Horse Owners\Loaners\Sharers

[Mistertron]

Hi,

I thought it might be interesting to start a thread where people can tell the story about when they had their first horse. I personally can't contribute (i've never owned a horse) but would like to hear about other peoples stories.

So maybe you could include:

How old you were when you got your horse?
How experienced you were?
What type of horse\size\age etc
Where it was\is kept?


Thank you :)

[k8_doran]

So maybe you could include:

How old you were when you got your horse?
How experienced you were?
What type of horse\size\age etc
Where it was\is kept?


Hello, well started riding at 6 at a riding school, gradually spent a day there a week helping out (very good experience!) Then I shared this lovely pony, 12.2hh must have been only about 10. Well this pony lived out so no duties to do, just went up when I wanted, hacked on my own. Didnt need to pay anything. Then I got this pony on loan for the winter when I was about 11, my mum has been great heping me out and paying for everything! Was kept at my friends yard, she was a handful this pony, about 13hh! Didnt put me off. The I rode this other womans pony and then I got my first horse. No plodder mum paid for it (we arent rich) she was 4.3 and I was about 13 kept her a couple of years as she got my confidence up then I got another horse and another handful! bought this one, 14.3 welsh x tb beautiful had him about 5 years. Currently t uni (I am 22!) riding this ladies horse once/twice a week that i consequently might buy...well I hope you wanted to know all that, any thing lse just ask. I feel riding the naughty ones the strong ones since I was young has helped me no end!

[marsden]

How old you were when you got your horse?
How experienced you were?
What type of horse\size\age etc
Where it was\is kept?

I got my first horse when i about 13/14 years old. I had been 'riding' since i was 3, done most of the riding schools and i was at a Training and livery yard. Gigilo was my first real horse and my first partnership. He would have burst his gut to please me even when he was in a bad mood. He was around 17.3hh, and was 17 years old when i got him and was a Hanoverian. He was a typical warmblood, the one that couldn't pass the man eating leaves and who would spook at the mounting block? Anything different was scary. But he taught me so much and i had so much fun on him. I can never remember feeling scared on him.... perhaps at times i should of? He was kept at the livery.
He was a great horse, however he started to buck and general misbehave with others riding him. He then went lame. So we gave him time off and brought him back into work. It was a case of lunging and long reining him and then i eventually got back on. He got taken off his bute and went on to a herbal supplement. Unfortunately he went down hill. He tried to canter all the time. So we got the ospeopath out who confirmed that bascially his back was away. I'll never forget what Tom said to me though, he said that he must have trusted me so much and wanted to look after me, as he must have been in agony when i rode him... :( i felt like i had let him down, but Tom turned it around and said no you gave him a second chance. He had suffered from arthiritis since he was around 7, he evented before we got him. So started floating about decisions to retire him and loan him out. But no one would have been good enough for him and he wasn't the sort that would be happy standing in a muddy field in winter. So i made the decision that enough was enough, and we put him to sleep in 2001. I had the best time with him and i will never forget that big boy! :D
I was the last person to ride him, the last person to give him his dinner, put his rug on and put him out in the field. When he went, i felt broken like i had lost a part of me..... I had another few horses on loan but i never had the same partnership i had wiht Gigilo. Until i got Murphy, he didn't take Gig's place but he remembered me why i loved horses.
I owe everything to that big man and there's not a day that goes past that i don't think of him...
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d82/Nikki_and_Rod/Other%20Horses/gigtackedup.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d82/Nikki_and_Rod/Other%20Horses/Horse2.jpg

[*Sez*]

I started riding at the tender age of two. All my life I wanted to be around horses and used to beg my parents for my own pony :) .

I was twenty one when I got the horse that is completely mine. By this point, I had worked on several yards, had a share horse, a loan and bought a horse that I shared with my parents, but Salsa is my very own.
By this time, I had a solid foundation in stable management, could walk, trot, canter, gallop, jump, hack out alone (I had been a ride leader for a while), knew how to treat various ailments from mudfever to cuts, including poulticing and bandaging, and could clean and care for tack properly. I was always the one put on the "difficult" horses because nothing phased me - I once got back on after a nasty buck which left me with a dislocated shoulder, because I was determined that I would ALWAYS get back on.

Salsa is a 15.2hh ex-racer, and was seven years old when I bought him. He lives on DIY livery, although my friends and parents do all the heavy or physical jobs that I cant manage.

[k8_doran]

nikki and murphay, so sorry to hear about your horse, he is a beaut. At least you had the opportunity to have him and ride him, it was ment that he taught you loads of things, its sad when you loose people/animals. At least you have your memories :) and I am glad you have found that special one again, you have two special ones now and he will be happy for you

[marsden]

nikki and murphay, so sorry to hear about your horse, he is a beaut. At least you had the opportunity to have him and ride him, it was ment that he taught you loads of things, its sad when you loose people/animals. At least you have your memories :) and I am glad you have found that special one again, you have two special ones now and he will be happy for you

aaww thanks
i lost murphy as well! well i had him on full loan and he got sold without me knowing..... :o but i found him again thanks to NR and he's living a life of luxury with Sp1cer

but they are my two special boys! and there will never be another two like them again

[LauraLou]

How old you were when you got your horse?
How experienced you were?
What type of horse\size\age etc
Where it was\is kept?

I was 22 when I bought my first horse. I started riding at about 6 and then stopped when I was about 10 and then started again at about 13 when I started working weekends down my local yard. Cor it was 8am-6pm of hard work with only half an hour of free riding at the end! Then had a few years off again from 19-21, then at 21 I loaned a horse called Bertie for about 4 months, he really wasnt for me though. The day I gave him up I went to my local saddlery and saw an advert for a 15hh hackney. Saw her the next day, started loaning her the next weekend. Had her half loan for 3 months, then full loan for another 3 months, then was given the ultimatum from her old owners that either I bought her or she went to market. My boyfriend bought her for me in July 2005. :) She is a 15hh hackney, was 14 when I bought her. Then I got Buddy who is my 3 year old falabella to keep her company in July 06, and finally got Maddy who is my 14.2hh hackney x cob in Decemeber as she had a very serious colic operation and she couldnt cope with her. They vare all kept in my local livery yard, which I love, its the best yard I have been on x

[Joyscarer]

How old you were when you got your horse?
How experienced you were?
What type of horse\size\age etc
Where it was\is kept?

I am 33 and bought my first horse in Dec 06.

I had ridden regularly from the ages of 8-16, rode infrequently after that with the last time being about 7 years ago. I took riding up again in March last year and lost the weight. I got use of Joy 3 mornings a week for 6 weeks until finally deciding that I had to have her and bought her in mid December.

Joy is 6 years old and approx 15 hands. She is a Welsh Section D.

I had never loaned or owned before but Joy is kept on my friends yard so there are just 4 horses and I have a wealth of knowledge to draw on :D

I need to go back to riding lessons again though because I need to improve :rolleyes:

[Sammii]

How old you were when you got your horse?
It was last June so I would have been 15.

How experienced you were?
I was a very nervous novice horsewoman.

What type of horse\size\age etc
He is a 14.3hh tri-color Heinz 57, with a very cute face and lovely colouring; like this:
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n130/myredcloud/100_1279.jpg

Where it was\is kept?
He is kept at a farm in my town :)

[*millie*]

How old you were when you got your horse? I was 12 when i got my first share, 14 when i got my own horse.

How experienced you were? I'd been riding about 3/4 years

What type of horse\size\age etc My first share was a 16hh grey cob gelding called Beau. Shared him with a friend. Went hacking/schooling/jumping. First own horse is Pride 15hh welsh D. Ive had him nearly 2 years and have done hacking/schooling/jumping/bit of competing.

Where it was\is kept? Beau was at an AWFUL livery yard which i hated :( He later moved to the yard i am at now (when i had finished sharing him) and i now love the livery yard where Pride lives :D

[Mistertron]

Thanks everyone - i enjoyed reading the posts and loved the piccies! NikkiandMurphy - your story made me have tears in my eyes! he was a beaut and i'm glad you had lots of good times with him :)