riding aged 40 +

NiceNeverNaughty

NiceNeverNaughty

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If you are in your 40’s I’d really love to hear what you do with your horse, have you slowed down the pace or do you still have the aspirations you had 10, 20 years ago?

The reason I ask is that I will be 40 later this year. All of my friends, without exception have (after having children) really stepped down what they do with their horses; either putting them on loan, finding a sharer or in a few cases losing almost all interest. All of my friends also have multiple children. I on the other hand have 1 child who is now at nursery and in a year will be at school. I feel as if Im still in my pony club years tbh and Im so excited to have more time! I’m desperate to meet up with people for hacks, go to clinics, spend as much time as i can with my horses (ponies ;) ) . Everything I do is very low level, local rc type things but Im hoping this summer to get back to some small ode’s :D It makes me so sad that none of my friends are really ‘feeling the love’ . Im excited about making plans and hoping I can attend my first ever RC camp but also hoping I will meet some other like minded people. I love my friends, Im so lucky to have such special people in my life but I feel a little in mourning that things have changed.
 
I've just turned 36 and hope to be happily hacking for many years yet! I have delusions that one day we may even do some dressage or god forbid maybe even jumping!
 
I do, or did before I lost my horse, exactly the same things as you. No ambition to ride at a high level but love what I did.
I'm looking for a new horse at present. The novelty of not having to ride in the cold, etc, has worn off and I'm desperate to be back out there.
Do what makes you happy.
 
Most of the liverys on the yard I work at are 40 or over and i dont think any of them would consider slowing down and still compete regularly. One lady in her 60's still does endurance rides...dont listen to others just go for it and enjoy your horse!
 
I've just turned fifty and am looking for a new horse. I lost my boy last year - he was 25. We were still out competing when he was 23 - so I would have been 47 and was riding probably 4-5 times a week. We then had two peaceful years happy hacking - 3-4 times a week until he became ill.

I my last yard, we had lots of "older ladies" - the oldest was 70 and she would ride nearly every day.

I am never going to be a world beater, but was quite a good rider in my youth, though! So I am looking for a nice hack with some scope to do some low level dressage, and aim to continue until I can no longer get on!!!!!
 
I am 45 I have two horses and ride them both most days we do hacking and schooling and I do show them through the summer although my pro friend does often ride them at shows, I don't really jump anymore I might do the odd small log out but I find jumping can jar my back and then I am in agony for weeks, but apart from that I pretty much do what I have always done.
 
Ha..I've just turned 50 and whilst my head says yay lets go mad across a field/take those jumps, until I actually do another form of exercise to help, my body/lungs let me down! However since I bought my lad 9 years ago, I have done xc (starters!) dressage, showing, pleasure rides (great fun, own pace a bonus) hacking and jumping the odd log plus going on farm rides, learning to clip him too, so age isn't a barrier, just time when you have young ones! Go for it, I fully intend riding until I can't walk any longer....
 
that is reassuring :D I have to admit it comes to me as a complete shock I am soon to be 40 haha! How can that have happened??? surely life begins at.... :D
 
Slowing down at 40! Surely not?! I didn't get back into owning a horse until my mid 40s, have done pretty much everything at RC level, dressage, HT, ODEs, SJ and hunting. Now I'm 60 I've slowed up but still do dressage and some SJ, have 2 horses at home and ride 5-6 times a week. I'm lucky because I live in a very horsey area where there is a great riding club, competition centres and clinics. Go for it, I say!!
 
54, go dragging, done a 4 day RC camp in 2013 and 2014, do rc training sessions, love going on busy hacks etc.
I scaled back in my early 40s as was competing national circuit and breaking and schooling for a living.
By mid 40s was working in office and riding for pleasure and not my living :)
 
Crikey .... I'm old enough to be your mother and still ride regularly, planning on competing this summer, have lessons with a good instructor and hack regularly. There are loads of ladies my age or older on my yard who all do loads with some very nice horses. Good grief .... 40 isn't old, believe me!
 
Although I haven't competed for a long time I certainly didn't slow down in my 40's. For some of that time I was riding 3 horses on a daily basis while my son was at uni, two were eventers to get fit so fast work was part of it and also a newly backed 4 year old so it wasn't just a wander down the lane! Unfortunately my health took a nosedive when I was 48 so I didn't ride much for two years then by chance I got a horse for myself who doesn't object to being lifted and laid, I ride him, health permitting, about 3 times a week and take part in riding club lessons with him, if I ever get organised I'll take him out to do some dressage. 40 is no age at all, get out and enjoy riding!
 
A woman living in my village is competing at BE (Novice) in her mid 60s. I will slow down when my body is no longer up to riding or I stop enjoying it.
 
40!!!!!! you must be joking, at 55 I had 3 part time horse jobs, competed my own horse and walked my dog for miles every day. I am now almost 70, still completely do my own horse and walk dogs and if my horse was younger and sounder I would still be doing a bit of dressage, alas my jumping days are over as I have dodgy hips and back, cant imagine not riding at all...you have got years ahead!!!!!!
 
I am 44 & only started back to riding at 42, after about 20 years off, so I'm building up gradually! Gradually? Erm got a 24 yr old Loanie & just bought a youngun!
 
I'm about to turn 42. Whilst I guess I'm not as brave as I was in my 20s and aware I don't bounce the same I'm still doing all the same things. I have sports insurance which also covers me for my other hobby of Roller derby and I must admit that knowing I have my income covered in case of an accident does help with confidence
 
JulesRules said:
I'm about to turn 42. Whilst I guess I'm not as brave as I was in my 20s and aware I don't bounce the same I'm still doing all the same things. I have sports insurance which also covers me for my other hobby of Roller derby and I must admit that knowing I have my income covered in case of an accident does help with confidence
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Roller Derby? That's hardcore!
 
Well I am 56 & have 2 horses that hunt weekly & in the summer I compete RC with one of them most of the regulars in my hunt bloodhounds are around my age with our oldest being 80, admittedly I don't want to buy & back youngsters anymore but other than that I still do exactly the same oh to be only 40 !!
 
Slow down? God no! I started riding again, after a 25 year break, in my early 40s. I'm going to be 55 next month, have my own horse, compete at local level in dressage, SJ and XC, and went to the Sunshine Tour for the first time last year. I'm now in a BD Team Quest team and am looking forward to getting out there. Yes I'm more cautious than I was when I was 15, but it's not a race and I do what I feel comfortable with and what I have time for. There have been times when I was the only adult livery at the yard and that can be hard, but there is now quite a gang of us, which is great fun. I suggest you join a riding club to meet people your own age, or find a FB group where you can support each other.

When am old I shall wear purple...as XC colours hee hee!
 
Ahhh jeas women! �� Im 48 on Sunday and aside from jumping much Id say Im the same rider I was in my teens. Still like a blast on the beach. Recently diagnosed with arthritis in my lower spine but determind not to let it hold me back. Still get excited walking down the field to catch my horse lol. ��
 
NeverEver said:
If you are in your 40’s I’d really love to hear what you do with your horse, have you slowed down the pace or do you still have the aspirations you had 10, 20 years ago?

The reason I ask is that I will be 40 later this year. All of my friends, without exception have (after having children) really stepped down what they do with their horses; either putting them on loan, finding a sharer or in a few cases losing almost all interest. All of my friends also have multiple children. I on the other hand have 1 child who is now at nursery and in a year will be at school. I feel as if Im still in my pony club years tbh and Im so excited to have more time! I’m desperate to meet up with people for hacks, go to clinics, spend as much time as i can with my horses (ponies ;) ) . Everything I do is very low level, local rc type things but Im hoping this summer to get back to some small ode’s :D It makes me so sad that none of my friends are really ‘feeling the love’ . Im excited about making plans and hoping I can attend my first ever RC camp but also hoping I will meet some other like minded people. I love my friends, Im so lucky to have such special people in my life but I feel a little in mourning that things have changed.
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I am over 49, just got a new mare and plan to do more sponsored rides with her, I have a pony who drives so into that too. I will have plenty of time to rest and take it easy when I am dead, so as long as I don't get parts of my body dropping off I will keep going on.
 
I was 49 when I bought my Po, in the last 12 years of ownership we have done Endurance riding, 15 18 22 milers, charity rides, small local shows which comprised of beginners jumping, handy pony, also did Forest X which we got a first on our very first time and a second the next year, he's been on our family holiday with me to Yorkshire for 3 years on the go, so been on the beach and in the sea etc etc, ended up one day in the middle of Sainsburys car park in Scarborough LOL :-), first ride out from the farm near Scarborough to Robin Hoods bay we were out for 8.5 hours, done a little bit of Dressage, and in between an awful lot of hacking, never less that 1.5 hours, and sometime 3.5 to 4 hours, I now do a bit more in the menage, which tend to be more for fun, so set course's up with cones jumps ect, he enjoys stuff like that, had a couple of goes at Le trec, but didn't do to good as he is a bit of a lad, last year me and oldest daughter went to Wales on a FreeRein holiday for two days, fantastic time, 4.5 hours ride and map reading first day, and 5.5 hours the next, now I'm 62 and he is 22 we have slowed up a bit, but I can't wear him out, as he is half Arab half New Forest, and if on an organized ride etc is a real handful, and will just bomb everywhere.

It's winter at the minute, so up at 6.30am mucking out turning out bringing in etc etc, then off to work, yes it's harder at 62 than 52, but unless someone has health issues's, I can't see why anyone would be talking or thinking about slowing down at 40, at 49 I could ride all day, literally :-).

As HG-12 said, plenty of time for laying about when your dead ;-)
 
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What!!! I didn't start riding until I was nearly 50, bought my last horse at 65 and now 67 he's giving me the time of my life. No, he's not a safe sensible cob, he's a full up 16.2 7/8th Tb, sensitive and forward going, I just love him. He keeps me fit, active, excited he's very good looking. Pity I'm not married to him. lol.
 
oldie48 said:
What!!! I didn't start riding until I was nearly 50, bought my last horse at 65 and now 67 he's giving me the time of my life. No, he's not a safe sensible cob, he's a full up 16.2 7/8th Tb, sensitive and forward going, I just love him. He keeps me fit, active, excited he's very good looking. Pity I'm not married to him. lol.
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:-) :-) :-)
 
My mums about to turn 51 and she joins me out hunting, on pleasure rides and picnic rides, schools my boy when I'm at uni for the day and just last year she took up jumping again! There's no stopping her! My grandad didn't start riding until he was in his fifties and was still out hunting in his late sixties! If you feel up to it and you enjoy it, go for it :)
 
how many of you have children? I certainly don’t feel old or as if i ‘should’ be slowing down but all my friends who are it’s because they’ve had a family and priorities have changed :(
 
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