and ponies got sold. I stopped riding for about eight years. My mother then took up horse driving trials with her welsh section c last november. So I have been backstepping for her. I then got a first 'ish' horse in May. I had forgotten how to ride, so I am kind of beginning again (I am currently jumping now though, so progressed really well) My horse naps, so he is a hard ride but he has taught me to ride again. My mother and father manafacture horse bedding, haylage, hay etc. So I have also had everything for free. so lucky:')

Would love to know other peoples' stories!

 

[Waffles]

I just loved horses from when I first saw them - can't remember when - I was probably about 3. I nagged for years for my own one. Read Black Beauty aged 7 which made the desire to have a horse even worse. Started going riding then and couldn't wait to get off the lead rein. By the time I was about 10 I was spending the whole weekend up at the riding stables doing stuff so I could get a free ride - taking other kids out and so on. My parents are totally unhorsey. I tried everything to get my dad to agree to buying me one - even down to making a fake contract thing and folding it over saying to him "Can you just sign your name here so I can see your signature" but he never fell for it. One Sunday, there was some TV thing on with a girl about 10 or 11 riding a pony, galloping along and my dad said "Look at that little girl doing that - how amazing" and I said "I can do that!!". Anyway, the riding stables said they would sell the pony I was riding and somehow, amazingly, utterly amazingly I persuaded my dad to come up to look at him, having researched how much it would cost to keep, shoe, feed a pony and presenting him with the figures (I was 11 then). He made me go to visit a couple of other ponies but I was determined to have this one at the stables. We went up on a saturday and the stables owner lunged him and got him going round looking nice and my dad agreed to abuy him for £125 with a saddle. I went to collect him the next day and hacked him back to the new place with my mum driving in front and stopping and waiting (it was about 3 miles away). God, that must have been the happiest day of my life!! 30 odd years on am still horse mad.

 

[fallenangel123]

My mother was (and is) a right mare if that counts??

Besides that it was working for rides and being happy to get on anything.

 

[Shantara]

I was asked "Ballet or horses?" at the age of 5. I think my mum was glad I chose horses, as she used to ride and so did her father. I got lessons for a bit, then loaned a couple of ponies, then back to lessons and now I'm hoping to loan/buy a horse soon

 

[Lolo]

We moved to the countryside when I was 6, nearly 7, and there were quite a few aeroplanes going overhead each day. Now we weren't in a city, we could hear them really clearly... I told my brother and sister (4 and 3 respectively) that the noise was that of an incoming tornado, and they had to go and hide straight away until I told them it was safe. After dealing with terrified children every day for 2 weeks, mum said if I stopped I could have riding lessons My sister joined me.

Funnily, she was very scared and used to sob throughout, clutching the pommel with her eyes shut. I was pretty gutsy and progressed quickly. Al gave up a few months later, and restarted when she was 6. Her best friend had her own pony, and spare stables so we got our own 'freebie' ponies.

The reason her crying was funny? She now rides 2 ex-racers, events them and was jumping round 1.10m tracks by the time she was 13, utterly fearless. Me? Lost my nerve and have all but given up...

 

[Mog&Myms]

I was another of the trailing myself to the riding school every weekend to work in exchange for free rides club
I also was strangely addicted to racing as a child and used to get my Nan who lived near Sandown to take me as often as I could!

 

[muffinmunsh]

My mum ran a livery yard and dad bred Dartmoors... My brothers don't ride so mum and dad must have been quite happy to finally have a little girl that loves horses
I stopped riding when I went to uni but kept my old, retire boy until he passed. Then, over 10 years later, well into my thirties, I re-discovered horses. Have 2 now, stared eventing and cannot remember how to live without them :-D