# How long have you been riding?



## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

I grew up with horses. My first ride was the day I got home from the hospital 

I've done trail riding for life and got into showing last year. I do easy-gaited pleasure and equitation classes, trail class, Western riding, English riding, halter classes, HUS, Eq, dressage, jumping, gymkhana, fun shows, bridleless riding, and will be starting eventing this winter. I also visit my uncle's reining ranch a lot and do reining on his horses and English Pleasure, Country English Pleasure, Western Pleasure....


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## BarrelRacer86 (Jul 6, 2010)

I have been riding for almost 14 years now, since I was 4 and could actually ride for myself. I've also been doing barrels and poles for that long.


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## GreyRay (Jun 15, 2010)

I am not going to put how many years I have beed riding, because this will probably still be here in 3 years. But, I have been riding since 1997, and I was 2 years old 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## NicoleS11 (Nov 21, 2008)

I was 4 when I got my first pony. I guess that means ive been riding for 17 years now. 

I was in 4H for 9 years and ive been riding cutting/cow horses since I was 14 with a 4 year period where I didnt ride that much but im back full force now


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## Arksly (Mar 13, 2010)

The first time I sat on a horse I was two. But since I've started really riding it's been almost 8 years. I've done Hunter/Jumpers, a little bit of jumpers, a teensy weensy bit of western (just for fun), and dressage/


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

I've been riding since I was 8 and I'm 20 now. 
I started off western, then I went english and started learning how to jump etc, but then I switched instructors to one who took better care of her horses but knew almost nothing about english so I basically just hung out in an english saddle, then I got Lacey and while I'm still an english girl at heart, Lacey is not a fan of english. Therefore, I've been riding exclusively western (most trails) for about 2 years. But, my next horse is going to be english all the way.

I really want to try endurance one day... Just sayin. Haha


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

Started riding neighbors ponies and kept on going. Just a back yard rider! But I'm happy!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I've been on horses my whole 26 years but I have been riding by myself for about 22. I've only ever really ridden western; ranch work, roping, cutting, trail riding, etc. I played around with some jumping quite a few years ago but it really didn't tickle my fancy much.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I rode some as a kid off and on, but only really started to get into horses in 2000, as a middle aged mom.


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## Reiterin (Mar 28, 2010)

well I took lessons when I was younger. but then no real riding for many years until I bought my own horse. so...maybe 7 years total. with many years off in between.


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## Kootenay (Nov 7, 2010)

I started when I was 7 (now 25), although the last few years have been a little lighter since I sold my horse, plus school and work :-|
Mostly done the jumpers but have tried other things too (western, dressage, ppg....).


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## Gus (Oct 22, 2010)

could ride before I could walk...had my own pony when I was 2 and had horses...my own horses ever since....FACT: there hasn't been I time where I HAVEN'T seen horses at my house...


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## HorseChic (Jun 19, 2010)

At the end of this year, i will have been riding for 3 years!


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

What an interesting thread! 

There are sort of two different ways to answer the question as I see it- when did you first ride and how long have you really, consistently, been riding? 

I'm 34 and come from a non-horsey family. I think my first pony rides came when I was around 5 years old and they had those traveling pony rides that went around town. You know where all the ponies were attached to something like a small hot-walker? And then for years after that, I would go to hack stables and rent a horse for an hour or two on holidays and summer vacations. 

But I don't think that really counts as "riding." I think I started what I would consider actually riding- actually controlling the horse myself, in 1994 when I got my first horse. Before that, it was more like I was a horse-crazy kid that sat on the horse and let it follow the horse in front of it. :lol:

So wow, I've been riding about 16 years now! And I still have SO much to learn! Horses are an awesome journey, aren't they?

Those of you who were born into horses are incredibly lucky! Not that I am not perfectly happy with my life with horses, but when I sit here and think I've been riding 16 years but really don't have anything to show for it other than pure pleasure. 

But what if I were born into a horsie family? Then maybe I could have been a trainer or breeder or had a horsie career, not just a horsie addiction! I would have loved to have been a trainer. But I just don't seem to have the knack for it. I would have had so much more experience if I had been brought up around horses. :-(


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

> don't have anything to show for it other than pure pleasure.


Hey, that's a lot more than most folks get out of their daily lives. Even those of us that do grow up with horses don't always realize what we've got. I rode when I was a young kid, but that's about it. I didn't think about how I was riding or handling the horse or anything like that. I only started thinking about how I rode after my Dad handed me the reins on my first green horse but I didn't pull my head out of my butt enough to really learn much until I was about 17. My biggest problem was that I took horses for granted, I never thought about other people who didn't have them and would have given 3 fingers to be able to ride. Aah, the ignorance of youth, right? LOL.

I guess my point is that it's never really too late to go after your dreams.


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## Tyler (Feb 10, 2010)

Got my first horse ride when I was 6, and started taking lessons at 7. My family moved, so the lessons stopped. I got my first horse when I was 13, and have been riding ever since.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

It depends on what you mean by "riding". :wink: So I'd say 10 months for me (when I started to learn HOW to ride actually by taking regular english lessons). And I rode horses for about 4-5 years before that not every day (weekends mostly) without any formal training (learn by yourself kinda and couple lessons here and there), mostly trail riding.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

32 years. I didn't start riding until I was 20 y/o.


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## Soul (Nov 23, 2010)

My dad had horses when he was younger and when I was really little, we got one. We still have her! She's old but stil gets the job done. I started showing when I was 7 and I never looked back. I feel very lucky that my parents support my riding and that my dad is knowledgeable about the horses.


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## Stillstandin (Nov 10, 2009)

I was riding before I could walk, at least according to my parents. I grew up trail riding, working cattle, and also showing bothe Welsh ponies and Morgans. Was in Pony club as well. 
I began barrel racing quite seriously as a teenager and did the rodeo thing for over 20 years. During that time I continued to ride english and work with dressage trainers. I owned a cattle feedlot with my exhusband for about 15 years, where I did the majority of the penchecking each day.
I still continue to ride english and play around with jumping as my niece is a showjumper, but mostly I compete in team penning and sorting these days with the odd gymkhana thrown in just for fun.
I don't remember not owning a horse. They have always been a huge part of my life.


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## Sunny (Mar 26, 2010)

I've been riding for nine years.
It began riding with a friend on her horses, then riding other people's horses, then eventually my own.

I rode Western until I was 14, and now I am strictly English, planning to get into eventing.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Luvs2jump (Oct 11, 2010)

I've been riding for about the last 10-15 years. I started out Western with no lessons and thought myself a lot. When I was 18 I started taking English lessons on and off, in 05 I started taking lessons consistently at an Eventing barn. Now I got my first horse 3-4 years ago and now we're at a Hunter/Jumper barn closer to home.


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## kpptt2001 (Sep 28, 2010)

I was born into the horse-world. My parents owned a Hunter/Jumper show stable, but when I was 6 or 7 my parents divorced and sold the barn. At that point I had really only done a bit of riding, most of it was lead-line stuff. As a single mother, my mom could not afford to keep me in lessons, so I went on with life, always with the desire to continue, but just never being able to afford it. About 1 year ago last month, my mother and I had gone to watch the Provincial Championships and we ran into an old friend of hers who offered for me to come out and take some lessons at her show stable - I myself now an adult, 20 years after I was last in the tack, jumped at the opportunity. Long story short, here I am today, a year later and just finished competing at the provincial Championships myself!


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## speedy da fish (May 7, 2009)

kind of an ambiguous question isn't it? 'how long have you been riding?'
Riding is very different from sitting on a horse as a tot

I have been riding since 1999


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## kpptt2001 (Sep 28, 2010)

Certainly is Speedy...guess who the only person noted as _'a year or less'_ on the poll is! :wink: 

It's great to hear everyones stories, I love threads like these.


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## horsegirl15 (Mar 16, 2010)

Ive been riding since i was 13 and am now 16. I ride mostly dressage, a little hunters, and combined tests


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## AppyLuva (Oct 25, 2010)

I'd hate to admit it but I haven't ridden for long. I first started riding in 5th grade and I rode for maybe 6 months then I had to sell my first horse. I've just started back up because of Quinn and I've ridden this year for about 2 months. I'm not very good at riding anymore but I'm going to get lessons to refresh my memory. I'm only a Freshman right now so I should start while I have the time. :-|


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## BarrelRacer86 (Jul 6, 2010)

speedy da fish said:


> kind of an ambiguous question isn't it? 'how long have you been riding?'
> Riding is very different from sitting on a horse as a tot
> 
> I have been riding since 1999


Ha yeah. I was hoping people wouldn't count those days but some do. I don't count it as riding until your able to steer and sit there for yourself. Riding by yourself.


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## A knack for horses (Jun 17, 2010)

I just finished my fifth year of riding and am going strong into my sixth.

The first four years of riding, I took lessons from a talented horsewoman. This woman and her family were hard core rodeo people, so I never had the choice between disiplines. She gave me a wonderful foundation in horse care and riding. I had never ridden anything that wasn't dead broke, and only once left the confines of indoor arena or back pasture/arena.

About a year ago, I started working with a IRHA member, and boy was that an eye-opener. Within this one year:

I have ridden my first green broke horse
worked with my first yearling (and a fiesty-er one at that)
been stepped on by a horse
been bucked
unintentionally jumped my first horse
rode english for the first time
went on my first real trail ride
worked cattle for the first time
Did work around the barn with nobody else there
Went to my first show
and watched my favorite horse to ride be sold 
Well, to sum that up, I found out what out what I want to do for the rest of my life. :wink:


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## palominolover (Apr 28, 2010)

I've been riding for a little over a year. I'm currently doing western pleasure, but started english.


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## Brithorse1996 (May 25, 2010)

My first ever lesson was the first time I ever sat on a horse, and that was when I was 10. I am now 14, but I had a couple of months break a year after I started riding, and now have been riding in once a week lessons since may last year


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## Rosy (Oct 27, 2010)

I started riding as a kid on and off but got my first horse when I was 13 and still have her. She's 26. Have ridden in some fun shows. Have ridden english a little but mostly western and mostly just trails. I have trained both of the horses I have right now.


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## Tymer (Dec 28, 2009)

The barn I started at doesn't allow children to ride until they're nine. I'm sixteen now.

My first barn was a...Well...I honestly don't know. We did a lot of position work and stuff but a "high jump" for them was 2'4" and you learned to jump that on GREEN HORSES. Not to mention illness ran rampant because of the poor facilities...Its supposedly better now but at my new barn I can do all the position work they do on my own, and still jump.

My new barn is a jumper barn, with HEAVY focus on jumping. (Recently they decided to do some equitation work and take all the jumps out of the arena...There was so much pouting...Personally I was EXCITED!) I've been there for 2 and a half years now. There, instead of constantly switching the horses you ride, you tend to stick to one horse so you can really improve. There I have learned how to deal with a stubborn horse, jump up to 3', and do low level dressage (no competing.) A lot is self taught because one of the instructors has a bad habit of walking away during the flat of our lessons, but I have learned some valuable things there. I don't care that people frown upon the trainer using gags as a safety precaution, it would take a near perfect barn for me to leave.


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## SparksFly (Nov 20, 2010)

Six years.


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## GarlicBread (Oct 7, 2010)

I've only been riding for 3 1/2 months.  I ride English and have been taking private lessons every Wednesday. But as soon as December begins I'll be taking group jumping lessons every Tuesday and Saturday! 

I feel so inexperienced. xD But we all start somewhere,right? :hide: :lol:


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

^^That's completely right. We all started somewhere.


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## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

I first ever rode A horse when I was 2, but first owned one and rode properly since I was 13, so I started in June 2008, 2 and a half years , not long but hey gotta start somewhere right?

I school dressage at home on my own, and showjump to a low level (so far up to 70cm) but jump higher at home. I also ride bareback and bridleless, and get the cows up on my impatient grumpy old bag :lol:

I've never had any *proffesional* lessons, but I have had the odd tip now and again from a friend who competes level 1 dressage, and another friend who show jumps and has been riding most of her life. I would like to start getting pro lessons some time soon, but its a matter of finding transport for me and my horse to get there, or to find a trainer that will come out here... *not gonna happen where I live :?*


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## Strange (Jan 11, 2009)

Going on 14 years. Started off western pleasure and barrels, switched to english to ride eventing after about 4-5 years of western.


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