How old were you when you got your first horse/pony?

20 brought my first myself for 5000 shes in my sig. id been riding for 18 years and got pc c test and stable management stuff and nvq level 2 horse care. she still taught me alot tho and she will carry on doing so. i wasnt really looking for a horse apart from i knew i wanted on eventually but she sort of came along and bit me on the bum and said buy me. i was having lessons on her at my riding school for a year and a half and she was being evented to novice be level by the daughter of the riding school
 
I bought my first pony when I was 18 she cost £335, my bosses father lent me some money so I wouldn't get one from the sales i had her 21 years. I had been riding what ever I could find since about 9. I've just bred my second foal aged (50)!!
 
Few months old first sit on a horse, 5 when I started to learn to ride properly, 10 when I got my too big cussed 14.2hh grey gelding Star whose first action was to promptly dump me. Had him for 8 years though - I go the better of him in the end.
 
I started riding aged 3 and rode all through my childhood and teens. I was 24 when I got my first horse, by that time I had trained to BHS stage 3 and worked at a riding school/livery yard/stud for a number of years :)
 
50! First horse (loan), and now looking for first purchase! Been riding for about 10 years (apart from a bit when a child), but would still class myself as a beginner. The loaner did teach me a lot and my riding vastly improved, but ended up 'to much horse' for me in the end - so now looking for a lovely, safe cobby type for my twilight years (well, sort of)!;)
 
4 :) You could say I grew up around them, totally non-horsey background.
I have made a lot of mistakes, and learned a lot of lessons along the way. Still am, 40 odd years later.
 
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I was 5/6 and my mum made me look after him all by myself (well with a little help)
 
I was 33 when I got my first horse, I've wanted one since I can ever remember. I went to buy one horse and ended up with two and love them both to bits, they were so worth the wait. I'm sort of experienced, ridden since 4 but had a 12 yr break and been back to riding about 18 months :D
 
2 or 3 - can't remember it was a long time ago. Parents weren't particularly "horsey" but I think my father wanted a child to do an outdoor sport. His parents had farmed so he had animal knowledge. Had tried to encourage my brother to motor race but brother academic not sporty. Father then bought an unbroken pony when I was about 4 and sort of broke us together if you know what I mean. Then went on to have whizzy show jumping ponies and used to jump ponies for people as well.

Never had any formal lessons other than pony club until I was about 30 (I was effective as a show jumper rather than stylish!).
 
polopony said:
Just for fun and because I'm nosy.. how old and how experienced were you when you got your first horse/pony?

(sorry if this ones already been done) :D



In my case - sixteen and novicey ish
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I was 3, the pony was 6. She was a Shetland called Dina who was happiest standing still. She buggered off one day with me sat on her, much to my dads horror. I slipped under her and Dad thought I was at least wheelchair bound for the rest of my life (plus he had to face my Mum). I (seemingly) found it hilarious and 'wanted on again'. Ive never looked back but have no desire to ride at my age. Much prefer to 'look after' them.
 
I was 11 :) had been riding 5 years but not at a normal riding school so had experiance of riding many different types of horses aswell as doing yard chores. First pony was Pharaoh and I got him when he was 2 so not exactly the ideal first pony! I was lucky to have alot of support and it worked out well :) Will be a month since he was put down tomorrow though :(
 
I was 12 and had been riding for 6 months and had only cantered 3 times and never jumped. I did my first ever jump on him when I tried him out!
I'd never tacked up either!!
I kept him with his old owner and she helped me loads :)
 
A variety of different ages then! I've just realised how evasive my answer was!

I've had the odd sit on and off since i was a tot and me, my sister and my cousin shared a shettie when i was about 4 but since that died i stopped riding.
Then since i was about thirteen/fourteen i developed a real interest in ponies and mucked out my grandad's mare every weekend and had the odd sit. Then after going to the point-to-point with grandad i made him go to the farrier and get her shod and i pulled her out of retirement (she was 30!) she taught me to walk, trot, canter, gallop (with a little help from riding school!) and then i told grandad i needed a younger model and searched through horse mart everyday for months, ringing him with various finds.. i turned up one day and burtie was in the box! :D (the mare, at 32 is now happily retired)
 
41 and proud of it. Thought i'd be on my own here at that age. When did I start riding? 40 :D Had him just over a year and it's just starting to dawn on me that at 5 years old I'm going to be down that yard looking after him for possibly the rest of my life.

That and the "it's the season" post i'm starting to feel like a mug now...
 
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