How old were you when you got your first horse? Did you have support of family?

[milesjess]

20... And I'm 21 now. Always had my families support when it comes to horses and they have helped me out along the way, lifts, lessons etc...

It's not been plain sailing with my first horse due to bone spavin, no vetting, but I've learnt a lesson from it all. He'll be with me for the rest of his days regardless though.

 

[HashRouge]

I'm 21 but I got my first (and only) horse when I was 11, so obviously I've had quite a lot of financial and other support along the way from my family. It's paid off though, as I still have my mare and she's very much a family pet. My younger sister rides her and my mum has been learning on her as well, so she's a bit spoiled . I couldn't have managed on my own, I probably wouldn't have a horse atm if I didn't have my family's support tbh. My parents are great though, they're the sort who're quite happy if you delay present opening on Christmas day because you go for a long ride and don't mind that you have to go and bring your pony in between main course and pudding during Christmas dinner

 

[WildRider]

I got my first pony when I was 2.5yo... And before anyone starts thinking 'rich kid alert', my parents scrimped and saved to buy me my gorgeous little Shetland. My mum wanted me to have the chance that she always longed for as a child but couldn't have, and I will always be eternally grateful to my mum and dad, as it allowed me to have the best friend a girl could have. Elf was 2 weeks older than me, and we had him until he was 18 and had to be PTS due to advanced Cushings.

In terms of support from friends, none of them understand why I'm not out partying several nights a week, blowing my money on booze and god knows what else, especially since I got my new horse, and am working really hard to improve both of us. However, my mum in particular gives as much practical and emotional support as possible, and I'm lucky to be on a yard with friendly liveries, who are willing to help each other out. I wouldn't trade my horse - or my mum! - for the world.

 

[Shutterbug]

I was 32 when I bought my first horse, an IDx called Sam. My OH was very supportive and helped me pay for him. My parents were just pleased to see me realise my childhood dream

 

[NU ABO]

I just bought my first horse last April (I was 19, I'm 20 now) and I'm doing mostly everything myself.

I've been told that if I ever REALLY struggle with anything then my parents will try to help. It helps that mum has her own horse, so we share the hay, straw and supplements (that they both use) costs.
But any supplements that only my horse needs I pay for.
And everythign else I pay for myself.

 

[Shantara]

My mum and dad are very supportive! They even paid for lessons until I got a job.
Mum is more so than Dad, she'll come and help me with Ned. He likes her a lot, so just being there is a help!

Not got my own yet, I hope to get one this year, or next year at the latest
Though, if that doesn't happen, I always have Neddy to ride!

 

[Batgirl]

I was twenty, my mum thought I was nuts as had only been having lessons for a year but I was hooked. She went on holiday a few weeks after I started looking for one (payign for it myself), last thing she said 'Don't buy a horse while I am away@ (As if my totally non horsey mum would have had much say. Needless to say one of my first sentences after 'How was the holiday' was 'Come and meet Teddy my new ginger pony!'. 7 years later she still thinks I am nuts! (£325 pm on livery alone but I love my current horse)

 

[OFG]

I was 10 when my parents bought me my first pony but I was fortunate enough to have been having lessons for a couple of years prior to then. I was only allowed my own pony once I was old enough to take care of it on a daily basis. Bank of M/D would look after us financially even though they weren't (and still aren't) very well off.

We are from farming background so have always had own land. I really don't think I would still have horses 26 years later if I didn't have own place to keep them.

Neither parents are horsey (although dad did have a pony with his sisters when they were growing up).

They pretty much relied on me to know when vet needed to be called etc.

Joined PC and learned a fair bit through that. Am contemplating joining a RC to improve riding / knowledge.

Personally, I would try to find a friendly yard and see if you can visit on a couple of occassions and speak to people who are there etc. You hopefully will find some nice people who would be happy to offer advice / help for you.

 

[Fantasy_World]

I was 34 when I got my first horse, another arrived a few weeks later. 3 years later I was gifted another horse and then just under 2 years ago I bought a youngster very cheaply I might add.
Did not have any family support but didn't need it anyway due to age really.
Considering I had wanted a horse from the age of 6 then 28 years was not too long to wait lol.
Did plenty of research into prices before I got my horses and started buying horsey things about 18 months to 2 years before I got them. Had an idea of the size of horses I wanted so got rugs and equipment that should have fitted. Plan was always to have 2, but obviously have 4 now. Incidentally my first horse was a giant and nothing I had bought in advance fitted him lol. Only grooming and stable equipment was useful. Some of the items fitted my second horse a cob and the rest that didn't I just sold on and bought other items for them both that did. Over the years have had pony items and items for a TB type that came in job lots. Typically sold them on thinking never need them and then have a TB and a youngster that will most likely turnout to be a pony size rather than horse lol.
To OP if you can start buying items then it is a good start, although have a firm idea of what sized horse you want. I estimated my rug sizes by asking other horse owners and seeing the rug size guides. It depends on if you wish to buy new or secondhand. Most of my gear is secondhand as I don't have any problem buying or selling used items so long as they are fit for purpose.
If money is an issue you could scout around any local carboots or horse sales, even auctions have tack sales as well. Have bought items at Beeston in the past including a saddle.
Ebay is another good place to have a look around. Buying mucking out stuff and feedbuckets etcs can sometimes be found in job lots when people decide to give up horses or sadly have had a horse pts
I personally found that saving money on some items helped me out in the long run. Like water/feed trugs for £1 that are a lot more than that new. A muck fork for a fiver. Wheelbarrow for free, just used two that people had thrown away and made one good one out of it.
Good luck x

 

[1Lucie]

Owned my first horse at grand age of 27yrs (2011). I loaned horses from age of 13yrs to 27yrs! Would highly recommend loaning first.. really helped me learn and when i could purchase my own i knew exactly what i wanted and the costs involved!

Husband is very supportive and even helps out with chores (hes non horsey). But parents not very supportive, thought i should be having babies!

 

[icyfreya]

I got my first horse aged 17 (which i still am) 4 months ago...so as im new to horse ownership feel free to message me anything about the lifestyle change etc OP! No one in my family is horsey, but they are all supportive in as much as they can be I have a job & ema to pay for my horse (dark bay in sig), also my grandad pays my £30 a month insurance as i know i couldn't afford vet bills! I have him on DIY, which is very times consuming, espec. all the mucking out & poo picking! But it is cheap.
I'd been riding or probably 7 years on/off before I got him, worked in a stables from 14 - 16, when I was 16 worked in a breakers/youngstock yard over the summer, then worked weekends at a dressage yard for a year til I bought Micks Even though I had helped break in horses/ridden exracers etc, and thought i was fairly experienced, it was still a total shock to the system getting Micks, so i'd suggest maybe getting a loan first, so you have a bit more support...Good luck, it's so exciting and rewarding, and you can do it on your own, you just have to be determind and work hard! xx

 

[Cobi]

ahh thnx cloe1993, i do have a sensible head lol

I did forget to add my parents funded by lessons from the age of about 6 until i had a paper round so very supportive in that matter but i had a nasty fall aged 18 so put them off me riding.

This is why i think they dont want me to have my own but i am determined!!(sp?)

They are very supportive in other things just not riding! And they also let me have ferrets in the house so probably dreading me coming home with a horse!
(not that i would!)

 

[pintoarabian]

I was 24 and had a non-horsey background. In fact, I had only ever been on a two hour trek. However, I had known since the age of 4 that I would, one day have a horse. So, I did! It ended up being a 3 year old part bred Arab and we learned together. I owned him for 25 years till he died from colic and we had a very successful showjumping career. He began my love affair with Arabs. I now have a stud with 7 stallions and the youngsters are still having successful showjumping careers. I did it all alone, no help, no lessons, just heaps of determination and bucketloads of common sense. Sometimes, you just know where your life's path is going to take you. Go for it and good luck!

 

[cassie summers]

I had a pony from 10 years old which was bought by my parents but i actually bought my own horse when i was 29 i am now 51 and have had many horses since i hope i am still riding till the day i pop my clogs

 

[Cobi]

I now have a stud with 7 stallions and the youngsters are still having successful showjumping careers. I did it all alone, no help, no lessons, just heaps of determination and bucketloads of common sense. Sometimes, you just know where your life's path is going to take you. Go for it and good luck!

Wow good for you, very impressed you done that alone and it makes me even more determined to acheive my dream!

Thanks for sharing your stories everyone


X

 

[rowy]

I was 13 when I got my first horse. I was lucky as my mum used to have horses when she was younger and loved them so I got a lot of help from her!
I still have my first horse and a year ago I bought another horse I paid for completely myself. We now have a house with land but it still costs loads of ££££!!! I even bought an exmoor cos I knew they were hardy so wouldnt cost as much as say a thoroughbred but just had to dish out a few hunderd pounds on getting her teeth done and wolf teeth out.

The one thing I would say is get a horse that has a decent back which is easy to saddle fit (All of mine are a complete pain which means I have to pay more for special saddles) and getting one with good feet which can go shoeless would be a benefit too as I personally would prefer all mine to go shoeless (not just to save money, I think they move better and its more natural obvs) but one of mine has really low heels which means he looks like hes really lame when shoeless

 

[Archangel]

I was 19 and am lucky to have him 32 years later

My parents were especially cruel, when I was 12 they said if I saved up £200 I could have a pony (a lot of money in those days). By the time I was 14 I had the money and did they let me have a pony? No - so I ran away from home and I def. wasn't getting a pony after that

Anyway, ironically, the pony I bought was originally more money but failed the vet and cost me £200 Result.

 

[lizsmith]

I was 13 when I got my horse and unfortunatly had to sell him on and now have another - i wouldn't worry about support as i have met loads of people along the way all of whichh help me if i need guidance and help ect. My friend got a horse a year back and was on her own with her family taking no interest turns out they are at the farm more than her these days and love the horse to pieces!!

 

[SplashofSoy]

26! No financial help from parents and they are non horsey so cant help with anything really they do keep horse in a good supply of carrots and polos when they come and visit. I get the emotional support from them when my self harming drug addict does his best to send me to the nut house.

 

[starry94]

I shared horses for 9 years, and my parents payed for that as it was only 2 days a week, then i got a project pony on full loan for only a tiny bit more than the shares but obv more horsey time. I had him on loan for a year & a bit & then got told he needed to be sold. I had a job so saved all my money, had 2 jobs at one point (while still in full time education!) and then bought him myself, that was in October & I was 17. I now pay for everything for him, very occasionaly my parents help, e.g. pay for half of my hay& i am the only one who looks after him as my parents dont have a clue haha!

 

[wench]

Its a bit pointless "buying something every month" - you dont know what size your horse is going to be!

You can get grooming kit, and DIY tools (if your intending to do DIY), but that's all I would recommend.

When it comes to buying equipment when you have horse - there are many good deals to be had on ebay/preloved, and any second hand sections in tack shops.

 

[Cobi]

Hi Wench, i meant a hoof pick here, a brush there, that sort of thing really

I am already hooked on ebay and preloved

~

 

[Brandy]

I was 20 and no I didn;t have the support of my family - I had always ridden and they paid for riding lessons until I started paying for them myself out of pocket money and saved up birthday money (I was about 10......)

I'm nearly 35 now and they seem to have got used to the idea......

However, I did have a very supportive and experienced friend when I started out, and learnt a lot from her and that was a great help.

 

[Brandy]

Also, there is loads you can buy in advance - first aid kit, grooming stuff, hay nets, buckets, wheelbarrow, forks, broom, shovel etc!! Good planning.

Our local tack shop also does gift vouchersd, which you could save up with reasy for all the rugs, headcollars, bridles etc that you will be buying!

 

[Fantasy_World]

Its a bit pointless "buying something every month" - you dont know what size your horse is going to be!

No that is true however if you have an idea on size, or the breed you are thinking of having then you can guess at rug sizes etc. Perhaps even buy numnahs/pads and so on. Pony = pony size, cob = welsh cob type, large pony and the smaller 15 hand TB's etc. Horse size is that, I would say for the larger cob type, chunkier sorts and horses over 15.3 hands. Extra full for horses over 16.2 if draft crosses or larger breeds, eg ID etc Saddles and bits are different matter though as you can't really get them until you have the horse so can try for size. Beware of horses coming with tack though, as not all are perfect fits. Just because a horse comes with tack it doesn't mean it is suitable. I have experience of that. Have bought saddles for 3 of mine by doing templates to compare, asking for sizes and trying on. Never had any rubs or gaps, tight fits or horse being uncomfortable or not wanting to go forward. For anyone who is not that experienced or doesn't trust their own judgement then get a saddle fitter to check any prospective saddles. One's with interchangeable gullets are very useful for young horses that will change shape upon maturity and work.
Bridles you can buy beforehand again if you know roughly what size horse you are looking for. But bear in mind that not all standard cob fittings fit all cobs, horse fit horse and extra full fit extra full ( not had experience with pony yet as my youngster not old enough to break in). So swapping nosebands, headpieces, browbands and cheeks may be necessary even when you do buy a bridle that should fit supposed horse. If in doubt then get measurements of the horse for the bridle sections and compare for the best fit in brands. If items don't fit after purchase then just sell them on through sites like ebay and preloved.
Headcollars again, items you can buy beforehand. If you are buying a cob or fine head TB around the 15 hand mark then a cob should fit. Pony for some smaller cobs and ponies. Full size for general horse size and extra full for the big guys.
When I started buying my items a long time before horses I did end up with some items that didn't fit. My intention was to get two cobs, or a cob and a horse that had a bit of heavy in it, either ID or a larger boned TB. The fact I ended up with some items I had to sell is due to getting a horse a lot larger than I had been looking at. Full size items would have fitted howver my first one was a heavy horse cross at 17.2 hands which was bigger than the max 16 hands I was looking for. I tried him out and we both suited and I took him on.






You can get grooming kit, and DIY tools (if your intending to do DIY), but that's all I would recommend.



Yes of course you can buy these items and they don't have to be brand new. Just disinfect them with something suitable. I have bought and used secondhand grooming kits with no skin or little furry problems. It is all about common sense really.
I would recommend that you can buy more than just the above before you get the horse.



When it comes to buying equipment when you have horse - there are many good deals to be had on ebay/preloved, and any second hand sections in tack shops.

Yes that is true however depending on when you get the horse and how badly you need the item, ie an essential bit of kit or a certain rug for the weather/keep clean etc then you may not find the bargains you are looking for. I have spent weeks sometimes months waiting for items at the right price to come along. Typical when you need something right now as I did once with a rug for youngster I had to buy a brand new 4'9 lw rug for around £30 which was the same price I had paid for two medium/heavyweight rugs brand new a couple of years earlier in sizes 6'3 and 7'3!
If you are going to but new rugs then get the summer ones in winter for the next year and the winter ones in summer. You often find deals on when manufacturers change the styles or colours of rugs. Personally I could not care less if my horses were wearing what was in fashion 10 years ago so long as it is clean, fits well and keeps them dry!
On the otherhand if you are going to sell rugs on then don't sell them in that order as people won't want to pay those prices. Sell your summer ones in spring and summer and winter in autumn and winter to get the best prices.
If you shop around OP and look out for sales and any offers you will find keeping a horse is affordable. Yes it can be a struggle at times if things go wrong ie needing the vet etc. The only reason I have been able to keep all mine is due to bargain hunting, not being 'new' proud when it comes to buying anything for them. Also not buying the most expensive brands for tack, rugs and equipment. Yes there is some what I would call tat out there but it depends on what you are going to do with it. I would have no issues in paying a tenner for a new or secondhand schooling bridle for instance. You would just throw away any parts that got damaged as time went on and keep others as spares. None of my bridles cost more than £40. I say that as big lad's maybe around that price with the made up bridle he has of Stubben reins that were around £12 quid, an english leather nosebband, diamonte browband, and Rhinegold comfort bridle headpiece and cheeks. Others cost around the £20 to £30 mark, again one is made up bridle. Most expensive bit is a secondhand neue schule for cob that cost around £30 with postage. Paid £10 for big lad's whopping 6 1/2 dutch gag ( brand new) with postage. Tb's snaffle was around £6. Big lad also has a Kangaroo snaffle ( secondhand) paid £6 and a new Liverpool driving bit that was £15 with postage.
Having horses doesn't have to cost the earth. To OP don't get swayed by friends, forums, magazines and so on. You don't have to buy all the expensive stuff if you don't want to. Just get what your horse will need and is comfortable for him/her and forget the rest or ask for some smart/expensive things as presents.

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

I was 10yrs old when my parents bought our own horses, we had two loan ponies from a trekking centre before that. Age 11yrs they purchased my beloved Seren for me. My parents have always supported my love of horses, they enjoyed having them also but it was really for me, I was incredibly lucky.
They want for me to get another asap more than anything too bless them as they know what it means to me
ETS: I am now 30 btw

 

[Moobucket]

27! Just last year and I went to get one and ended up buying two on the same day. They were inseparable and I couldn't bare to split them up. Crazy sentimental move on my part but they're happy so I'm happy.

 

[Bikerchickone]

I was 17 when I persuaded my then boyfriend to buy me the 30+ year old 16.2 ID x TB at a local riding school. Went home that night and said "BTW my new horse is being delivered tomorrow!" my parents nearly fell through the floor! They aren't horsey and aren't well off but they always managed to pay for a riding lesson every week and although they both said it was my financial responsibility, my dad came to see him delivered and paid the transporter for me! I had Beanz two years 3 months and 4 days, my dad even rode him once I'd put some weight on him and we had an amazing time before he had to be PTS. Vet said he believed him to be well into his thirties when it was time to say goodbye and he'd been advertised as 14 lol! I never went out, I worked all the hours I could around my A levels and Beanz had to live out, but every single second of it was worth it. If you want it badly enough and can live without new clothes, going out etc and the only shoes you ever buy coming in fours then you're definitely more than capable. My husband thinks I'm mad for wanting my current two so much I never go out or buy new clothes but it's what I want to do. Good luck finding your perfect partner!

 

[sandi_84]

I got mine this december just passed, just after my 27th birthday (happy birthday prezzie to myself ) and my mum and my sister were the ones who suggested getting one so we could all ride together
Mind you I reckon if my dad were about today he'd tell us we were all off our heads coz they are so expensive - not that that would stop him from riding/baby talking to them as he was a big soft animal lover himself ha ha!

 

[madeleine1]

Hi everyone, i am nearly 23 and i am desparate for my own horse. I have a car loan which is almost up then i will be able to afford one but i am learning the ropes before taking the plunge! I hope this time next year i will be looking into buying him/her. I am giving myself a chance to save up and search liveries etc. Anyhow i dont have the support frm friends or family (i dont mean financially) and i feel alone in the matter, they think i am joking whn i am not! Can i do this alone? Did you? I no i can afford it whn my cars paid for as tht was a hefty price each month and i dont go out at all if once a month.
I am sorry for the essay, as you say tea and cookies for getting this far X
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i was 20. i am at uni and generally my family didnt let me have a hamster cos i couldnt look after it. (dogs im good with but they dont need mucking out and my mum and dad help with dogs). so i really wanted the particular horse at my riding school who was going to be up for sale but not yet as they needed to replace her first. i decided if i was going to do it i had to do it properly for the first time ever so i made a budget plan. it included everything i needed and how i was going to fund it. i took this to my parents with a plan of how i would fit the horse into my time and why it was a good idea. good idea things include getting me fitter, keeping me happy as i have mental health issues, teaching mum to ride, and i dont spend money on anything else so why not. good reasons for getting a horse suggestion to parents do not include but they are lovly and its fun.

so basically my horse is paid for by me and if i needed it they would back me up but knowledge wise no help. i just made sure i had a good livery the first year so if i needed help it was there xx