howd you get started riding

My mom always loved horses but her parents weren't really into it. They would let her take 10 lessons as an Xmas present or for her birthday. She really wanted a horse or more regular lessons but couldn't. I loved horses ever since I was really little. When I turned 4 I started taking lessons at a barn 30min away. I also started showing leadline. From there my mom and I were hooked. When I was 10 we got my two horses. Dallas first, then Shaymus. I still have both the boys. Shaymus is retired from any competition. Dallas is my show horse. I couldn't imagine life without them.

I had always wanted to ride by my parents gave me the normal run around - too expensive, too time consuming, too dangerous. The finally gave in and let me do a horse camp over spring break when I was 10. Unfortunately for me, I got bit on the shoulder and it required stitches. That was the end of my riding career as far as my mom was concerned. I knew their was no way I could convince her otherwise. I kept on dreaming about, thinking about, and loving horses.

Fast-forward 8 year - I went to college and during orientation they give you the speech where you need to join 1 club and get involved, blah, blah, blah. I looked at their club listing and low and behold they had a IHSA club and even an equestrian facility on campus. Knowing my parents couldn't stop me now I was hooked.

First when I was about 10 or 11 but nothing serious as we didn't have money for it when I was a kid. Then returned in recent years and got my own horse too.

When I was like 16 or so, I dated a girl from a prep school and all of her friends were into the hunters. We used to watch them often since their barn was about a 10 minute walk from us and I found it cool, but oddly enough found the horses to be a bit intimidating when standing next to them. As the years went on I slowly started watching show jumping on TV and then eventually a friend of mine kind of re-kindled my interest since it died down a bit and that started something really epic.

I love riding more than anything. <3

LOL! I told my fiance about this thread and then I read your first paragraph to him.. He didn't find it as funny as I did! He has no idea what's in store for his future ;)

Like SMRobs, I was always tagged along with my mom on her big AngloArab.
Then she bought me this crazy little Shetland cross pony we called Wildfire from an auction that was started (I use that term loosely) and we did a lot of training together for a few years. I even forgave him for breaking my arm, the lil bugger.

I cannot remember a time when I didn't want to ride/feed/pet/be around horses. I don't remember the first time I met one, I don't remember ever feeling scared or nervous around them, I just remember wanting, more than anything, to have a horse. Heck, I'm sure at some point in my very young years, I probably even wanted to BE a horse. I lived and breathed everything equine. I started riding on my uncles cattle farm. He had 4 cow horses that were willing to cart me around, so I rode them as often as I could convince someone to drive me over there. That turned into taking lessons, which later turned into leasing horses, and now I finally have one of my own. The little child in me is ecstatic every time I see him. He is my dream come true. He is my soul in a living, breathing form.

Been riding off and on since 13 then when I was in fourth year of college, used to go trail riding and have lessons every so often. First time I rode I galloped and didn't fall off.

One horse I used to lease (a 16.3 hand dark bay foxtrotter), my intro to him was him stomping on my foot and wouldn't budge so I was given a crop by one of the riders and used it a few times plus my field boots (which I just bought a few weeks earlier) and yelled haaaaaaaaaaaw. Then another horse I leased (a 17 hand chestnut QH/TB named Big Red) just responded by voice cues and was more well behaved and fun to ride and was just a great horse.

Now at 37, I get to ride as much as possible and help my cousin with her horse ranch.

Love everyone's stories on how they became horse crazy LOL
I remember as a kid, maybe 8 or so, we lived in the city......we had a fence between the neighbor's and our place, I used to put a blanket on it, tie a rope for reins and another rope for stirrups......then I would bounce along for hours pretending I was riding!
Then when I was about 10 or 11 there was a trail riding ranch not far, I got to know the people who owned/ran it and I would go there, clean stalls/groom horses on the weekends.
When I was 12 we moved to the country and 6 months later I got my first horse! I rode every day, rode bareback/hackmore and usually by myself. We were only a few miles from the city and I used to ride my horse in to the corner store to get candy.......sadly when I was almost 18 my Dad sold my horse because my sister who was older had lost interest in her horse and more into boys and my Dad figured I would too eventually :(
After getting married, having a family and divorced after almost 20yrs., I met and married again, we moved to a acreage and I got back into horses! I've been riding now for 8yrs., put on tons of miles and wouldn't change it for the world.....now my Dad knows what a big mistake it was to sell my horse LOL :)

I started horse riding only 5 months ago at age 43 ! I got into it because there was a voucher on Groupon for a trek near where I live. Also my sister and my niece (who live in Canada) have been having riding lessons (Western) and though it could be good next time I see them to be able to ride and do something together. So I started some (English) lessons here in the UK and I love it !! I am trying to learn more about horses and everything related to horse riding. Going on a horse riding holiday in April (South of Wales) ...can't wait !