how did you learn...

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harrihjc

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how to look after horses? A 10yr old girl came to stroke my horse the other day and was saying how she was getting a pony and she had been having riding lessons since christmas, yet she didn't know which direction to brush a horse in, had no idea about tack or food, and was asking what the stuff in the net was that my horse was eating, and then what would happen if the horse didn't get hay. Did the horse really need straw or shavings in the stable, and was shocked that they needed regular visits from the farrier (what is a farrier?)
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I used to read every pony care book in sight from as soon as I could read, and helped out tacking up, cleaning tack, mucking out and grooming at the local riding school from the age of about 6 at weekends and one evening after school because I wanted to learn and enjoyed just being around the ponies. Then got a shetland on part loan aged 6/7 and had to look after him.

So how did you all learn about looking after your horses? Did you havea horsey family and learn through them? through reading books and helping at the stables? Or were you taught basics at a riding school, as well as having riding lessons? It just struck me as very odd that this girl was so clueless!
 
Personally I worked at the riding school at weekends as my family aren't horsey but in summer we returned back to ireland where my relatives lived and had horses so I gained experience from both settings
 
I read lots, subscribed to some horsey mags, but got most of my experience from working at a riding school during weekends and holidays. My mum had never picked out a horses hoof when we got our first horse, so she had a steep learning curve
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i did the same as blackhawk - from the age of about 10 i was 'working' on saturdays at the stables where i had a lesson once a week from the age of 4
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I worked there until i was 18, and in holidays/half term i worked full time. It was a great way to learn.
 
I spent most of my time from the age of 6 until 12 riding in a riding school and going on Pony days. I used to go to the school early and spend the morning mucking out, haynets e.t.c

I learnt about horse care through the riding school by doing the pony days and spending all day there on a Saturday.

Then I used to help out older friends with their horses, caring for them while they away on holiday and riding e.t.c.

I have always been around horses and horse people so learnt that way.

Finally at 20! I bought my first horse and was more than ready for training, horse care and everything that goes along with horses.
 
Ditto - worked at the riding school every Saturday and during school holidays - plus read loads of horsey magazines and books.
 
My step mum showed me pretty much the basics as we had horses at home to look after. Went to a few riding centres for courses. When I had a horses again as an adult after a huge gap it was a culture shock because I had to learn a fair bit from scratch having previously been under guidance from parents. I learn't through trial and error...how my horse reacted to different management and read tonnes of books. I never asked anyone because everyone has a different opinion but learn't through my horse and what was right for him and what he was 'telling' me. Yeah I got it wrong a few times but we both survived and I think I have it bang on now!
 
I guess I was a bit of a late starter. My friends at secondary school had horses, and was always offering / volunteering to help out. When I started my A-levels I started a Part Time job at a small competition yard. IMO experience teaches you so much.

In the mean time I kept reading Your Horse, other magazines and books to keep learning.

I then had a break to get started on a career path, then had riding lessons once / twice a week, then did some Stage One training and then bought my first horse last year.

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yes luckily for me i was brought up with horses from day one and learnt like that.
i have seen it so offten down our yard in the past,parents buy pony for daughter because they came then have no clue how to look after it,then find out the horse is to much for the girl then sell it within a few weeks,it is so sad.
then teenagers we use to have to phone parents as the horse hadnt been looked after properly as the daughter had found boyfriends more fun,say they were going to do the horse and go out with boys ect instead,no commitment !!!
 
Although my parents were not horsey I went for lessons at the local riding school from age 3 - when i got to about 13 i started to help out on a sunday, which i where i learned the basics.... i helped out there until i was about 15 - when i had a break from riding until i finished school/college/uni - i then started lessons again and did my BHS stage 1 - which i wanted to do so i would know i knew the basics of horse care - i then part loaned for 2 years which again taught me alot and last year i bought my own - and as we've had our issues i've learned alot in this year particulary with dealing with vets - we've had a hard first year (he was on box rest all last summer) and things are now starting to go right *fingers crossed*

Since I was little i used to get Horse Sense mag (remember that one) i learned alot from that

But I learned the most from helping at the yard where i learnt to ride - dealing with horses and ponies of different sizes and personalities...
 
Mostly from my mum!

I also had lessons, helped at a RC on Saturdays and then (when I had proved it wasn't just a phase) I got my own pony and joined the PC.
 
My mum likes horses and used to ride a bit, but I certainly wouldn't say we were a "horsy" family, far from it in fact! I never had a horse as a child, and wasn't allowed to work at the riding school, but I read everything about pony care that I could get my hands on, had dozens of books about how to care for them so I knew lots of theory, and did a few "pony days" at the stables to occasionally put some of my theory into practice.

I think its rather sad that this child is getting a pony without apparently ever having opened The Ladybird Book Of Horse & Pony Care. Having a pony is not just about galloping around on it...
 
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i did the same as blackhawk - from the age of about 10 i was 'working' on saturdays at the stables where i had a lesson once a week from the age of 4
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I worked there until i was 18, and in holidays/half term i worked full time. It was a great way to learn.

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Ditto!
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Blimey these stables used to get good slave labour didnt they!

Also used to read all the Jill books as well lol!
 
In the blood!.....
Grandparents and parents rode, hunted and had horses-my mum had sold her horse just before she had me....
I then had riding lessons from 5yrs, and was very lucky to be given my 1st pony aged 11 who then taught me all I know today ie: how to sit on a bucking bronco!....
I then spent a year aged 12 at local show yard during the holidays mass cleaning tack, mucking out fields and stables and turning out the ponies at shows.
 
Worked up the yard, then loaned on of the RS ponies, there is a loan system at my yard (I am still at with pickle on livery) so the older people teach the younger people. Then as the older people leave for uni etc people moved up. For example I used to be one of the youngest and am now the oldest on saturday so tend to teach them how to muck out etc
 
My grandparents farmed back in the days of working horses and so my mum had been around horses (and hated them) so it was a bit of a shock when I came along (after the farms had been sold) and was desperate for a horse for as long as anyone can remember. I read everything I could get my hands on - must have been the only 6 year old buying Horse and Hound, which I read from cover to cover and then when I was 7 my godmother gave me 10 lessons for my birthday. I was off the lead and doing rising trot by the end of my first lesson. I cantered on my second lesson. I'd been practicing for so long in my head that it just sort of happened for me. I was horse mad and had a lesson a week for as long as my mum could afford it. Being so young I wasn't allowed to help at the stables much although I can clearly remember holding a pony called Benji in a twitch whilst the dentist extracted a tooth. I was allowed to tack clean - and oh how I loved it! The ponies were tacked up for us and I was so pleased when I was allowed to prove that I could tack my own pony up correctly and efficiently and then I was allowed to do it every time. I'd never actually tacked a pony up before but I'd read so much and watched that I got it right!

I went to pony club camp on a riding school pony when I was 7 (I'd had about 15 lessons) and I guess that's where I learnt most of my stuff. I got bucked off into a patch of nettles and one of the "big girls" whose parents owned the farm felt sorry for me and lent me her old pony. He was brilliant!

If my own daughter was even a tenth as keen as I was! I'd have died for the opportunities she has had.
 
My friend had a horse, and I helped at the local dealers/trekking centre from when I was about 7 or 8. Got Chex when I was 12, still clueless about some things, but had a rough idea lol
 
Guess I'm a late starter too
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I decided to learn to ride at the age of 29. I asked a neighbour, who I knew was 'something' to do with horses, if she could recommend a riding school, which she did and she also said I could 'pop down and help out anytime...' Turns out she was a dealer and I found myself getting stuck in with all shapes and sizes. I learnt to groom on her 36yo pony. Neighbour is now a very dear friend and I bought my minis and pony from her. I can safely say that I wouldn't have bought my own if it wasn't for her - she normally had 15-20 ponies and horses at any one time so that gave me the confidence to go for my own. I kept my pony there for a year until I felt confident enough to go to a livery yard.
So it is her fault that my whole world has changed
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partially from my mum who is horsey (and therefore guided me from a VERY young age - ie: "call that ponys bed clean.... go and do it again!")
my mum was very much of the opinion that untill you could look after horses (other peoples read hers!) to a high standard then you wer'nt ready to have your own. TBH it worked well as it meant as kids we all desperatly wanted to learn and prove we were responsible etc

and also helping out at yards from a young age too, (about 8) we hung about, brushed legs (all we could reach) and generally though it was great if one of the older girls asked us to push a wheel barrow!

i think the yard enviroment is extreemly important for kids to learn and accept that sometimes there are 2 ways to do things and neither is 'wrong'.

read masses of books and tried hard to copy/emulate the older riders in the area.
 
Started riding at 7, then just 'stayed' to help! Went to three different schools and just helped out every weekend.
Never had a horse of my own, then when I had first child went back to riding (at the stables where I am now!) Eventually, when youngest got a place at 5 years old, i just kinda lingered..........
then did voluntary work once a week, then just lingered daily.... until I became staff.
Then bought the business
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My first day alone, however, was a nightmare! I just stood in the yard lokking at the horses and wondered what to do! So basically carried on the same as previous owner until i changed it all!

Read every book possible as a child, still read now! Know enough to keep horses happy anyway...
 
I wouldn't be too hard on her because she is only 10 and children these days grow up a lot faster in some areas than we did but a lot slower in others, especially if they haven't been given much freedom to play outside, hang around the stables etc like we did. At least she was asking questions so she obviously wants to find things out about horses. The questions may have seemed stupid to you but everyone has to start somewhere.

Personally, my grandparents had horses but my parents didn't like them (horses that is, not the grandparents!) so even though my grandad bought me a pony as a child my parents wouldn't let me keep it and it had to go. How cruel is that?! Still they did let me hang around the local stables every weekend and holiday so that's how I learnt. I bet I asked some stupid questions in my time too!
 
My aunt had a horse...so whenever we went to see her we went and spent time with her horse. My mum had a loan horse, and used to groom her, muck out. Then when i was 5 i started riding more regularly - whenever my YO asked my mum if i could ride
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So ended up learning more and more about stable management....Then at 6 i was spending the whole day up at the yard when i could....grooming, mucking out, poo-picking, tacking up...etc! At 8 I had a pony that i rode and spent Saturdays up the yard for the whole day so carried on doing everything!! Then i changed yards but carried on working all day saturday and sometimes Sunday!! Mum was also woking at livery yards so whenever i wasnt at school or it was the holidays i would be there, handling the stallions, grooming, mucking out...etc, just because i wanted to!! We were often asked to go to competitions...so would go and watch and learn about all the work that needed to be put in!!!

I would read all the books that i could....
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I was thrown in at the deep end, I had a small racing yard down our road. Started stroking the horses, took an interest in them and before I knew it I was addicted.
I was never interested in going to the races with them though, my favourite bit was staying at home looking after the ones left at home. You could normally find me on an afternoon in the box with my favourite, a big chestnut TB called Ginger talking utter rubbish to him. He was great you could scratch his nose and he'd put his top lip in the air
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I started riding at the age of 4 and had lessons everyweek then we moved to Scotland and I started 'working' at the riding school every saturday then saturday and sunday, during the holidays would be 'working' there wednesdays to sundays. The owner of the riding school gave me a pony to school over the summer and I joined the local Pony club and did camp etc
My parents then bought me Honey and I went away to Boarding school with Honey where I did my Stage 1 and 2 in 6th form.
I also learnt through reading books, we have a whole bookcase dedicated to horse books, i also read Your Horse and Horse.
 
I worked on weekends, most weekends, sat and sunday from the age of about 10ish to get free lessons. I did lots of pony weeks and generally spent a lot of time hanging out at the yard helping out friends with ponies. I also had every horse care book under the sun and spent hours reading them from cover to cover. I also read Horse Sense Magazine and Pony magazine
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I started lessons at about 5yrs old and had a lesson once a wk.

I got my first horse at 15/16 and was pretty clued up on how to do things by that point.
 
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