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I would like to hear from older Dressage riders, 45 and up.

I’m 74 and have 2 horses that I ride and care for myself. I compete in dressage. I also do all the regular farm work myself. Although I’m a little creaky, I don’t feel like an old person. The horses are very good for my spirit. I love my horse-related friends.

[QUOTE=Sandy M;7983884]
Well, I was 62 when I bought an unstarted 2.5 year old. He’s coming 11 now and schooling 3rd level …[/QUOTE]

You are an inspiration!!!

I hope to compete in the Century division … but it’s a few years away!

Doing great at 63

[QUOTE=AllWeatherGal;7984621]
I hope to compete in the Century division … but it’s a few years away![/QUOTE]
I retired from my medical practice last year and decided to spend more time competing and training.I showed last year at second level and was 7 th in the vintage cup as well as 31 overall at second level.Also take care of 9horses daily.I do have some less energy than at 30 but am still very fit.

I’m 53 and although I’ve ridden on and off throughout my life (more off), and taken dressage lessons on and off, since the mid '90s, my first-ever show was in 2013. I did one then and then four more last year on my current horse.

What I’ve found (sometimes in very humorous ways) is that my trainer and my other riders all assume, based on my age, that I know more about how things work than I do.

The bridle-numbers thread being one small example. I never had a show number before, so I saw where others’ numbers were and copied what they did. Except that I didn’t wrap it twice and it flew off while schooling.

Another was my first out-of-town and first stayover show, last year. My partner and I drove together, with our two dogs, hauling my mare, two and a half hours on a Friday and we all arrived early afternoon. My trainer and the rest of our group were already there.

We unloaded and I readied the stall best I could (I had not enough racks, clips, buckets, really the bare minimum of anything). I unpacked all my tack, settled the mare in, and was about to leave to check into our hotel. “See you later, I’ll come back and feed her dinner, bye!”

My trainer was aghast. “I have you scheduled for a lesson in a half hour! We ALWAYS ride in the afternoon, at the venue, before the show on Saturday and Sunday. That’s the whole point of coming down early, to show the horses the rings and warmup areas.”

I had no idea. Nobody had mentioned that and it didn’t even occur to me. I thought we came down early in order to settle the horse into her STALL. I really felt that having just driven my own horse farther that I’d ever hauled an animal in my life, and having remembered all my tack, and delivered her in one living piece-- that was a great accomplishment for that day. We were high-fiving when we pulled into the fairgrounds. Getting on and riding at that point wasn’t even on my radar screen.

So, now, I know. Haven’t made that mistake again.

There are so many things that come up that they think I already know, just because I’m older. But they’re things I don’t know, because I’ve not been through the process before.

I remember trying to find the show premium, for the first show I entered. Nothing on the website under classes, premium, I couldn’t find any link on the drop-down menu with a sign up form or list of classes.

Finally I Facebook-messaged someone who shows a lot. “It’s under Prize List,” she told me. “Click on that.”

Prize List? It didn’t occur to me to look there. Sounds like a link to information for people who’ve already won some awards, or who want to see how ribbons are dispensed.

So much to learn.

[QUOTE=Sandy M;7984310]
I keep dying my hair, and darn it, no one gets up and gives me a seat on the commute train. (I still work full time.)[/QUOTE]

I’m 62 and my hair just keeps getting blonder and blonder. On the plus side, there aren’t as many dark roots to cover, so I don’t have to get it highlighted as often. :slight_smile:

I work full time and don’t plan to retire any time soon from work, nor does my company want to boot me out. “Experience” is highly valued, apparently.

On the riding side, I have horses that 15, 12 and 10. All siblings. All fun. All a leetle hot. So I figure about the time they slow down, I may be ready to slow down, too.

Or I might breed the mare. :lol:

While she’s not an amateur, let’s not forget that Hilda Gurney is 72 and still riding multiple horses and teaching all day, and showing multiple horses at FEI levels! (Yeah, she has grooms/assistants/helpers, but still). Certainly my role model. In 2014 I applied for the Adult Clinic(s) she conducts through USDF and was fortunate enough to be selected. A great experience.

mp - you’re fortunate being blond. My hair is/was dark brown with a little hint of red, so those grey roots become obvious quickly!

[QUOTE=capricorn;7984502]
I’m 74 and have 2 horses that I ride and care for myself. I compete in dressage. I also do all the regular farm work myself. Although I’m a little creaky, I don’t feel like an old person. The horses are very good for my spirit. I love my horse-related friends.[/QUOTE]

You’re my hero! I’m not far behind - I’ll be 51 this year. Horses definitely keep you young!

Not me, but the most awesome woman who was my horse’s original mom is 76 & an active horsewoman/rider. She started riding when she was 50.

We are hoping to get her to do her Century ride, but she keeps saying she can’t find a 45 yr old horse :slight_smile:

Thank goodness there are active riders over 60! I work away from the farm with folks in their 20s and early 30s so have started to feel “old” at 59. Being 2.5 years from retirement I’m looking forward to more time for riding and return to showing. But the thought of bringing along a young horse is daunting. Especially when I read in the popular lit about older riders–over 40, or 50 or 60 or 70? Can’t imagine my life at 70 if I’m not bringing along my next horse!

I’ll be 63 this year. I have ridden all my life but took about 25 years off from horse ownership when I had my twin sons. When they flew the coop, I bought a horse as my empty nest present to myself. I always wanted to learn about dressage, so that’s eventually where we landed.

I consider myself a hacker - but a serious one. We have managed to work our way up from being a hot mess to a pair that sometimes actually looks like we sorta know what we’re doing. Learning to ride dressage was like starting all over for me - but I am proud that at the very least I have a nice horse to ride now and we continue to learn. I have been blessed to have some exceptionally good and patient instructors.

Last summer was full of health challenges for me since I sprained my ankle really badly and was off the horse for 8 weeks, plus a little breast cancer thrown in for good measure. I certainly hope this summer is a little more normal, whatever that is, and we can conquer First and continue on. I would be thrilled!

I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have a horse and some goals, modest as they are. Would probably weigh a ton and be very very unhappy!

I am 62 … didn’t take riding lessons until I was 30. The handful of times I rode as a kid don’t count.

I’ve got my 22 yr old homebred TB/QH Heart Horse (Hunter/ Low Level Eventer) retired here, along with two Connemara/QH.
I showed Dressage very successfully with the gelding, but his hocks are not great so he doesn’t get ridden either.

My current ride is a rising 7 yr old, 13.1 pony!
Started him 2 years ago … he had never been ridden in tack…only bareback by some kids.
I thought he might be suitable to bring along for my Granddaughter, but she is not ready for him … and I am probably never going to give him up!
He is so much fun and incredibly willing and easy.
He had 4 months off last winter and is now going into month 2 of being off work this winter, but I have no doubt he’ll be his usual good self when I get back on him in March… or whenever our snow and ice melts :wink:
We may even get to a couple of schooling shows this summer…

I have loved this thread -hearing from older riders. My current horses are a 17.1 12 year old gelding who I bred and developed and a 14.1 arab cross mare I bought at an action for $165. As I get older, I realize that the most important thing is the enjoyment I get out of my life with them. Respect is also very important to me. The respect comes from continue to advance them in their training. I am very happy to have been able to exchange some babysitting for help from 2 excellent trainers. It is going well. I wish you all the best and I thank you for your inspiration.

JRG: I will be in touch with you this week, I would love to profile you! Thank you for replying to my post!

Going on 46 this May. Grew up riding and showing Morgan horses. Had several severe accidents requiring determination to work through the fear.
Owned an OTTB for 17 years, rode him 10 years, he was retired for 7 years due to lameness issues and euthanized at 24. Not perfect by any means but he taught me so much.
Now back riding a Morgan and schooling 2nd level. Learning so much in training a horse with a long back and a neck set on high.
Shown on and off depending on the horse and our training(training and 1st level).

It is so nice to see that I have such good company! Confession: I am 55 and maybe I didn’t do such a crazy thing afterall in buying a yearling filly to bring along? My current mount is 12 now, so thought it would be nice to have one in the wings, by which time I’ll be pushing 60. I told myself I was nuts but I did it anyway. I am a bit stiffer and not as energetic, but I stay very active, which keeps me nicely mobile and I’m reasonably fit. So I went ahead and got her. . .

Wow … y’all amaze me! I started really riding continuously when I was 40 (about 5 years ago) and have just - in 2015 - made the transition from the hunter/jumper world to dressage. I was feeling like I was maybe getting too old to really amount to much, but then I read this thread … and … wow! Thank you.

OP, weren’t we going to have lunch soon and then like six months shot past? Bad bad bad OP :lol:

Hi Girlfriend

[QUOTE=Coreene;7990970]
OP, weren’t we going to have lunch soon and then like six months shot past? Bad bad bad OP :lol:[/QUOTE]

I know, I am a bad girl. We gotta do lunch and catch up!!! lol Love you girl!

I want to Thank everyone for posting on this thread! You have no idea how cool it is to get these kind of responses for my Dressageforamateurs website. I am in the process of editing the website and I will be in touch soon!!!