list horsey ideas to do without a horse?

AprilBlue

AprilBlue

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 September 2012
Messages
307
Visit site
you see, i am TOTALLY horse mad but i don't own a horse because i haven't got the time, i was wondering whether you could help me find ideas to what horsey things to do without a horse when your not at the stables?

here are some of my ideas:

1)make a horse scrapbook (i have made one)
2)help people with problems with their horses on forums such as this one
3)read horse magazines
4)find out info about horses

what are your ideas???
 
Well, you could come and clean my bridles and saddles, lol!!!
Maybe voulenteer to mark a fence at local cross country events, it's all explained to you before hand, and a great way of seeing the action up close and personal.
If I think of anything else, i'll repost!!!
Oh, and maybe voulenteer for RDA to help out, maybe not as exciting as marking a x country fence, but very rewarding. xx
 
Last edited:
Volunteer!
- British Eventing are always on the look out for volunteers for events, sign up and you'll get updates through email for anything local to you. You'll be up close and personal to the jumps and riders.
- Local riding schools will probably be happy to take you on to do a few jobs and you may even get a ride in return, so thats something a bit different from lessons
- Put up a little ad to do little jobs for people e.g poo picking, tack cleaning etc - again, you may get a ride or something in return.
- Any horse charities close to you? They may want some help!

Depending on how old you are possibly collect model horses? When I was younger I collected Breyers, theres a massive following for it (or there was when I was young!), theres things like photo shows where you take photos of your model horses, send them off and they're judged like a real horse show and you could win prizes/rosettes etc.
 
well the problem is i help out at my riding school and i always get chased down to lead -__- and i absolutely LOATHE it and anyway i dont get anything for it. also i groom the ponies @ my local riding school but only like the quick brush over, hooves, ect you know.and i help out at my yard but i NEVER get anything back. the only way to get something back is being a worker and i am too young to become a worker.

also im not really interested in breyers (but the Zenyatta one is really pretty) and there are no charities near where i live
:mad::(
 
AprilBlue said:
well the problem is i help out at my riding school and i always get chased down to lead -__- and i absolutely LOATHE it and anyway i dont get anything for it. also i groom the ponies @ my local riding school but only like the quick brush over, hooves, ect you know.and i help out at my yard but i NEVER get anything back. the only way to get something back is being a worker and i am too young to become a worker.

also im not really interested in breyers (but the Zenyatta one is really pretty) and there are no charities near where i live
:mad::(
Click to expand...

I live in rather rural wales and theres loads of RDA's near me when I took the time to search on the website. I highly doubt you live far from one if you searched.

When you say (in the top paragraph) 'I don't get anything for it.' - but you do. Time with horses, time doing horsey things, which is what you set up the thread wanting MORE of?
 
elsiecat said:
I live in rather rural wales and theres loads of RDA's near me when I took the time to search on the website. I highly doubt you live far from one if you searched.

When you say (in the top paragraph) 'I don't get anything for it.' - but you do. Time with horses, time doing horsey things, which is what you set up the thread wanting MORE of?
Click to expand...

yeah i understand that but i always have to lead the old grumpy ponies who bite everyone because everyone has taken the calm ones.

and trust me, i dont enjoy getting bit by an 11.2hh pony -__-

all im saying is, i dont feel like i am getting any credit for all the hard work i do @ my stables
 
Volunteer with your local pc or rc you could steward, write for a judge build fences etc.

Save for a horsey holiday.

Do dressage anywhere on a school horse or share horse

Look for a share

Get a horsey job

Train for a horsey qualification

Volunteer for a horsey charity, the RDA, a sanctuary or the BHS.
 
AprilBlue said:
yeah i understand that but i always have to lead the old grumpy ponies who bite everyone because everyone has taken the calm ones.

and trust me, i dont enjoy getting bit by an 11.2hh pony -__-

all im saying is, i dont feel like i am getting any credit for all the hard work i do @ my stables
Click to expand...

Look at the RDA then. It's one of the best suggestions on this thread and I can almost guarantee there is one near you!
 
At the end of the day you get experience, which is priceless. You can't learn everything from a book and being around horses is the only way to learn properly. Ask if you can be around to watch the farrier work, the vet + the dentist and ask questions (not too many, don't want to be annoying!) but showing an interest is the first step to showing someone you are committed. The riding school owner will recognise this and as soon as you are old enough to become a worker, you may be first in their mind instead of somebody else.

As for other things to do, i spent a lot of evenings when i was younger at school reading horsey fiction, there's absolutely loads out there, and some of it is very good too! There are many horse manuals that are good too for extra bits of information that you can store in your head for times of need :)

My parents much preferred to buy me books rather than let me sit on computer games all day, yours are probably similar so give that a go!
 
Join a riding club as a non riding member. Attend lecture demos..save up for a trip to Olympia or hoys or something similar. Jump judge for pony clubs....if you like hunting join foot followers for your local pack.
 
Tons of opportunities!

As suggested volunteer with RDA , also any equine charities!
Contact all your local riding schools & offer to help.
Volunteer to be a steward @ local shows
Start working towards BHS Exams
Ask an equine physio etc for some work experience !
 
I started off helping at riding schools when I was your age, started off poo picking and doing all the jobs no one wanted, over the nextel two years I built up a wealth of experience and became good friends with yard manager. Whilst I was still helping out with the not so nice jobs, I also got to school horses for free etc and go to competitions to help out. Stick with it, it'll pay off in the end :)
 
yeah but the workers are paid to do all the jobs like that and i'm not allowed to do that.

anyway, i think i'm too young to volunteer at a horse charity:(
 
Have you joined the pony club? You don't have to own a pony but it's a great way to meet new people & make friends :-)

Could you have a day out? Blemheim Horse Trials is this weekend, that's a FANTASTIC outing if you can find anyone to go with? (Pony clubs often do organised trips to events like this!)

Good luck.
 
Have some patience, it's not going to happen overnight. Got any friends with horses? Maybe you'll just have to wait till your abit older to help at riding schools.
 
well i go to see lots of horse shows for example

apassionata
olympia
and i am going to see the royal riding school of vienna

i don't own a horse/pony as i said because i havent got the time.

my friend owns a pony but her stables is really far away from where i live.

what sort of horsey things can you do at home?????

i've bought myself a bridle but only for decoration purposes and i can't afford a saddle.
 
howa about studying for the stages? buy the stage one book and start learning some of it. to be honest you just have to wait till your older, looks like you've done most of it. Dont bother buying a saddle, if you dont have a horse it could be a masssive waste of money.
 
AprilBlue said:
yeah but the workers are paid to do all the jobs like that and i'm not allowed to do that.

anyway, i think i'm too young to volunteer at a horse charity:(
Click to expand...

How old are you? RDA take volunteers from 14 as far as I'm aware. I'm not sure what your motivation is though, you want to do more 'horsey things' but don't want to do it for nothing? What about the experience, the chance to be around horses? Do you mean you want paid for what you do, or you don't want to do the 'boring' stuff? :confused:
 
no no no

i am younger than 14 and i want a chance to expand my knowledge and do more things with horses ON TOP of what i do

i dont care if i get paid or not
 
smokey said:
How old are you? RDA take volunteers from 14 as far as I'm aware. I'm not sure what your motivation is though, you want to do more 'horsey things' but don't want to do it for nothing? What about the experience, the chance to be around horses? Do you mean you want paid for what you do, or you don't want to do the 'boring' stuff? :confused:
Click to expand...

what i was thinking!!

start studying for bhs stages..
 
AprilBlue said:
no no no

i am younger than 14 and i want a chance to expand my knowledge and do more things with horses ON TOP of what i do

i dont care if i get paid or not
Click to expand...

I think you edited this post before I read it properly, are you 12.? Then as others have suggested, get along to your local pony club, ask at the stables if you can watch the farrier/vet/EDT at work. Do they do 'own a pony' days? Perfect for people who don't own their own pony. The poster who suggested that you clean her tack had a point, do you know how to strip a bridle and clean it? If not, offer to do the riding school tack, by the time you've done it 20 times you should be an expert! Do you muck out at the stables? If not offer to do it in return for some teaching? As far as being nipped when you are leading ponies, welcome to ponies, I have bruises on my bum from a 10.2 Shetland at RDA! :D
 
I don't get this thread. What is it exactly you are wanting to do? You don't want to do anything suggested but have said you want to read mags and make scrapbooks - thats not screaming you want to be wholly involved in the physical side of horses. If you really like horses and want to eventually get more into them you will need to start at the very bottom of the pack and lead the grumpy sods. Work on how to try and train them NOT to bite you and work on how to lead them properly. Without leading the grumpy lazy ones at RS i would never have had the good ground skills i have now.
 
I guess that OP is feeling bored & frustrated. It's very hard when you are reliant on parents for lifts & money, i remember it well.

Please look into the Pony Club, maybe you could have it as a birthday or Xmas pressie? They hold lots of un-mounted rallies & quizzes which i bet you would be really good at. You will meet lots of 'horsey' people & even maybe find someone that might have a pony that you could use & take to rallies & camp.

I would also say that attitude is everything! Always be polite & offer to help, with all the boring jobs as well. You will learn a lot if you willing too & then when you are older & have more experience, a share or loan pony might be worth looking into.

What area (please don't say exactly where you live!) are you? Maybe someone on here can point you in the right direction.
 
Had another idea :-) What about a 'horsey' pen-pal? When i was a child it was all the rage, think that you found them in the back of PONY mag?
 
equi said:
I don't get this thread. What is it exactly you are wanting to do? You don't want to do anything suggested but have said you want to read mags and make scrapbooks - thats not screaming you want to be wholly involved in the physical side of horses. If you really like horses and want to eventually get more into them you will need to start at the very bottom of the pack and lead the grumpy sods. Work on how to try and train them NOT to bite you and work on how to lead them properly. Without leading the grumpy lazy ones at RS i would never have had the good ground skills i have now.
Click to expand...

i said i also groom!!!!!!!

and i go on horse holidays and i look after a pony for a month so actually i know what to do and i do get on the physical side of horses thank you very much!

i try to help my friends at the stables who have their own horses but at my yard, you can only clean tack, muck out, ect. if you are a worker (i'm tooo young to be one) or if you own a pony which i don't have the time for

at my yard there's a very limited amount of things you can do if you don't own and i do all of them so it's not like i',m slacking or anything
 
AprilBlue said:
i said i also groom!!!!!!!

and i go on horse holidays and i look after a pony for a month so actually i know what to do and i do get on the physical side of horses thank you very much!

i try to help my friends at the stables who have their own horses but at my yard, you can only clean tack, muck out, ect. if you are a worker (i'm tooo young to be one) or if you own a pony which i don't have the time for

at my yard there's a very limited amount of things you can do if you don't own and i do all of them so it's not like i',m slacking or anything
Click to expand...

Right, I'm going to do what I do with my kids when they get stroppy. If you can't take advise graciously, don't ask for it. People have made suggestions based on you OP, and you don't seem to be grateful for it. On that basis, I'm going to leave you to think about how you are behaving. When you want to apologise and talk, let me know :rolleyes:
 
equi said:
Without leading the grumpy lazy ones at RS i would never have had the good ground skills i have now.
Click to expand...

The same too for me!
The mischievous ponies will teach you tonnes more than the well behaved ones. I started off at a stables, spending all my time making up the weeks hay nets barely even seeing the horses. A while later I now work there, get to ride a variety of horses and with that, other opportunities from other people appear. Stick with it, and the hard work will pay off!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top