I really want a horse.

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B_2_B

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People's pictures on facebook and on here recently are making me really want a horse, or at least something to do with horses regularly :(

I know I have the Mossburn horses but that's only when I'm home and that's happening less and less atm.

There's no way I can afford to have lessons or go on hacks anywhere, so I suppose I just have to accept it, but sometimes I just get very...jealous isn't really the right word, I just wish I could win the lottery! :p

I always wish I'd gotten into horses earlier, I've never had a proper lesson, can't jump or anything other than hacking. I don't really have nay idea how good a rider I even am :o The horses at Mossburn are all rescues so only happy hackers.
I would love to go to a show, and be able to do stuff like that :(

I am eternally grateful to Mossburn though, and so glad I decided to volunteer there all those years ago, or else I most likely wouldn't have been able to ride at all :eek:

This is a bit of a pointless post (feeling a bit sorry for myself :rolleyes:) but did anyone start getting into horses, or start going to shows and doing more than hacking, really late?

I suppose realistically it's going to be years before I can even begin to think of getting my own horse :(
 
I've waited 16 years to have a horse and ive now got two. One that naps when hacked and a lame mare. Whilst horse ownership has its highs, it also has its lows!
 
Agree with above, try and find someone who would like a sharer!! Not every owner will be looking for a financial contribution :) a lady at my yard has a girl come to exercise her horse 1/2 times a week and is just happy for her horse to get ridden a bit more. There will be people out there... advertise on the internet. no harm in trying, might take a while but try and be patient. I feel for you :( it must be very frustrating. Hugs xx
 
B2B I started off paying 40 a month for 2 days a week with my first share pony - I now don't pay anything and see my girl every day when I am at home and her owner says she is as much mine as she is hers :)
Some people don't want or need financial contribution - especially if they just don't have the time to devote to their horses.
Why not find a riding school and ask if they need any help in return for lessons?
K x
ETA if it makes you feel any better, when I am away at uni I don't see Kelly for weeks on end but I am on an agricultural campus so get to watch people riding and grooming etc etc every day!! :(
 
Some people advertise for a sharer for a financial contribution, others to lesson the work they have to do by getting the sharer to do stable duties - keep looking for this type, will cost you nothing except petrol to get there.
 
B-2-B: you'll find one! Or they'll find you...

Meanwhile, just focus on all the posts that pop up at this time of year from people whose horses are going batty from being stabled over winter, eating too much Spring grass, coming into season, bucking, rearing, bolting, napping and generally being a pain in the a***

Hopefully by the time the nuttiness is out of the way for this season, you'll have sorted yourself out one of the saner ones!
 
Thanks guys, will keep an eye out for sharers, but I'm not holding my breath around here.

I did help at a riding school last year for a little bit, but I ended up having too much uni work to do and had to stop going.
But when I rang other places then, only that one wanted any help.
I know it's something but it's not the same as getting to know one horse and stuff.
I'm don't think I should look at riding schools though, I'm unsure where I'm going to be spending the summer (here or at home) so would have to get that sorted out first.

I'm sure at some point I'll get lucky in life and have an awesome story about fate and finding my perfect horse :p :D
 
Mrs B said:
B-2-B: you'll find one! Or they'll find you...

Meanwhile, just focus on all the posts that pop up at this time of year from people whose horses are going batty from being stabled over winter, eating too much Spring grass, coming into season, bucking, rearing, bolting, napping and generally being a pain in the a***

Hopefully by the time the nuttiness is out of the way for this season, you'll have sorted yourself out one of the saner ones!
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Haha! You have a point, I will only read complaining posts from now on :p
 
LaurenM said:
I've waited 16 years to have a horse and ive now got two. One that naps when hacked and a lame mare. Whilst horse ownership has its highs, it also has its lows!
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My goodness - you sound like me!! I have a pony who can hack lovely - or nap like a ratbag, and a horse with a fractured leg!!
 
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Hey don't worry, although I learnt to ride as a child I've only just got my first horse after 30years of having one on top of my Christmas list!

My husband didn't learn to ride until he was in his late 20s.

You will be able to improve your riding experience if you are determined, look for shares or work for rides, or get a part time job and use the money for lessons. You may not manage much while at university, I didn't but eventually you will be in a position to get a horse.

Then when you do the blooming thing will injure itself like my mare did......
 
Why dont you put an advert on preloved, or in your local paper?, saying that you could exchange work for rides, there are always adverts looking for help in exchange for rides where I am. Good luck
 
There is always that......
my loan girl has just been diagnosed with Cushings so isn't rideable atm, she is JUST coming sound *fingers crossed!!!!!!* and the owner has another horse which I ride who is currently loopy because of the spring grass etc and so likes to spend the schooling sessions on two legs (whichever she prefers!)
K x
 
I had a dream last night about my parents buying me a horse... I woke up all happy thinking yip, must get up and turn him out... and was very disappointed when I was in my flat, still have parents who don't like me riding, with no horse to speak of! I am hugely excited about owning my own someday and it seems too far away. It's no fun, is it?

As long as you're happy hacking, don't feel like you're missing out or not a great rider because of it. There may well come a time when you need to be indoors a lot e.g. for jump practice and it won't be the same! As long as your hobby makes you happy, then don't worry about which parts of it you are/not experienced in yet 80)

Are you still in Dundee? I'm in St Andrews, so if you ever want to treat yourself (£5 student return on the bus, £15 group lesson, or on birthdays you're not allowed to pay yourself) then you'd be welcome to ride at my RS with me, and I could introduce to a yard full of loving beasties for a few hours! The summer derbies are also starting soon which is a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon when the weather's nice.

All in all, chin up! It'll happen somehow 80)
 
B_2_B said:
I've never had a proper lesson, can't jump or anything other than hacking. I don't really have nay idea how good a rider I even am :o The horses at Mossburn are all rescues so only happy hackers.
QUOTE]

Why not try making friends with local people with horses? We own three and would love somebody like you who would like to hack one of ours out with us. We only really hack and have never been able to find anyone (other a couple of local kids who said they could ride but couldnt even do rising trot) who would be happy to ride our "spare" horse. Unfortunately we are the other end of the country to you - otherwise I'd be snatching your hand off. We've never looked for payment or help - just somebody to exercise the horse.
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I can't help as such but when my old dear was still a happy hacking horse I'd have happily given my right foot for someone to come and do some jobs then give the old trout lots of love and cuddles and take her for a hack, she does some showing and I usually let nervous friends have a go at novice or beginners jumping on B if they can stay calm and trust her!

I'm not the only person who works full time and has more than 1 ponio, time is more precious than someone paying. There must be loads of peole who would welcome a bit of regular help in exchange for letting an older or less capable horse be ridden, once they know you, you will probably then be invited to ride everything else.

Keep looking and I'm sure you'll find a nice ponio that you can enjoy and the opportunities to do more just sort of follow!
 
I feel your pain, especially now the nice weather is here and all I want to do is ride and spend quality time with a horse (preferably my own).

I started riding by only being allowed one riding lesson a year on my birthday. I have been lucky in the past few years and had some loan horses, worked for rides, worked at yards etc. Can you try to make horsey friends in the area/put up an advert? I am lucky now as I ride a woman's horse for her as she just doesn't have much time. Now he isn't exactly my kind of horse, but I am grateful I get to ride at all. She doesn't ask for any financial contribution from me...and even gives me petrol money sometimes so I can get there!!!

She won't even let me do any jobs, even though I want to, as she is just happy that someone is exercising him.

One day I will own a horse, but at the moment it is a long, long way off :(
And then when we do finally get a horse it will no doubt injure itself :P
 
CazD said:
B_2_B said:
I've never had a proper lesson, can't jump or anything other than hacking. I don't really have nay idea how good a rider I even am :o The horses at Mossburn are all rescues so only happy hackers.
QUOTE]

Why not try making friends with local people with horses? We own three and would love somebody like you who would like to hack one of ours out with us. We only really hack and have never been able to find anyone (other a couple of local kids who said they could ride but couldnt even do rising trot) who would be happy to ride our "spare" horse. Unfortunately we are the other end of the country to you - otherwise I'd be snatching your hand off. We've never looked for payment or help - just somebody to exercise the horse.
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This is how I got my horse! Started riding her when she was a spare field ornament, then loaned her, then bought her last year. I had no intention of buying a horse prior to that, as I'd only been learning to ride for 18months!

I got into horses very late - was afraid of them until I decided to learn to ride aged 28. I'm now a happy hacker. Had my first lesson in over a year last month, and was terrified about how bad I'd be, but regular riding has made a massive difference, and I was better than I thought. My instructor even suggested we enter some local dressage tests! It's never too late to start doing something. My mission for this summer is to learn to jump, with the ultimate aim of having a go at a cross country course!
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If I found the right person I'd happily allow someone to ride my nutty cob for nothing. It would be doing me a favour and give me a couple of days off a week which working full time and having 6 dogs I often need!!! Unfortunately finding someone trustworthy is extreamly hard and I don't allow just anyone to get on my precious lad. ;)

Ask around, put up adds in feed places, tack shops etc I'm sure there must be other horse owners like myself who would love someone they trusted to ride their horses.

Oh and I was 36 before I got my first horse, I'd always had to loan or use riding schools previously.
 
B_2_B said:
I can't afford to pay anything though. There aren't any tack shops anywhere near me so I don't know.
Nothing on preloved for Dundee last time I checked either.
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Yes there is...Conchies is near Dundee. I know because I live near there too ;) why dont you have some lessons down there?
 
Thanks guys, you've all made me feel a bit better :D

What kind of thing would you put on an advert, I'm not very good at wording things sometimes. Just say something along the lines of novice rider willing to work for rides, happy hacker?
 
Vixen Van Debz said:
I had a dream last night about my parents buying me a horse... I woke up all happy thinking yip, must get up and turn him out... and was very disappointed when I was in my flat, still have parents who don't like me riding, with no horse to speak of! I am hugely excited about owning my own someday and it seems too far away. It's no fun, is it?

As long as you're happy hacking, don't feel like you're missing out or not a great rider because of it. There may well come a time when you need to be indoors a lot e.g. for jump practice and it won't be the same! As long as your hobby makes you happy, then don't worry about which parts of it you are/not experienced in yet 80)

Are you still in Dundee? I'm in St Andrews, so if you ever want to treat yourself (£5 student return on the bus, £15 group lesson, or on birthdays you're not allowed to pay yourself) then you'd be welcome to ride at my RS with me, and I could introduce to a yard full of loving beasties for a few hours! The summer derbies are also starting soon which is a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon when the weather's nice.

All in all, chin up! It'll happen somehow 80)
Click to expand...

Ah yes I've had that dream before! Sucks so much to wake up lol!

I am yeah, will pm you :)
 
not read all the replies so apologies if i repeat anything.

you could always ask at your local riding school if they need any help with mucking out, leading the ponies for the kids etc etc in return for a ride. that's one way.

someone said about advertising for a sharer, that's an excellent way to get hands on with horses. not all owners want financial help, alot are just struggling to keep either more than one horse in work or have the time to see to them without feeling stressed.

i have someone come and help me with mine as and when she can, i'd love to have it as a regular thing but because of her work she isn't able to, i could advertise for someone else to help but to be honest i'm very happy with the person who helps me out and she's done alot of work with my pony, i know when she's there she pulls her weight and doesn't shirk her responsibilities, for that i'm happy not to charge her!

so there are people out there who just want the extra help. try it.
 
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