Just wondering....

[k8te]

Just wondering how much experience you all had before you took the plunge and brought your own horse/pony? Did you just know that you could do it that the time was right? Did you go onto a livery yard for support to begin with? Do you still sometimes feel out of your depth sometimes when not sure on certain things? Did you loan/share before or do any of the BHS course's? Or just bite the bullet and learnt as you went along?

Thankyou

[Clairehunt]

Hiya

Well my Dad taught me everything really, I never had a riding lesson except for once when i was younger and that was a friends pony party. All my horsey care skills is what I have learn't off my dad and when I bought my own horse it was a 2yo youngster and I didnt have a clue, so I ended up selling it last year as a 4yo unbroken because I thought I would of had the expreince but i obviously didnt even though i have been involved with horses for nearly 20 years! I kept him at a livery yard along with my family's other horses and recived no help at all! I guess i thought i could take the plunge with a youngster but i suppose it dosen't just apply for youngsters, you need to have the knowledge and care know first before you ride i believe!

Stable management lessons may be very helpful if your thinking of getting your first horse, but livery yards should always be there to help you out i think!!

[martini55]

I was 13 when I first got my horse. I had ridden for a number of years and also participated in quite a few "own a pony weeks", which gave me some experience on the care side of things. But I was still inexperienced at many things! I initially kept my horse at my RS, until it sadly closed down. It worked out well as help was always at hand, not only from the RS staff as the liveries were really great there too.

[k8te]

When i was younger by 17 years, god i am getting old we rescued 2 new forest ponies, who where around 8 months we had them for a year before we had to give them up as moving away from the farm we were on. I think i (we & my dad) did ok really, considering we had NO knowledge at all, except from reading books! Have ridden on and off, more off, since i was 13 and had a accident on the horse, and whilst i have ridden a few in the past year, i have decided to go and have proper lessons to get my confidence back really, just cant get pass a trot at the moment, i am sure in time it will, and they are doing the BHS courses starting again in Sept so will do that aswell, i would just really love to have my own horse again, all i want is a nice quiet hack, trying to find a loan around here is poor, and always get let down, oh well in the next year or 2.....

[Clairehunt]

BHS courses always help, my friend went to one in milton keynes for 3 days, she came back knowing more than what she learnt in 6 years at a RS!

Sounds like you did great with those ponies, you dont really need lots of care and knowledge but nowdays, if you was to view a horse to buy or loan etc they like to know you have the proper horse care knowledge, not just learn along the way, which sometimes i think can be the best way as the horse helps you learn aswell.

Horse riding always comes back to you in a way, and im sure you will do great.

Maybe if you put an AD up somewhere, maybe someone has a nice older horse that needs some light hacking in the week? I know im defenitley going to start looking for someone to ride my oldies soon, seeing as my mum dosent ride anymore, and my sisters not that intrested and im always at work!

[k8te]

I have a few ads out, had a few people phone or email, either they dont turn up or ignore my calls/emails, only call once and leave a message dont want to seem to desperate!! And nothing, being completely honest with my abilities why cant people just say no i dont think you are suitable.... oh well i am sure my perfect horse is out there somewhere

[holz]

I always had ponies but i bought my 1st one myself when i was 15yrs. Ment to be my uni money but i knew i was never gonna go lol. He was £900 and the best money ever spent as i still have him now and we have done very well together. IO then bought a 2yo and a4yo ponies for £300 each and backed them n sold them. The mony i got for them i bought my new horse with.

[k8te]

Holz had you been riding for a while before hand? And had horsey knowledge? I would love to buy a youngster as the bond i had with my 2 was so good complete trust, but have NO skills or knowledge to back them myself, even though i wish i did.

[holz]

Yeah i had experience as my mum had always had horses and i had a pony b4 i bought my own. I have only ever been able to affort young horses but it so rewarding when it comes together. I have just bought a just bk 4yo but not like a 4yo as she is sooo willing to learn. Another bargin buy tho

[k8te]

I bet it is really rewarding, well done you for putting all the hard work in

[*Sez*]

I was being sat on ponies before I was two, and began lead rein riding lessons as soon as I could sit on the ponies without my mum hanging on to me!
From being about six or seven I would spend the whole weekend at the yard, learning to groom, tack up, turn out and bring in safely and muck out.
When I was a teenager, I became a weekend helper and got free rides in exchange for helping out. When I was twelve, my mum and I got our first pony on trial, a 5 year old Welsh Sec D called Rhiannon. Unfortunately, Nonnie was too green and went back, and we tried an 8 year old cob called Domino - who threw my mum in the middle of a road, so he went back as well. After those few short months of "ownership", my mum decided she didn't have the time around her job, especially to work with a younger horse, so I went back to spending all my free time at the local yard.
When I was fifteen, I did my work experience at a RS and learnt a lot about first aid, what to look for when buying a horse and checking saddles, as well as the usual mucking out, grooming, tack cleaning, preparing for lessons, etc. I was kept on in a paid part-time position at weekends once my work experience was over, and I also got a free ride on Sundays. I had to leave when my GCSEs came round because I didn't have time while I was studying.
After school, I started college but missed most of the first term with medical problems and decided to drop out for the year and go back the following September. Once I was well enough, I started a full time job as Head Girl at a RS. I loved it, despite the poor pay, but had to give up when it got too much for my health. So I went back to riding lessons as and when I could afford them. After I left home, I had a share but gave her up when I moved to the other end of the country, and then had a full loan for a few months, until I started to have problems with the owners.
When I was twenty, I bought Jacob with my dad and step-mum. We had him on a busy DIY yard and it was nice to have the reassurance from other owners. A few weeks off my twenty-first birthday, my parents bought my share in Jake, and I bought Salsa. We stayed on at the DIY yard for a few more years and last December, I moved him to grass livery.

There were times, especially in the beginning, that I wondered what on earth I had done Despite having been completely confident around horses, ownership was suddenly a massive change. Salsa and I came close to parting ways several times in the first two years (first when he became desperately ill after only three months of buying him, and then when he bolted and ruined my confidence) but I've stuck by him and can't imagine not having him now. We've been through hell and back, but he's coming on really nicely and I'm hoping that this year will be the year that my ex-racer proves how well his re-education has gone by competing in his first dressage test.