How many ridden years do you have?

[orbvalley]

Just wondering how many ridden years NR peeps have under their belt?
and what sort of riding have those years been focused on?

Mines about 12 years but a lot of that was repetitive years due to stopping and restarting when life got in the way
Focus has always been on dressage and secondly jumping. have always had lessons at least once a week. Never been much of a hacker.

Your turn

 

[Trewsers]

I had a few hacks as a kid and then nothing until I was 34. Then had lessons three times a week for a couple of years. Since then I've just pootledI'm 48 now but I hope to pootle for many yearsI'm very low key and still totally in awe of "real" riders(I go to the local county show here every year and admire all the riders, they are just amazing, respect is due getting to a show never mind actually taking part)

 

[Jessey]

I've been non-stop for 35 years, sounds impressive until I tell you I stared at 2 years old

I was taught by the hunt mistress so early focus was jumping everything in sight and hacking all over the place with her daughter who was 2 years older than me. Then we moved away when I was 8 and went to a regular RS and jumped and did some dressage and general mad honing about and helped out there from 9. Got my first loan horse when I was about 12 and continued doing all sorts. Brought my first own horse when I was 18ish, by which point I was into western, focused on rodeo games for a while until I realized Bo was quicker around a barrel than me then got more into the cattle work, reining and Pleasure classes and went all over the country doing that. Still also went X country once in a while with him, popped jumps and schooled on the flat, played stick and ball occasionally. I stopped competing a couple of years after a relationship breakdown, I just couldn't afford to run a 4x4 all the time and there was no point keeping my trailer if I didn't have a tow vehicle, but getting bored with things, as I do, I started riding further a field to get to things, before I knew it I was really enjoying the distance and exploring, and that about brings us up to date

 

[Lemme]

Oh lordy...... I started riding a pony in the town which consisted of bareback and halter when I was around 10 messing about rather than riding proper, many happy hacks on BF ponies most weekends between 11-16 then tapered off with work and then a family, got back into it in my twenties and we have had them on and off since, ownership for the past 30+ years, I am due to retire this year , had the odd ride over the past 10 years but nothing serious, I enjoy watching the girls and grandchildren now and happy to do it from the floor in hand get as much pleasure without the risk of injury on my aged bones, although I am hoping to get Acorn going this year again so risking riding an opinionated Shetland again may not be the best way to reintroduce - although when I have more time on my hands I had thought of getting something to plod on but that would mean getting another one just for me to ride, not sure I can justify that.

 

[horseandgoatmom]

Does it count riding my "Rocking Horse" watching BONANZA
I wore it out..
I had a pony as a kid and fond memories of Pitmans Pony Farm.
I also took riding lessons fell in love with a dapple grey.
"Irish Mist" and never had a dapple grey.
I sold Tony my pony when got my first boyfriend BIG MISTAKE.
My first horse was Rebel. Lost him to a drunk driver when he was attempted to be stolen.
Got wildfire and Starfire as yearlings before going to Germany..
They stayed with my Hubands parents and did not know me after 2 years they at that point were my sister in laws.
Husband was deployed to FT Huachuka but I could not bring either one Wildfire was a stallion and not allowed and His sister had bred them so Starfire was pregnant so she really could not go. Plan was to get a horse temporarily while in Arizona.
Sunny (the first) we got in Arizona had him over 20 years
and sold the ones in Vermont at inlaws they really were only mine in name.
As Sunny got older we got Max at 2 lost Sunny to a stroke at 32.
Adopted Andi 15 years ago at 3 months old.
Many ups and downs with Andi. Got Sonny about 10 years ago
and had I known his name was Sonny but different spelling
I may never have gone to see him.
Lost max to horrible founder complications from cushings
at 24 a few years later. Have had
Sonny and Andi ever since.
I've pretty much been riding all my life but as I get older
I'm so much more aware I don't bend and bounce.
I break.

 

[domane]

I learned to ride at 5 and rode weekly until I was 18 and bought my own. Sold him at 21 to get a mortgage then got married and had 3 kids in quick succession so there was no time or money for horses. They were locked away in my mind for another 21 years until I came back to horses in 2005 (when I joined NR!!) I bought Cherry cob in the November of that year..... and I've ridden fairly regularly since then (interspersed with periods of injury and confidence crises!!)

 

[Cortrasna]

Oh dear - showing my age here - been riding almost continually for 65 years! I started as a 3 year old on a scruffy little black Shetland pony - done many different things from gymkhana, long distance, hunting, jumping, hacking, XC, showing, adult gymkhana, breaking and producing, dealing (shock horror! ) - I think thats it - never ever done stressage seriously but sometimes just incorporated into schooling back in the day. Only pootle about hacking these days. Time I was put out to grass I think

 

[orbvalley]

Time I was put out to grass I think

Never!!

 

[horseandgoatmom]

Never!!

I TOTALLY AGREE!!!

 

[Kite_Rider]

I’ve only got a total of about 12 years, nearly all of it hacking with a bit of a dabble in dressage here and there.
I’ve always loved hacking, still do but I would have loved to have done more dressage, hey ho that’s not going to happen now, both of us are a bit too old and creaky these days.

 

[Kite_Rider]

Never!!

I will third that!

 

[joosie]

13 years roughly.

I learned the basics through hacking out my friend's naughty ponies as a teenager - mostly by falling off so much that I learned how to stay on by any means necessary - and then started riding a little more regularly at 19 when I found a share horse to hack out. I started working with horses a few months before I turned 21, so most of my riding education has been "on the job" so to speak. The first few years was mostly hacking out, and a bit of messing around in the school, but looking back at old videos of me when I lived in Italy makes me cringe - I looked awful! My boss there was a crap instructor... in my first "proper" lesson with her she tried to teach me to get a horse "on the bit" by sawing at its mouth and jabbing it with spurs, and when I refused to ride like that she refused to teach me again So I stuck to the hacking out! However my boss in Portugal was a much better teacher, and I got the hang of the basics of schooling while I was there, and did a little bit of jumping with the Pony Club kids - but I was primarily a ride leader, which really honed my hacking skills, as you have to be able to cope with any situation that arises (and stay calm through it all!). I was 25 when I started my job in France and the majority of my riding education happened in my 5 years there, thanks to having an excellent instructor and regular lessons on a variety of lovely horses.

My favourite type of riding is hacking, I just never get sick of it! I really enjoy schooling too though, it suits my perfectionist side. Flatwork that is - I'm not really a jumper! In France I did 3 seasons of affiliated showjumping, competing up to 1.10m, but since then I have had absolutely no desire to do that sort of jumping again... the pleasure of the experience was very much due to the actual horse I was riding, and the journey we had together. I like popping over small stuff though, just not under pressure! At a rough count I think I've ridden about 200 horses through a combination of work and leisure. I've been really lucky with some of the opportunities I've had. I still have quite a substantial horsey Bucket List though!

 

[orbvalley]

I would have loved to have done more dressage, hey ho that’s not going to happen now, both of us are a bit too old and creaky these days.

Never to you too!

 

[CharliesAngel]

33 years

 

[chunky monkey]

Had a couple of sit ons on a neighbours shetland when i was knee high to a grass hopper. But that doesnt really count. Then nothing for years. I got offered a ride on someone's horse where I worked. I used to regularly watch them lunging and working there's and got offered a ride and got the bug. That was 15 years ago. I've just been a happy hacker.

 

[N_J]

Off the top of my head, I would of said I've been riding for 5 years but when I work it out, it's really about 8.

I got my first lessons for my 38th birthday and I've not long turned 46. The first 6 years were all lessons at a riding school, a bit of dressage, bit of jumping, drill riding (my favourite) but only a couple of hacks.

Now I've loaned for the past two years, I hack a lot more. I can't say I'm very confidant and wouldn't go out on my own or with just my daughter, but as long as we've got company I'm happy.

 

[Taffie]

Riding other kids’ ponies throughout my teens: often bareback with a head collar , over small jumps etc...
Then nothing at all. For 38 years. My younger daughter had been going to lessons at my current yard with her Auntie and Auntie was struggling to find the time. So I took her there instead and eventually 2 years ago this month I plucked up courage to ask her RI if I could learn too?
So I got on the most laid back old schoolmaster mare and learned. My God it was scary. And then 6 months later our RI offered her to us on loan. We had a wonderful year with the nicest horse in the world until last September, when she had an accident and we lost her. We had competed in dressage, won our first rosettes; I had taken her out for long hacks and social rides in the trailer and daughter was learning to jump. We were bereft. We loved her. We missed it all. So we looked for a new horse. She came in late November and is challenging the hell out of us (in a good way mostly). It makes it all worthwhile when this evening my daughter had a jumping lesson and was on cloud nine when she got home. Proper exhilaration! So two years really, except for teenage jinks.

 

[orbvalley]

@Taffie - ooph! thats a tough introduction to riding, I'm sorry to hear that, hopefully you gave the schoolmaster his nicest last year ever

 

[HaloHoney]

Learned to ride age 10 or 11 when in Wales on holiday. Didn’t ride more than 5 or 6 times a year. Stopped when I was about 15. One last go at riding - uni equestrian team, never had any lessons- used to hacking out on the buckle and suddenly I’m in an outdoor school... and on the floor. Didn’t ride again for 17 years. Until September 25th 2016. Had a taster session at my current yard, fell in love with it.

Bought Flash June 2017. Not looked back. So all in all- probably under 2 ridden years. I’m 37. Almost 38.

My focus at the moment is mainly dressage- there are comps at my yard every month. Next one is Monday. The Monday after, better get my brave pants on, I’m show jumping.

2’3 & 2’6

Gulp.

 

[lauren123]

Hmm. I learnt to ride at 7. A friend was always 'out' on a sunday and in the end i wanted to know where she was. So i joined the riding school. 2 hours riding for £18 quid i think. You would stay there all day. Learnt all the stable management .I remember being taught how to put a headcollar on I remember riding a little chestnut mare, called sasha who was a fab little mare. From then (10) i went to a local riding school near me until I was 16. Then part loaned a friends gelding just before my GSCEs. I went back to riding lessons until I could afford one on part loan, meant me working. I loaned her, another chestnut mare for 5 years until I was 20. Then got sox as a present for myself from myself for my 21st So... 18 years none stop