@TatteredDaydreamer, compared to me, you’re still a spring chicken. I’m 72 now, and one thing I know from having lived it is that it’s perfectly normal and ok to have doubts about yourself as you age. Just don’t let that stop you from pursuing your passion.
Although I rode a fair amount in my teens and 20s, I never had my own horse. Life got in the way and for more than 30 years I didn’t ride at all, but all this time I was still passionate about horses. I had really even stopped thinking about having a horse, but then when I was 62 I suddenly realized I could get a horse. I now had time and money to care for a horse, a place to keep one, and a fantastic place to ride. Like you, I had many doubts. I was too old. I didn’t know what I was doing. I would lose interest. Worst of all, I would ruin a perfectly good horse.
I found my horse and bought him, and none of the things I worried about came true. Buying my horse was one of the best decisions of my life. I don’t know the words to express what a joy it has been learning horsemanship and becoming a better rider and forging a bond with my horses. All my worries and doubts were for nothing at all.
@TatteredDaydreamer what I’m trying to say to you is just this: If this is your passion, if it’s an itch you just have to scratch, then go for it. Don’t let your fears stop you. To paraphrase Mark Twain, “I’ve had many catastrophes in my life. Most of them never happened.”
