How'd you get started?

[WindWhistler82]

I was just thinking about the first time I got interested in horses. I was about 3 years old at a local county fair, and my aunt took me over to the pony rides. Well, they put my on the pony and I started SCREAMING bloody murder. Then the horse started to move, the tears stopped, and I said “oh, this is fun.” And I’ve been hooked on horses ever since. So I was wondering…How’d you all get interested in horses?

Kate

~Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level and then beat you with experiance.~

[JumperEq]

I don’t remember the exact moment, but my Grandpa used to ride and he lived right next door to this big Arabian barn. When I was really young, he would bring me over there and tell me about what was going on. I’m pretty sure it was love at first sight. I started officially taking riding lessons when I was 5 years old at this scary (now that I look back on it) western barn. The lady was pretty “hard core”.

~~Erin B~~
“It never occurs to me that there are things I cannot do.”

[Duffy]

Luckily, my best friend, who was an only child was horse crazy too! Her parents were kind enough to drive us to our once-a-week lessons for years! Being the youngest of five, myself, there was no way either of my parents would have time to truck me to the barn.

I also remember how I used to coax my “series-of-8” lesson packages out of my father…Too bad I don’t still practice those powers of persuasion!

[Louise]

Though I was horse crazy as a kid, read all the books and dreamed about them all the time, my family was not in a position to give me the riding lessons that I wanted. They did scrape together enough to let me do it for a couple of years, but, Mom got bored sitting around waiting for me, and that soon ended.

As I grew older, the love of horses remained, but the dream of riding faded. Then, in my mid 30’s, I went to Arizona and stayed at a dude ranch outside Tucson - Tanque Verde. It was right on the edge of the desert and every morning and afternoon they took trail rides way out past all the cacti. I was enchanted, and a couple of times it was so hot that I was the only one who came out for the afternoon ride. The cowboys were nice enough to go out with me and teach me the rudiments, and I was in heaven. That vacation is still the best I ever had.

When I got back home, I immediately signed up for regular riding lessons, and, the rest is history.

[AAJumper]

I can’t even remember when I started being interested in horses…I can’t ever remember NOT wanting one! I got to ride at summer camp and when we visited relatives with horses, but I didn’t get really involved until my sophomore year in college. My mom listed the house of a trainer, and she agreed to let me groom in exchange for lessons. That was what started me down the path of addiction. There’s no going back now!

[Pirateer]

My best friend had a pony named Starfire when we were 3 or 4 yrs old. His mom used to lead us around bareback.

I wanted to start lessons when I was 8 like mom promised, but she decided “no, not yet”

So the summer before Freshman year my Grandpa bought me 2 weeks at a horse camp in Florida. First time I rode english ever!

When I got home, I called around to find a trainer to give lessons, and found one my mom used to work for at his old business(non-horsey)

Rebecca and Pirateer The Pi, 9 yr old bay tb gelding.

Go Big, or Go Home

[_Bounce]

I went to watch my friend’s lesson and I thought it looked like fun. My mom signed me up for lessons and by the next day I was hoooked!

Alexa

[heelsdown]

My earliest horsey memories were when I was a very little girl in Australia. This was in the early 60s and milk was delivered to our house by horse drawn cart. My dad would carry me down the driveway those early mornings so that I could give the horse a cube of sugar. I think that was when it all began.

[Peggy]

Ballet was the thing for pre-school girls, so my mom signed me up. I was a bit, shall we say, larger than the other girls and not very coordinated. They went left, I went right–kaboom. I got so busy looking at myself in the mirror, that I forgot what to do. My mom became increasingly embarrassed by comments from the other mothers like “whose little girl is that?” She had just started riding lessons and figured that I might be better and that and, at least, wouldn’t be able to knock over a horse if I ran into it.

[DMK]

When I was about 4 years old, I developed a grasp of the concept of “extinct” and realized my parents were not being exceptionally cruel by not getting me a stegasaurus. I retreated to Plan B, which involved A Pony. Didn’t get the pony, but I managed to get riding lessons, and the rest was history…

[Lisi]

my mom started riding again (she rode as a kid)when i was 7, and offered to sign me up for lessons, but i declined. then when i started school that year, the three girls i wanted to be friends with in third grade rode horses, so i decided to take my mom up on her previous offer.

[linquest]

Anyone remember those “Billy and Blaze” books by CW ANderson? I swear that’s what got me hooked on horses as a little kid, b/c I didn’t start riding until my teens.

[Smart_Alec]

I was obsessed with animals! I thought when I grew up (haha!) that I would be a vet. We always had a lot of animals around, a goat, cats, dogs, pigs, ect. but not a horse. There were a couple of barns in the neighborhood and I would always want to stop and see or feed the horses. When I was about 9 yrs. old a new barn was built down the street and a trainer was starting her own business (boarding, training, lessons, ect.) Her husband was the chief of police who happened to work with my dad, an electrician who works for the town, on several occasions. My dad ended up doing all of the lighting and wiring work in the barn in exchange for lessons for me and my sis. First, I was shocked, stunned and in heaven when my dad told me I was going to ride horses. I was hooked from the getgo and through the years…although at times off and on, I’ve stuck by horses!

[Cactuskate]

My mother says that from the time I could talk, when they would drive through the country I would see anything with four legs in a pasture and point straight up and say, “Source, source.” Could not get me past any of those mechanical horses in front of the grocery stores without a tantrum.

And the pony rides I would ride with this very somber look, like I was bored to death. Obviously I was schooling for my later years, that Eq face you know. Yeah, right.

“The older I get, the better I used to be.”

[Dementia_13]

My sister and I used to spend our summers in NC with our grandparents, and they would lease a pony for us every summer. I must have been about 4 or 5 when I started riding. Goldie, the pony was an evil creature that used to run away with me at every opportunity but I loved her. When I turned 6, I was allowed to take lessons at Jr. Equitation School.

Hmm, after all those lessons and all that money and time, you’d think I’d be a Grand Prix rider by now!

[Luv2ride]

As long as I can remember, I’ve always loved horses. I too had millions of My Little Ponies.

When I was little, I would only go to sleep if my mom played the “Mr. Ed” song. (I’m only 18)

Then I started riding at girl scouts. Finally, about 6 years ago, I started riding everyday and have acquired 2 horses and my sister has a pony.

~Nikki and Ethan~

*Whoever said money can’t buy you happiness, never owned a horse : ) *

[system]

I grew up in a city so i didn’t start riding til i was 11, but as a little girl my mom didn’t want me to have barbies (bad images of women, etc etc) so instead i had 115 my little ponies! and all the buildings… finally they gave into my obsession and let me take lessons.

[Magick]

When I was around 4 we moved into a new house that had a “farm” at the back of it. By this time the farmer only owned a few acres so he kept horses on it. I can remember my Grandad taking me over to the field so I could feed the horses apples. I was hooked from then on but didn’t have my first riding lesson until I was 7 and then had to make do with catch-riding gypsy horses as my parents couldn’t afford to pay for regular riding lessons. As soon as I hit about 12 I became a barn rat and spent most of my free time mucking out stables in return for the odd ride.

Magick

[Magnolia]

My neighbor had a horse named POCO that I used to pet everyday. Then, after spending a summer reading every horse book at the library, mom took me for riding lessons at Kettlebrick Farm where I fell off in my first lesson and was dragged by King the pony (my least favorite schoolhorse!!!). However, the gallop was amusing enough that I wanted to go back - this time mom bought me a hard hat!

[Anticipation]

there was a theraputic riding center behind me and they let me take pony rides when i was little. we have home movies of me riding when i was 2 and my parents in the background saying “uhoh…we better start saving now”. About 5 years ago my “sister” started riding. I always wanted to be like her…she was my idol…so of course I had to ride, too. She was better than me and i cried after every lesson. but now- shes since quit and ive kept at it…and i always will.

Ericka
~ ANTICIPATION ~ HIGH HEELS ~ CAMARILLA ~