Hi

[Yorkshire Rose]

Hi Im new to the forum but have been lurking around it for the last couple of weeks and think it is a fantastic place to learn and discuss horse issues.

I'am 39 and although I don't own a horse at the moment I have been looking round for awhile. I have always loved horses since I was a child but never allowed to have one. :( Although I did use to ride my friends ponies.

Three years ago I took my daughters on holiday to Cornwall and we went out for a ride on the beach. Well to cut a long story short my youngest daughter fell off her pony and he stood on her leg not a very pleasant start to the holiday. :eek: But this did not put her off, after we got home a few weeks later my daughter asked if she could have riding lessons to which I agreed too.

She and her sister have been riding once a week for about 2 1/2 years now and my youngest is now a very capable rider. Unfortunately though the riding school has just closed down and become just livery so we are thinking of buying a horse we can all ride. What do you all think?

[SarahJay]

Hiya!!:D

Welcome to New Rider!!!:) :p

[Miriam]

Welcome aboard

[sadie01]

Hi

I'm fairly new here also, but I have enjoyed reading the boards and picking up tips from everyone.

My son also rides, and the combined cost of our lessons is more than the full cost of keeping a horse - if we lived in one place we would definitly loan or buy.

If you weren't sure, you could always loan with a view to buying. I've seen quite a few horses offered in that way, It would give you a chance to see how you all get on with each other - also you would maintain a relationship of sorts with the owner, so there would be plenty of help and advice with the horses likes and dislikes etc.

Anyway, whatever you decide, good luck and have fun!

[shirley]

Hi there!!!
Do you ride yourself?
We had our first horse about 5 years or so ago after our daughter had been riding for about 5 years. She had been to our local riding school and had done own a pony week for a number of occasions. This sort of thing really helped her gain confidence in not just riding horses / ponies, but also learning how to care for them, handle them, be around them etc. When we got her first pony for her I went to evening classes to do my British Horse Societys Horse Ownership levels 1 -3. This took about a year and having the hands on with the pony was brilliant, because I could learn how to care for it, handle it safely etc, and was not leaving all the care to our daughter. We were and still are on a brilliant yard, with a terrific instructor, who has helped us no end with things. We now have three ponies, my daughter has her own, I have my own and one we own with friend.
I have just started doing my BHS Stage 1 training and hope to take my exams next year. I am doing my first long distance ride next weekend and I have passed my Riding and Road Safety exams this last July.
So if you really do want to do something then shoot for the sky and do not be put off. Find someone or yard where you will get plenty of professional help - lots of people are knowledgable, but a good instructor is well worth their weight in gold bars, as we have found out.
Two sisters at our yard loan ponies two days a week, one evening and one day at the weekend. This seems to fit in with their homework etc, they have a regular lesson each week on their loan ponies and are doing really well. Also learning about how to look after them etc as well.
Look at the BHS website for info on loaning or leasing and what it entails.
Good luck and if you do not ride or have any idea about how to care for horses, please get involved you daughters and you will have some wonderful times, that is guareented!!!

[kedwards]

Welcome to the board, Rose!

[cazrider]

Hi, and welcome Yorkshire Rose

I bought my first horse age 40 (7 years ago), exactly the same as you. For me and my daughters to ride.

It was the best decision I ever made. I bought (with a lot of help and time) a 13 year old coloured cob called Apache. He was 15hh and perfect for me, easy to handle and quiet to ride, a bit stubborn, but had a fab personailty. Too strong for the girls, but they loved him to bits. He was always my horse though. As they got older they could cope with him better, and we had a wonderful time with him doing local shows and riding around the farm we keep him on.

As others on this forum will know, two years ago, I had to have him put down. Easily the worst day of my life so far. But it was a wonderful 5 years.

The advice I would give you :

Pick a livery yard to keep the horse on where you will get loads of help. You will be amazed what you don't know when you buy one.

Accept they cost a fortune to keep. Do your sums very carefully!

And, be very very careful to buy something very suitable. A horse you own is very different from a riding school horse, and overhorsing yourself can cause you untold grief. I know as that's precisely what I did when I bought my second horse. It's taken me 2 years to unravel it and be happy riding again.

Best of luck :) :) :)

[Caro]

If you can afford to buy and look after a horse, it's a fantastic idea. I'm probably in a similar position to yourself; I'm 41, and have 3 children, and was finding getting them lessons very expensive (and very dispiriting in terms of how much they were actually learning when tagged onto the back of mixed ability classes of 8 or 9 people).

You may have seen my recent post - from which I got all the encouragement I needed to do what we're now doing. NR is fab for this. After talking to lots of horsey people locally to me, we found a perfect arrangement whereby we are sharing this horse by going twice a week - once after school, when they can have lessons, and once at the w/es, when i tend to take them out on the local bridleways. We are left to get on with it, and this includes mucking out as the horse is stabled overnight. My children are probably a little younger than yours, and haven't had many lessons, but we've now found an owner who's willing for them to learn with one of her older, bomb-proof horses. They can get instruction in the sand school there, and I think it's the best decision I've made. It just feels so different to what we were experiencing in local riding schools (I think we were unlucky on this). Everybody's friendly, and I'm getting loads of advice.

I'd say go for it, but probably look for a share first unless you feel you know a lot about horse care. Through a share, you're in safe hands if you have questions, and you get a real feel for how long it takes (I knew it would eat up any free time I have, but I'm still a little amazed by how the time seems to go.) But as somebody said on my post, nobody ever got to the age of 80 and said 'gee, what a whole lot of money we saved by not getting that horse'. Absolutely brilliant advice. Hubby (who's not particularly horsey, but loves to see the kids doing what they love) & me are already building up some terrific memories through what we're doing with the children.

Good luck with it all!

C x

[coverblown]

Hi there great story

My daughter and I started to ride on holiday too. At Center Parcs believe it or not. We have now been riding for 5 and a half years and have recently changed schools - my daughter (13) has just started her first competitions -show x and hunter trials.
Where did you ride in Cornwall on holiday - we went this year and rode along the beach for the first time. At Trenance in Newquay. Yes I fell off and she - sticky bum - didnt. But it was fantastic and fast. Just what we wanted. Cait had the hardest horse to ride, kep going sideways and cantering off, but she adored that, and when we got back it stood on her foot - she has the bruise 9 weeks later, but of course she wants to go back.
How I would love to buy a horse, it is the hardest decision I can make, time and money, and nerves of steel I think