How long did you horse ride for before getting a horse?

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Mummytotwo

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As the tittle says 'how long were you horse riding before buying your first horse?'
Also what age and breed was your first horse? I've had so much conflicting advice!
Thanks
 
I had lessons for just under a year and then bought my first horse. She was 17 and I was 46. Probably not the norm, but we're both still alive and very happy :D
 
I grew up with horses but wasn't interested in them until later (and after we sold out farm!). My parents made me have 3 years worth of riding lessons as they wanted to make sure this wasn't some phase that most girls go through and I was committed to riding.
 
I rode weekly for 3 years and then part-loaned for 18 months. If I'd had the money I might have got one sooner, but the loaning was a really good intermediate stage and I'm glad I did it the way I did.

The horse we bought was mainly for my younger sister to ride but I was completely responsible for her care. She's a 13hh sec c and was 15 when we got her but really not a novice pony as we had to pretty much re-back her. Bit of a steep learning curve at the time! About 6 months later I got my own chap - a 15.3hh TB, who was 6 at the time. He's a pretty easy chap, although it took a while to get his typically bad TB feet looking good!
 
Many years, buying a house came well before investing in a horse, I was in my 20's before I finally bought one. She was a show pony with attitude, entirely the wrong thing to buy as a first horse, but boy I learnt a lot with her very quickly
 
I first rode at about five years of age - Dad plonked me on a Shetty at the local yard where he was handyman. It wasn't until I was 37 that I was able to have my own horsey - Merlin, the coloured in my siggy. :) The biggest reason why it took so long is money (or the lack of it!;)) and marriage, kids, work, etc., etc., etc.......:rolleyes:

We are about to celebrate our 16th Owniversary - next Wednesday, in fact. :D
 
22 years, and we will celebrate our 14 year owniversary on 19 June! He is a coloured l/w cob, was five when I bought him, and was far too green for a first horse, but we worked it out - I was lucky that despite our problems, he was (and still is) a lovely natured horse, he never did anything wrong out of nastiness, only youth, inexperience and general silliness!
 
I can't remember:(

We've always had horses/ponies. I have photos of me having lessons aged 5, and that was on a pony we owned. I was fortunate, riding was on the school syllabus, so I know for sure that I was having regular lessons from age 8 until 11.
 
I had weekly riding lessons when I was little, then started again aged 18 after a five year break. That was in the May, I got a horse on loan that October and bought him the following May. :D So technically I'd only really been riding for a year. He's the perfect first horse though - a steady, uncomplicated cob who's given me tons of confidence and never puts a foot wrong.
 
About 18 years, I was very lucky to find some lovely people along the way that meant I got to ride a wide range of horses in that time. Got my first pony last February a 4.5 year old unbroken Fell pony - nearly a year later and we're both still here!
 
2 hours!:eek: Yes, that was 36 years ago and I have had them ever since. My first horse was 3/4 Arabian and just backed at 3 years. "Madness!" I hear you say but it was a match made in Heaven and he was with me till he passed away 25 years later. My second horse, a year after I got the first, was an unbacked two year old part bred Arab. Piece of cake! We won over 500 jumping classes together. :D I had him till he passed away too, 22 years later. And so began my love affair with the Arabian.......:D
 
Started riding when I was seven and got my first pony when I was nine still got him nearly 15 years later he is a 13.2hh native and he was four when my parents bought him
 
I was 10 when I started riding. 18yrs old when I bought my first horse so waited 10yrs and boy was it worth it. He was however, a totally unsuitable ArabxTB, 18yr old that I'd known for years and loved but couldn't get the best out of when riding. He was a astag at jumping, bucked, pogo sticked and was a real handful.

I rode weekly with sometimes a second lesson as a thanks for helping at RS.
 
I had never ridden before I got my first horse :eek: I was out on my motorcycle when I spotted a neglected pony in a field. Went up to the farmer and offered to buy her there and then (the farmer saw me coming I paid a small fortune for her :rolleyes:) - I bought her - then thought what the hell do I do with a horse? 8 years later its been a steep learning curve - theres been tears, pain and frustration and also 2 lovely foals. The truth is though shes my soul mate and I have sooooooo much to thank her for - she owes me nothing. :)
 
Been riding for almost 10 years, never had a horse and it doesn't look likely within the next few years either but I'm hoping good things come to those who wait!
 
I was 11 years old, when I started riding, then 6 months later got my own horse, Robbie, a 12 year old appaloosa, sold him when he was 15, and I was 14 then got a 4 year old, welsh mare called cassey.
 
I started riding when I was 4 and from about the age of 8 I PESTERED daddy for years with horsey magazines ....
To no avail I was still horseless. When I was 16 I was extremely close to having a 2 year old cob from Ireland which my YO had, he was amazing! But she sent him away to fatten up and he never came back cause the lady fell in love with him :( however I was rather glad a few months later when I did pretty well in my GCSE's ... If i had a horse I would of had no chance of getting good grades!
So - I moved out when i was 19 and instead of buying a car I got a horse :D
Bought Perry, a 4 year old TB who needed to be retrained. He was an absolute little ratbag, but I loved him none the less. He had to be put down after breaking his back in the field which tore me apart, swore I would never get another again as it was too heartbreaking ... Thats when I found toby.
friend had a 3 year old ex racer who was about to go to the meat man and I could not say no!!
5 months down the line, he is an absolute joy to own :cool:

x
 
From as far back as I remember, lucky me! Was from a horsey family and have continued the tradition, each of my 3 daughters has had a pony before they were even born!
 
Started riding when I was 6, had a year break when I was about 9, restarted again and was lucky enough to get first pony when I was 13 :) She was a 14hand, welshx, 10yr old mare. Outgrew her when I was 16 and bought a nutty 15.2, welsh x tb, 13yr old mare and sold her to my friend when I was 19 to go to uni :)
I`m planning to graduate, go travelling and then buy another but know I`ve got to be sensible and get a house/car sorted out before :( :p
 
I was riding in a riding school for 7 years, then riding youngsters for a lady (and having lessons) who had ridden all over the world for two years.

At the age of 14 I got my first horse, a 2yo welsh section D :D After pestering constantly for 5 years. :D
 
i come from a completely non-horsey family but our house backed onto a field with horses and a small private yard, one of the ladies let me ride her elderly pony in exchange for helping her with mucking out etc. No health and safety issues :D i rode bareback with no hat and headcollar only! i think i was 7/8yo then i started jumping her shetland in the field :D

I had a pony on loan at age 16 but he was 26 and we only had a year and a half before he died - but he was a lovely straight forward 14.2hh not a bad bone in his body! i had another one for a few years then i bought my first horse at age 23. She was a 6yo 16hh TB who raced averagely on the flat and over fences. She taught me so so much - it was a good learning curve. She was by far the trickest horse i have ever met - but when she went well it was lovely. Her favourite thing was xc, though sj poles had monsters in them! I very sadly lost her after 4 years together through a tragic accident :(
 
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