I’ve actually been obsessed with horses since I was a little girl. I remember my Gram buying me a horse book, a little mini encyclopedia.. I would look through it every day, and I remember one breed in particular catching my immediate attention .. Arabians. Their beauty and elegance honestly just made me fall in love. Fast forward a few years later, my neighbor went to a horse camp, and a spot happened to open up. She invited me, and I was like sure, why not? We went to the camp, a western camp at a huge English / western barn. They had everything from Jumping, hunters, barrels, reining, etc. I rode an Appaloosa and a bay Quarter horse. Fast forward to the last day of camp : the instructor said she was very impressed with my riding and wanted to give me lessons. To say I was excited is an understatement. I immediately went to my mom and asked if I could get lessons, to which she said yes. For the next year or so I took lessons once a week, although I never really learned anything. I then went to a hair appointment with my mom, and her and her hairdresser were talking, and the hairdresser mentioned she had recently bought a horse after the recent death of her other . I immediately shot up and was like ‘you have a horse?!’ Fast forward through that whole convo, and she said she’d talk to the trainer at her barn to ask if I could have a trial lesson (this barn was private, so my trainer would give trial lessons to determine if she wanted to teach a kid or not, which she usually lets all kids in) so, a few weeks later after 2-3ish lessons, I got the news that I had been ‘accepted’ in. I was sooo happy, although going into English from western was a huge jump for me.. smaller, less sturdy saddle, and (compared to my old barn..) bigger horses haha. About a year into riding there, my trainer told me she found a horse she wanted me to try out. A bay ottb gelding. I was like ok, cool cool. He didn’t arrive for a few months so I just assumed maybe things didn’t work out. I went on vacation, came back, and my trainer told me to get a new horse.. I was like, who? And she said ‘ he’s a bay horse with a short tail. He’s next to ____ in the pipe stalls’ so I went up and found him. He had bites all over him, he was very skinny and had no light in his eyes whatsoever. He looked very unhappy .. ‘I hope -my trainer- doesn’t make me ride him.’ Fast forward a few months of me riding him, I bought him! Our 1 year anniversary is coming up and I’m gonna bake him a little horsie cake he’s gaining weight and getting a lot of muscle, and he LOVES jumping. Whenever I watch videos of me jumping him, he’s always so bright.

That’s my story - my riding life is quite short, but it’s getting longer!

Im 14 and I've been riding my whole life, and to be honest I've only rode in a classic saddle ONCE� and I might add not too well. I live on a big ranch in the most unpopulated state ever! My horses are Karl who was roan and turned grey, Rocks a bay, The Last Brownie(I didn't name him) a dark blood bay quarter horse, Chunky a chestnut pony, Bob or Shine as his competing name a chestnut, Ug a black mare that's ancient but SOOOO fast, and Dutch a dun gelding. I love all my horses so so much, but they like to run cross country let's say that lol

I’m 26 I also ride! It’s cool to know there’s other people around my age who play this game since I was like 11/12 the last time I played it - when I found out recently it’s still around I was so excited and it’s almost even more fun now I’m older, so nostalgic. I love how it’s a game that can appeal to any age range and is so detailed in its relation to real horse stuff, while adding a magical/esoteric/fantasy vibe which is all my fav stuff: horses and magic.

I’ve been riding for most of my life I used to compete in show jumping in middle school/ highschool. Then I stopped riding as much when I started having to travel and tour a lot for work. This summer I’ve been back home and taking a break from travelling and I got back into it. I really can’t stay away from horses I was lowkey kinda depressed when I wasn’t riding all the time.

My coach always said I had a way with horses in the sense that I take the time to understand the horse and really treat it like a teammate vs a machine. Unfortunately a lot of people in the competitive world have forgotten the importance of having that bond, which is odd to me because that’s the main appeal of riding to me- creating a deep bond with my horse. I hope I can find a way to compete at a high level again I miss it a lot (the horse that I own is retired now so I just trail ride her and getting a new high level jumper is so brutally expensive) but I’m lucky to be able to take lessons w my coach still on one of her jumpers.

It truly is such a blessed feeling to be able to be around horses. Western seems really fun as well I always wanted to try barrel racing or do one of those herding expeditions like in brokeback mountain LOL idk what the proper term is for that but you know… out in the mountains on a horse watching over a herd

Oh also I’m starting dressage lessons once a week on top of the jumping lessons cause I want to get really good again but I’m so nervous for the sake of my legs lol. When I was younger I used to laugh at my mom for doing dressage bc I was young and thought it was boring compared to jumper. Now I’m older I’m so impressed. It’s truly so insanely difficult for both the horse and rider. Excited to learn though I know it’ll improve my riding overall so much

Hey im 25 and ive been riding for 7 years!

I didnt come from a horse family and they certainly didnt support it as its an expensive sport everywhere, but exorbitantly expensive where i grew up. Naturally i had every disadvantage thrown at me; no car, no money, no horse, no barn close to me etc.. but i was obsessed (and still am) and did everything to get to a barn to work for lessons. I hitch hiked (dont recommend lol), took rides from people, borrowed my boyfriends car or made him drive me.

i worked at that barn for awhile and did years and years of 4am mornings to get barn chores done in time for summer camps, to watch lessons and to be around the horses before i had to go to my second job. I got my first lease and learned everything from that owner and that horse and then i moved through a couple part leases until i ended up with my first care lease. She taught me alot... like alot lol. i taught lessons at the barn she was boarded at and then branched off into teaching private lessons before i suffered a couple severe concussions and had to take a bit of a break from riding.

After her, i moved into the tech world and stopped working with horses professionally but i did get a full lease on a jumper and fared pretty well in that world before i started to miss arabs and picked up a lease on an arabian stallion. We showed nationals and a couple championships and then i moved again! Back to tech, missing horses but howrse scratches that itch just enough.. for now lol.

I really wish I had riding experience but unfortunately, I've never been able to get into it! Not much in my area and I'm just generally busy with other activities. Does anyone have tips on how to start, like where to find good riding schools/programs etc?

I have been riding for a year or two but then i had to stop it

I ride haha and I love it so much

Ive been riding for about 8 years.

to live the "cowboy lifestyle" is to truly have a passion for it. most cowboy jobs offer room and board, working 5-7 days a week 8-16 hours a day for about 1000-2000 a month. calculate how much you get an hour and well... its not much to buy that new fancy car you want or to go take trips. Ive lived this life when I was 18-20 just because I was young and could. my work schedule was about 6am-10pm 6 days a week and sometimes I didnt get a day off.

Even training horses take a lot of time and skill with 1% chance of being known enough to make a lot of money from it. Also you need insurance lol. Ive trained a couple of horses that were good and some bad, fractured tailbone, fractured foot, hematomas, and much more lol.

If you want to rodeo its definitely expensive and a good career is needed. I didnt want to work my life away living the cowboy life, even though it was good for the soul. Im a full time welder now so I can make enough to pay for feed, supplements, entry fees, and everything. Its hard work to turn your horse into an athlete.

Best advice I can give to help strengthen your horseman ship skills is to ride as many different horses as you can. Each horse moves and responds different to cues. RIding only the dead broke horses are good to build confidence but riding the more difficult ones are best to challenge your mind. stay calm, use your legs, and have light hands

Im 26 and have been obsessed with horses since I could walk/talk. I grew up on a sheep/crop farm but never was able to have my own horse. I took lessons, volunteered at rescues, sponsored rescues, and visited friends barns until I turned 18 and bought my own horse! He was an ottb going to auction due to an unsuccessful racing career and handling issues. I purchased him for $120, and for the past 8 years, he has been my everything horse. Bareback, western, english. We enjoy trail rides, liberty, light jumping, carting, trot barrels, fun shows in speed classes, western pleasure, ranch, mounted shooting, and he loved being lesson kids first horse. Due to health issues, busy farm lifestyle, and a bit of mental trauma from my last fall, I haven't been able to ride much at all. He went almost 2 years without a saddle, lunge, or ride until recently I finally got up on him in the pasture with just a halter. He was an angel. I really do hope to make time to ride more. I used to ride everyday.

yes, i was fortunate enough to grow up in a horse savvy family. my mother owned horses her whole life until her health caused her to sell her land and move. i've been around horses since the day i was born pretty much - i walk, talk, and breathe them. i'm 27 now and fortunate enough to have my own little herd, on my own land. it's the best. i did my fair share of competing in the jackpots when i was younger, and i still do occasionally, but since settling down and having a family, there's something about the slow pace of hopping on horse back and going for a ride after a long day, no objective, no goals, just peace and tranquility.

I am 11 years old and I have been horsebacckriding for 7 years now. I am currently riding a 8 year old dark bay mustang with such smooth strides, her name is Mercades. I cannot yet gallop for speed scares me a bit but I love to bounce gracefully over poles while cantering. For the past 3 years I have been going to a month long sleepoway camp for western but I also to some english plessures. I live In colorado and have been switching through wonderfull horseback riding schools.
P.S. Sry for the bad spelling

ROFL! Y'all are making me feel old with your teens and 20s.

I got to take lessons for a year or two when I was 12/13 but life happened I had to stop. Always swore I'd ride again when I got to be a "grown up".

Got into my 30s figured I was as grown as I was going to get and have been riding at least once a week for quite a few years now. I was grounded for a year due to a medical issue and have had to stop jumping as a result (not that I was an amazing jumper any way but...) for the past couple of years I've been helping to slowly turn over worked western trained quarter horse into a dressage horse. And he's helping me get my hands sorted out (trust me they are a mess) gain some confidence and experience with training and get a feel for a lot of little things.

For the record he's doing amazing. He's really coming to my hand and right in the bridle more often than not. He's even found a collected trot! His balance at the canter is still a work in progress (he had a rougher life before coming to our barn and got a bit run down and then a bit ignored and fat). But he's really getting the idea now and is getting the top line to show it.

We had an amazing lesson last night. LoL only thing missing was a judge to score us!

Sounds like you may be local to me! I'm in so call, 30 and ride western. Mostly trail. I own 5 horses and grew up riding gaited horses and barrel racing

I used to ride a few years ago, but never really got comfortable. I definitely want to try again sometime, but I'll probably go for Western style because the riding crop always felt like it was in the way.

Training on a very lazy old mare probably didn't help. She would trot for maybe half a minute and then just switch back to leisurely walking Later on I went to a different farm where they took people out in the forest from the get-go (plus had younger horses) and that was definitely more fun.

I haven't rode any horse before.I don't even know how.

I'm 28 have been riding for 20 of those. I started with gymkhana, then to the show ring for 5 years ( western pleasure, huntseat, hunter hack, hunter jumpers) then to barrel racing. While my ottb & I are 3D/4D I love it the most out of any discipline I tried.

Wow many western riders here! Its now my 3rd year riding English, with breaks here and there, but I'm glad to say I finally learnt how to jump from sitting canter! Unlike most schools, ours started by teaching us jumping 2-point canter before sitting trot without stirrups (as a mean to help us understand core balance and leg placement). My next big goal is to be able to confidently sit through multiple rounds of trot and canter without stirrups and without falling off haha!

I used to. I did lessons at a small boarding barn. They were affordable for my parents. I did this roughly from ages 12-15. I also started mucking stalls and turning in horses with a friend I made there in exchange for riding time.

I remember a couple of my friends rode at a very nice barn that had regular competitions for their students. Huge barn, almost soley dedicated to the school but also breeding and sales. They taught English saddleseat. It was very cool to watch and I attended several shows.

I was always very jealous of them and begged my mom to let me go but she couldn't justify the cost and I don't blame her! We were a bit under the paygrade compared to those friends and that was hard to deal with as a kid. It was also a long drive from our hometown.

Anyway, looking back I'm very happy for what I had. I want to go back to riding again; have for years and I'm 28. Being unemployed does not help matters lmfao

i ride western almost every now and then i dont have much rn in life so i cant ride much