# What was your first ride like?



## Kelsey (Jul 17, 2010)

Hey everybody I want to know what your first riding experiences, or collection of experiences as a beginner, was/were like. Include all the wobbliness, frustration, and joy that youd like 

My very very first experience riding was about 3 years ago, I had started taking lessons at a school (which I now know is a bad idea. In my area, anyway). I was so excited to get on the horse, who was a really old cute little guy. He got lazy during the lesson, walked out of the arena, through the aisleway, and into his stall and starting eating, all with me on his back. I was so nervous controlling a horse after that but I got used to it


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## lilkitty90 (Nov 11, 2009)

My first experience was our neighbors had a pony named sonny. and they let me sit on him while they led him around, and he bucked me off! i believe i was 5-7 at the time, i was hooked after that = D but nah he was a good pony his owners just didn't take care of him, he had an abcessed tooth and hoof rot and thats what made him buck. poor boy,


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## Punchie25 (Jul 17, 2010)

My first riding experience was with my riding instructor's shetland pony named Ginger. I wasn't nervous at all, then she got spooked and ran me over because I fell off in front of her somehow. My foot was caught in the stirrup and she dragged me around the arena. But I showed up the next week for my lesson again, and got back on Ginger.


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## Pidge (Sep 5, 2009)

My very first time ever on a horse was at Girl scout camp...no lie...Camp Betty piro? idk something like that...anywho the horse was paint named J.R. We went on an instructor lead trail ride all over the came.

I was so nervous...but the horses were like little trained puppy dogs and just fallowed one another in a line...which was good because we were suppose to be riding single file lol

After the first thirty minutes I started getting use to things and tried to casue trouble lol (ie: Weaving down the trail instead of walking strait lol)

All and all we only walked...which was good because I was a terrible rider with horrid balance. Its also what got me hooked on trail riding lol Ill never forget how pretty that place was.

My second ride ever was at the same camp but it had rained so much we had to stay in the arena. We did a lot of walk and turns, then some trot, and we all got to lope once across the arena. I all but fell off. Thankfully the horse I was riding, Kocheise, was about twenty five years old and had been around the block, he just stopped dead when he felt me go to fall.

Ah...yup my younger days....when the only times I got to ride where if I was at camp or lucky enough for my dad to have a customer with a horse.

I was lucky. My dad was always good friends which his customers and once he worked for a lady with two horses. She said I could ride her little grey mare named little bit...her full name should have been little bit of HELL!!! First opertunity she had the little girl ran around the house to the front door where we tacked up and stopped. I went to make her walk away and she reared. I just frowned and told her to knock it off and made her walk away back to where we had been lol I was a mean little kid.

The mares owner laughed at me and told me I would be a great rider some day because I wasnt scared and I knew when to get mean. lol I would like to think she was right but shoot...Im just a trail rider with two trail horses...nothing fancy, but im happy.


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## ridergirl23 (Sep 17, 2009)

I remember cantering for the first time in a feild... My mom didnt let me learn to ride with stirrups, so it was bumpy and i was scared. I rode a horse named Tacky  she was a sweet girl.


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

Six months old and I got my first pony, a little Shetland named Oreo. He was a black tovero and the most irritating little snot I ever had. Mom walked the pony and dad held me on. After a while I got more confident and started barrel racing on (Leadline division, below five years old) and when Oreo got arthritis I moved onto the five year old stud horse, Jester. The "Gelding" of the studs ha ha. Neve lifted a hoof against my commands. I started reining and cutting at the age of eight (I wasn't very good) an Evans super competitive when I was about twelve or thirteen.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Just Ruthiey (Jul 12, 2010)

Um... lets see. I was on an older QH mare named Solicitor. We walked around my yard, she eat grass. She was my neighbors older horse. From that moment on I was hooked no matter what, I begged from being 3 all the way until I was around 5. 

My parents were into racing so I wasn't really allowed to ride.


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## sweetbelle (Dec 26, 2009)

My grandma owned a breeding farm (paints) and had an old gelding, and 2 old mares I was allowed to ride. My first ever ride was when was about 3, bareback on hulk. From that first ride I was hooked. My grandma realized that the 2 old mares she had, would be too tall for me, when I reached the age of 5. So she borrowed a neighbors pony, Suzy. I fell in love with that pony, I would ride in a little western saddle and trot around the covered arena. Suzy minded every command and loved every minute of being ridden again. Sadly, she got to old to ride, so I moved on to my grandmas 2 mares, who were best friends and hated being away from each other, you can see where that might end. Soon I started riding at a lesson barn, and rode english. The barn had rough german trainers. That barn ruined all of my confidence, so I found another riding barn, with an amazing trainer. I wanted to move on to jumping, so I moved on to my current trainer, who is wonderfull, and pushes me to do things I never thought possible. All of the horses have taught me something.
Hulk: Love unconditionally, don't judge from the outside
Nutrasweet (one of the two mares): Friends are great to have, but you have your fights.
Dolly (one of the 2 mares):How to hold on tight, and how to fall. Also, apparently it is never the horses' fault, they know this, so they try to get away with a lot of crap.
Suzy: Love with all of your heart, and forgive the unexperienced.
Charlie (at german barn): food, is good, stepping on feet to get to food, even better, in the mind of a horse. Hold on tight, and don't let down your guard.
Cyote (german barn): how to keep a horse moving
Popcorn (german barn): ponies are cute, and can be great, if you don't want to work them. Just because something is cute, doesn't mean it behaves itself.
Penny Lover (german barn): never put a child on a high strung jumper horse. Also, poles, corners, and mirrors can be monsters, and can cause rearing, and bucking, and bolting, be prepared. Just because horses are big, doesnt mean they don't spook.
Annie (second barn): horses can be old and skinney, sometimes this is depressing.
Buck: horses named buck, don't necassarily buck, but sometimes they don't like to move. Never let a horse stop, unless you ask.
Gypsie: Cantering is a lot of fun, so are carrots.
Jet: Jumping is fun. But horses do not always go over the jump. Some horses may not be pretty to others, but in the eyes of a little girl, they are beautiful, magical creatures.
Belle (my horse) galloping is fun, jumping is fun, and horses are hard work, they are very worth it however.
Oliver (with my current trainer) funky canters are awesome, and ponies can be great!
Dandy: young horses that are trained correctly, are amazing, and jumping is incredibly fun on a horse that doesnt know not jumping is an option
Cinnamon: Ponies and horses have mood swings, and sometimes ponies have springs in their heels. I jumped my first 2'3 jump on a little 14.2 pony, this pony shows in the 3'3 division now.
I wouln't trade any of my experiences, good or bad, I have learned so much and have grown as a rider and horse lover because of all of theses wonderfull horses.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

I was 10 or thereabouts. The memory is a little foggy since I'm old and decrepit now, but I do remember most of the details. :wink:

We were on a Girl Scout trip, and one of the things we did was go to a trail riding place.

I was assigned a horse named Freckles. Big, ugly, hammer headed leopard Appy with a foul attitude. 

I knew nothing, so of course Freckles took complete advantage of me. :lol:

Nasty ****** kept trying to stop and eat grass, didn't want to go faster than a slow walk, and then suddenly would break out into a trot and try to scrape me off on a random tree here and there.

That's not my actual _first_ ride though, if you count the ponies at the fair in the ring going round and round. Poor little blighters. 

I didn't actually learn to ride until I was an adult and could afford my own horse. I was 20 y/o.


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## ilyTango (Mar 7, 2010)

I was 5 years old and it was the first night we brought our new pony home. We didn't have any tack yet, so me and my sister took turns riding while someone (probably dad) led us. A dog popped out of the long grasses and startled the pony, he started running and I half-jumped, half-bailed off and ended up with a dislocated shoulder. I was too afraid to ride for a year after that, but that pony never spooked again. He literally was bombproof, and I know a lot of you will say "Oh, there's no such thing as a bombproof horse". Yes, he really was. I'd pay you a million bucks if you could scare him. Good old Buddy.


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## Sunny (Mar 26, 2010)

My first ride.....I was at a stable where my friend rode, and I was with her and her mom. They got out the lesson horse that my friend used, and they rode around for a bit. When it was my turn, I ran, hopped on, and kicked that horse and yelled, "Giddy up!" multiple times. He wouldn't budge, likely because he knew I was clueless. My friend's mom eventually had to get on with me to make the ****** move. :lol: Oh, and my friend's parents ended up buying that lesson horse for my friend. She still has him, he's about 18 now. A short, bratty TWH gelding. He's a great horse, though. I've ridden him maaaaaaany times since my first encounter. He's the one who really taught me to ride.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## HorseOfCourse (Jul 20, 2009)

I was 10 or 11 and one day out of the blue [I had never done ANYTHING horse related, but I think we owned 2 at the time] my aunt called me and asked me if I'd like to be in 4-H. I thought about it [I was shy and didn't like to do much] and I surprised myself by agreeing to give it a shot. When we showed up at the barn, my 4-H leader was there. My aunt's foster daughter, a girl named Misty, and I were the only 3 people that would be leasing horses that year so we went to meet the horses. There were three mares: Fudge, Hatika, and Delilah. Fudge was a borderline pony\horse..14.2 ish? that was an absolute babysitter. She was a fleabitten grey mare that was black and white when she was born. Hatika was bay I believe and Delilah was a haflinger. They matched us up with the horses they though would best suit our personalities and I got Fudge. I was SO terrified at first. I was scared to brush her or saddle her or anything. Then when they told me to get on I nearly peed myself[not literally]..I did it and hung onto the saddle horn the entire time. Fudge really took care of me that year and gave me the best foundation I could ask for. I wish I couldve seen her again, I think she has passed away now though :\

She gave me the confidence to do a lot of crazy things I never wouldve otherwise..like ride bareback and canter and other things like that. 

So here's a breakdown of my horses[in order of stalls so I dont forget one, haha]

Star: Dont even talk about saddling or riding, or any hard work around her for that matter unless you want a grumpy pony on your hands. And if you ask her to canter you will be sorry unless you are looking for a rodeo.
Shadow: A sweet little Amish pony. I am sad that I am outgrowing him, but he is a great little mount for my 7 year old brother to learn on and he's very accepting of whatever we ask of him.
Buddy: Has turned into QUITE the amazing horse. He is for sure not the same little skin n' bones yearling we bought him as. When we bought him he was a tiny little guy and now hes 16+ hands if I had to guess.
Eeyore: Used to be a great little donkey to mess around on, but is now a stubborn old guy. You just cant be mad at him though, because with those big ears you cant help but forgive him.
Buttercup: Came to us with a bit of an attitude, but is now the best pony I could ask for. Wouldnt trade her for anything.
Sugar: A beatiful mix of Summer and Eeyore, who got the best of both her parents. She definitely has her dad's ears!
Summer: When she got here, you couldn't catch her, and if you did she was jumpy, kind of aggressive, and just did NOT want to be near you. It got even worse when she foaled. After weaning Sugar we sent her to be traied and she is now my favorite horse. She will do anything I ask her and will let me walk right up to her. She will even follow me around and she rides like a dream. 
Thunder: He used to be EXTREMELY skittish and he's getting better. He's smart and curious about everything.
Midnight: Came to us as a big, black, butthead.  Didn't want to do anything you asked him. He is still kind of that way, but he's gotten better.

I think that's all of them.


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## laurenxo (Oct 1, 2010)

My first ride was when was about eleven and on a holiday in france. I think it was for an hour. The best part had to be that the instructor only knew french so you can imagine it was pretty confusing. I do remember we had a trot around an arena and I had no clue what I was supposed to do and bounced all around. Then we went on a short hack and I got hit in the face with a branch  I rode once more on holiday in Ireland and then finally managed to convince my parents about 2 years later for me to start to take lessons. what I have learnt from the horses that I have ridden mostly.
Connie- Horses can be nuts and full of beans even if they are an old school horse.
Kanye- Some horses are completely convinced they are ponies.
Kudos- Sometimes even the best horses get hurt.


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## inaclick (Jun 6, 2010)

My first rides ever were when I was between 7-10 years old. A neighbor had a fat old mellow draft horse mix and he would lead us around in his yard. 
n paralel with that, another neighbor had a larger type donkey but honestly I would not qualify those as rides. The donkey wasn't moving :lol: no matter how long would I stay on his back.


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## Utnapishtom (Jul 22, 2010)

I was fifteen when I began working at a carraige company. My first ride was on an ancient 17hh clyde called Stoner. I had no idea how to ride...Boss just told me to get on without further instruction. So I did.

He was headshy and was often lame due to horrible scratches. We became very close and I spent a great deal of time just scrubbing his cracked heels and touching his face. He tried to fight goats and was frightened of ponies.

I miss him.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I don't remember many of my very first rides since I was just a baby but I do remember some of my experiences from when I was very young. My first mount was a 34" tall mini-burro that was super stubborn and ornery as all get out. I was having trouble getting him to move so my Dad gave me an improvised crop. First time I popped Olen on the butt with it, he proceeded to buck me off right in the middle of the road. I think I was about 3 then LOL.

My other good memory is the first time I "ran":roll:. I was about 5 years old and I had graduated to my Dad's old 16hh roping horse that was the perfect plug for a kid my age. He would walk around and if I really kicked hard, he might hit a slow trot but would always stop if I got off balance. Anyway, I had grown up watching my Dad and Brother doing team roping and burning out of the box at a dead run and I thought it looked like fun. So I backed Buck into the roping box of the arena at our house and pulled the string that popped the cattle chute open. I guess Buck's years as a roping horse over-rode his kid horse sensibility for just a moment and he hit a nice lope going out of the box. I had never loped by myself before that I could remember so I just hung on and squealed laughter at the top of my lungs while he loped the length of the arena. I'm surprised I didn't fall off and die:lol:, he was built like a tank and travelled like one too.


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

I think my earliest memories of riding horses were when I was between 2-3; my mom used to put me on the front, herself in the middle, and my older brother behind her on this huge QH/Saddlebred cross gelding we had at the time. By the time I was 5 she would put the bridle on that same horse, and tell my brother and I to find our own way up on him (he was 16.2 hh!). That horse was the best horse a kid could have learned how to ride on...he would stand like a rock while we tried to climb up, and he would walk up to just about anything for us to try and use as a mounting block. He wouldn't go beyond a slow trot when anyone was bareback either, and stopped as soon as he felt you were slipping. I miss that old boy!


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## Prayingcowgirl (Oct 4, 2010)

My first ride was when i was about seaven, it was a pony ride, with a teennager holding on to me (lol) i was riding a paint named c-c, who was in his twentys. He was one of those horses who just don't like to move, AT ALL.
I fell in love with the horse, and got riding lessons from the teenager, and quickly learned how to ride engish( not well) and then the teen stoped coming to the lessons. FYI the horse was a neigbors and the teen kinda poped out of nowhere. For a while I rode for fun, my dad holding a lead rope. On a difforont horse, i rode bareback, not owning a saddle. I fell off, then was scard to ride. When i contiued riding i fell off again and somhow regain the confodice to ride. Now i spend every penny to rent a pony to ride, and most my time trying to convice my parents to let me rent a horse. Where I'm at, well, i learned many lessons from all the horses i have ridden, but basicly i just ride when i can. But i do have to horses named cookie and starlight but i can't ride them, they are Minis.


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