How do you become a horsey family?

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ladyrainicorn

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I wish i came from a horsey family but living in the city makes that borderline impossible... I think i'd like to be the first one to really start it off in the future
I do a lot of research into good horsemanship on a daily basis but i'd really love some advice from the horsey people here on how they started out! : )
 
ladyrainicorn said:
I wish i came from a horsey family but living in the city makes that borderline impossible... I think i'd like to be the first one to really start it off in the future
I do a lot of research into good horsemanship on a daily basis but i'd really love some advice from the horsey people here on how they started out! : )
Click to expand...
Min requirements - ! horse/pony.
Rich horsy husband (not always a requirement, but it speeds thing up)
 
Luck. I come from a working class family with no history with horses, so I grabbed any chance to interact with them, my first 'ride' was on a traveller pony outside the school gate in infants school.
It is harder now because people are scared of risk, I took over the care of pony that belonged to someone my brother knew from the pub, the son had lost interest, I was thirteen which is crazy. I was then a dogs body for a small dealer where the pony was kept, and I had my 'own' pony to ride and look after.
Today I think you perhaps need be a volunteer at perhaps a large charity, get basic handling skills and join a RC and help at events and get contacts, then try getting a share.
 
Look for a recognised riding school and book a lesson. It is as simple as that. You may need to buy or hire a hard hat and suitable boots.
My neighbour owned a horse. None of her three children were really interested but they had had lessons at the nearest BHS riding school and she recommended that I went there too. I went twice a week for a half hour lesson in a small indoor school. I was miserable there and the following year, I started to hack. I bought a body protector for hacking.
My hacking was accidental. We were forced to hack one January day when the school was too snowy for use but the roads had been cleared.
When a new teacher at that school refused to teach me, I found two new schools, one for lessons and one for hacking. I loved both of them, learned to canter and helped out at the yard, cleaning tack at first and then grooming. Grooming is still my speciality.
OH learned to ride because he wanted to trail ride with me in the USA, rather than just wait in the car park. Eventually both he and our grand daughter learned to ride at those same schools, so we became a horsey family. Two other grandchildren had a taste of it, but were never hooked.
Riding does need money even for RS horses or shares. I had a legacy from my mother and I put that aside to pay for my riding. I reckoned it would cover 10 years.
 
honetpot said:
Luck. I come from a working class family with no history with horses, so I grabbed any chance to interact with them, my first 'ride' was on a traveller pony outside the school gate in infants school.
It is harder now because people are scared of risk, I took over the care of pony that belonged to someone my brother knew from the pub, the son had lost interest, I was thirteen which is crazy. I was then a dogs body for a small dealer where the pony was kept, and I had my 'own' pony to ride and look after.
Today I think you perhaps need be a volunteer at perhaps a large charity, get basic handling skills and join a RC and help at events and get contacts, then try getting a share.
Click to expand...
Yep agree with this. Given the risk aversion of modern society a charity is probably your best bet to start off. Don't worry if you have to start by doing loads of mucking out and not getting near the horses - you'll get there with time.

Then as others say....how to be a horsey family....love horses, stay involved with them, make a family!
 
Widgeon said:
Yep agree with this. Given the risk aversion of modern society a charity is probably your best bet to start off. Don't worry if you have to start by doing loads of mucking out and not getting near the horses - you'll get there with time.

Then as others say....how to be a horsey family....love horses, stay involved with them, make a family!
Click to expand...

When my children were young I had helpers, one was picked up at a PC competition and he ran with my kids in return for rides. The helpers I took to shows and one went to PC camp on a spare pony. They are both now nearly forty and both have their own horses.One asked why I did it, when they were with me they got helped, fed and shouted at like my kids, and the main reason was I wanted them to have the opportunities that I had, plus getting my daughters to do things came easier from them.
The young girls helpers were never as keen as the boys, for some girls the social aspect is perhaps just as important as riding, where as boys are just want to do it whatever. I found them less trouble.
 
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