How horse care has changed....

[Dottie]

Horse & Pony used to run 'own a pony' competitions too.

The only one I really remember reading about was a girl called Emma (I think) who lived on Exmoor on her family's farm and won an iron grey gelding called Sam. I think he was four or five years old. He must be in his late teens/early twenties now and Emma (if she was called that) must be about 27 - 29. How time flies! .

God, i remember that! I thought she was so lucky winning such a gorgeous horse!

I remember spending all day every day at the yard with my friends in the 6 weeks holidays. We would take a packed lunch with us and our parents wouldn't see us for most of the holidays!

We used to build forts and mazes in the haystack, and climb as high as we could and make a slide out of the hay bails to the bottom! Can you imagine doing that now?!?

 

[Firewell]

Dottie that's what I did playing in the massive haybarn and spending all day at the yard!
Myself and my friends found a stash of porn mags buried deep within the bales in the haybarn.. Hidden there by the farmers 12yr old sons HA HA!
We also used to get lost going exploring, I fell in a river once, I got soaked! It was all good fun .

 

[FionaM12]

I was 13 when my mate and I managed to pester my dad into phoning a riding school and asking if we could work there in return for riding lessons. That was just about the last my family saw of me for the next few years! I'd get up at the crack of dawn at weekends and work until night, unless forced not to. I would go there after school too if I was allowed.

When I was about 15, the owner of the riding school decided that he ought to pay us wages during the summer holidays. He gave us £1 a day! Riches. He also insisted we took one day off a week. On my first day off, I turned up at the stables at the usual time and it was pointed out it was my day off. I explained that I knew that, but this was what I wanted to do on my day off.

I've never felt like that about any job since...