Remembering your first lessons!

[cyberpunkgrrl]

I was just remembering my first riding lessons, which made me laugh!

I started riding at about 12 years old and the first pony I rode was a 12.2hh chestnut gelding called Ross, which I thought was hilarious becuase that is my brothers name *lol*

The first pony I bonded with was a 13.2hh dapple grey mare called Shelly. Shelly was a *pig*, and I loved her to bits. I did my first jump on her (which was a x-country jump, two telegraph poles on top of each other!) and i ended up the other side, half hanging off, legs waving as she cantered off into the distance! She used to have a terrible habit of stopping before a jump then popping over, leading to me ending up on the floor more often than not! One time, she was even so kind as to stop and let me go over the jump first

So yes - my first riding memories!

anyone else?

*s*

 

[Marmite]

The first memory I have is of my first canter when I was 8, fell off due to lack of balance Started jumping soon after, remember being fearless, cross country on anything, used to fall off a few times each lesson, but just got back on and started jumpng again. Was brill. Not any more though, health and safety wouldnt allow it, and neither would my confidence!!!

 

[Gimp]

I have a photo ( which I will NOT SCAN!!!) of my first riding lesson I had ( was a birthday treat and never had any after that till alot later!sob sob!)

anyhow I had on

Bright red polker dot leggins
Bright green tracksuit top
bright green sandle type shoes!

I'm surprised the poor pony didnt spook at this oddly dressed approaching child!

I remember the school it has since closed down but was on the Main road through Knutsford, Cheshire ( could be knutsford rd or Manchester Rd) and was at a place on the right. the pony was called Bramble! God cant believe I can remember that..must of made an impact on me!

last time I drove past whilist in Cheshire its offices now ...what a shame

 

[cyberpunkgrrl]

I have a photo ( which I will NOT SCAN!!!) of my first riding lesson I had ( was a birthday treat and never had any after that sob sob!)

anyhow I had on

Bright red polker dot leggins
Bright green tracksuit top
bright green sandle type shoes!

I'm surprised the poor pony didnt spook at this oddly dressed approaching child!

I remember the school it has since closed down but was on the Main road through Knutsford, Cheshire ( could be knutsford rd or Manchester Rd) and was at a place on the right. the pony was called Bramble! God cant believe I can remember that..must of made an impact on me!

last time I drove past whilist in Cheshire its offices now ...what a shame

LOL!

Fashionista of the stableyard!

That's so sad that it's turned into offices - I actually ended up keeping my pony in the livery of the RS I started at, and afaik it's still going strong (but then, I grew up in the country and there's probably more horses than people there *lol*)

I do miss it :/

*s*

 

[Colour_Crazy_Gi]

I remember mine, will never forget it It wasnt a lesson at a RS. My aunt taught me. I rode the pony that i called 'my own' a little while after.

Learnt to walk, trot, halt etc. Then learnt to canter and jump the week after!! Lol!

x x x x

 

[cyberpunkgrrl]

The first memory I have is of my first canter when I was 8, fell off due to lack of balance Started jumping soon after, remember being fearless, cross country on anything, used to fall off a few times each lesson, but just got back on and started jumpng again. Was brill. Not any more though, health and safety wouldnt allow it, and neither would my confidence!!!

I know that you mean - I used to go on x-country, showjumping, bareback gymkhana games... Ah, how it was to be young and to bounce! *lol*


*s*

 

[Marmite]

I remember doing bareback cross country jumping when i was about 9 or 10 (I make it sound years ago, im only 16 now ) The RI used to send us over the jumps, and tell us to knot our reins too so we were basically jumping without anything. The jumps werent all that small either, but the pony was I wanna do it again!!! Health and Safety would have a heart attack though But how else are kids supposed to get sticky bums

 

[mayoguinness]

I'll never forget my first canter either. The RI said so do you want to try a canter and I was all excited and of course said yes (bare in mind this horse has a VERY bouncy canter) so she told me to do just as I would in a sitting trot and "kick" him on into a canter which I did and I thought every time the horse took a stride I was about to fall off!! It was awful and then when it finally ended she said, ok you can have anouther go now and I almost died!! lol. Two weeks later and it was if I had been doing it all my life

 

[Nazdaq]

I'll never forget my first canter either. The RI said so do you want to try a canter and I was all excited and of course said yes (bare in mind this horse has a VERY bouncy canter) so she told me to do just as I would in a sitting trot and "kick" him on into a canter which I did and I thought every time the horse took a stride I was about to fall off!! It was awful and then when it finally ended she said, ok you can have anouther go now and I almost died!! lol.

That sounds like me last Thursday! (for anyone who doesn't know I had my first canter!) I'm sure it didn't look that bad but it felt like that to me!

 

[Teehee]

I have to admit ... my first riding lessons were on a ram... called Obe... He use to chase my sister & me ... trying to bunt us... so... the only way to keep him from ramming me... was riding him!!! And it didn't seem to bother him much!! hehehe

 

[MrDCBags]

OMG First lesson approaching 30years ago

Can just about remember(not really - it seems like yesterday hence horror at number of years).

I rode a grey pony called Silver. He was fab.

i had to learn on lunge(not allowed to hold reins till I could wlk,trot,canter ) for bout 8wks, then let loose!!

Fab days of scary RIs who did terrible things you couldn't do now!!

more scared of RI than riding! There was one called Linda who was basically a gob on legs! not sure of value of her teaching tho!

 

[evilgiraffe]

First riding lesson about 15 years ago, first hack in the same year (on the lead rein) on a bay pony called Cleo.

I don't remember much of my first riding lessons, but I do remember my first fall! That was a gorgeous strawberry roan pony called Whisky, we were supposedly jumping, but she ran out and I ended up on my back on the floor. I really remember opening my eyes after I'd landed, and her front hooves were about a foot from my head, she was standing dead still and peering down at me saying "what are you doing down there?"! Great little pony she was.

The same place did hacking, and I always used to choose a grey mare called Dolly - she would zoom off at a thousand miles an hour, and was almost unstoppable. As we always cantered in the same places, however, that was not a problem and was never scary! I remember urging her on so as to race my parents (dad always had a scatty chestnut TB mare called Suzie, and sometimes a ID-type chestnut gelding with the inestimable name of Freight-train).

We always rode at the same place when on holiday (Nolton stables in Pembrokeshire, and now we're friends with the owners!), and I would always try to ride the same few ponies, of which a gorgeous palomino pony called Saffron was the favourite - lovely little gelding, went like the wind and jumped everything in sight. Sadly he died recently (was PTS I think) as he had Cushing's disease and was struggling to eat anything as his teeth were so poor. Still, he was ancient, so it's not so bad.

The best thing I can remember about learning to ride is complete fearlessness. I wish I could be like that now - I find I can get scared all too easily!