How much experience?

I started group riding lessons when I was around eight. I did one lesson a week (an hour riding) for about year. On school holidays (maybe twice a year) I would go on week camps where we would ride about 4 hours a day.

When I was getting close to ten I started doing two lessons a week. A friend of my families also had a horse I would ride for maybe two hours a week.

When I was close to 11 I started doing three lessons a week sometimes, and then for my eleventh birthday my parent's bought me a horse.

In the lessons we had one hour of riding and then half an hour of theory, so we would learn to tack up, feed, horse anatomy, lunging, just general things. Each week we would ride a different horse, although on about half the weeks we could choose who to ride, and I'd always ride the same horse. I'd also ridden my friend's horse.

I read A LOT as a kid so I understood a fair bit of the theory, but we weren't really ready or experienced. I was eleven and no one in my family had ever owned a horse. We were agisted at a paddock with a lot of knowledgable and nosy people and they taught me and my mum a lot about horse care. Not everything was right, and a lot of their advice conflicted but after a few years there I knew a whole lot more.

I kept going to one lesson per week on my own horse as well as Pony Club once a month. Later on I got private instructors who were more advanced and usually had one lesson a week, or one every two weeks. Since my first pony I have leased and owned different horses.

I probably wasn't ready for a horse, but we got by and it all turned out okay. I kind of think maybe that was better than knowing everything and then buying, because this way I could learn about the horse world from the ground and see what worked and what didn't.

If you have been riding for say, five years, was that an hour a week or more?
It was an hour a week say for about nine years, until I started at TAFE which added another five hours a week.

How many different horses had you ridden before you got your own?
Unknown. Also the horse I got was a school horse and I had ridden for four years plus prior to owning him.

During that time how much was spent on actually handling the horse, learning stable management?
Heaps. Learnt to handle quiet horses to fired up stallions at the races.

Who taught you feed requirements?
Nobody really. I just listen and learnt over the years and just asked whenever I felt like I need help - asked my instructor who owned my horse for may years mainly.

How experienced were you, truthfully, before you bought your own horse?
Very, there were a few things here and there but I knew enough.

How much instruction did you take after purchasing your own horse?
Very little.Only need advice and help for things like colic and foot abcess' etc

If you have been riding for say, five years, was that an hour a week or more?
I'd been riding for five years before my parents bought me a pony. All of my five years of experience was simply riding around the paddocks on my uncle's horses at a walk and a trot. I'd never actually had a proper lesson at that time.

How many different horses had you ridden before you got your own?
My uncle's horses Cocoa and Atlas and I tried another pony, Pete, before buying Majesty.

During that time how much was spent on actually handling the horse, learning stable management?
Stable management, what on earth was stable management? Back then, it was simply fetching the horse, throwing a random saddle and bridle on it and then getting on and going. Mind you, that was between the ages of 3 and 8 and I was riding horses that were 16hh and 18.2hh so my uncle did everything. I didn't really learn actual horse management until I got my horse and it was all self taught.

Who taught you feed requirements?
From when I got my pony at age 8 until I was around 12, feeding was merely tossing a biscuit of lucrene into the paddock for when my pony got sick of the round bale. When I got Barcoo, his owner told me what to feed him as did Joe's when we got him. One of my coaches is an equine nutritionist so she really taught me what I know now, as did doing a lot of research.

How experienced were you, truthfully, before you bought your own horse?
I was an extreme beginner, and all of the horse people around me were rough and ready stockmen.

How much instruction did you take after purchasing your own horse?
When I had my first pony and Barcoo, all the instruction I got was the little we got at pony club. I got proper monthly lessons with a proper coach when I got Joe, but with Toby and Maggie, I've had regular instruction and I also attend a lot of clinics with some of my country's top coaches, riders and judges.

If you have been riding for say, five years, was that an hour a week or more?
I had taken a half hour lesson once a week to start out, then moved up to an hour and been taking lessons for an hour a week ever since. I've been riding for 6 years, but in this past year, with getting Rosie, I've been riding 3-5 times a week, usually for about an hour.

How many different horses had you ridden before you got your own? Tulani, Bingo, Shafira, KC, Dixie, Leah, Ishtar, Ozzy, Rosie, Osiris. So about 10, and ridden 3 more different ones since I got my own.

During that time how much was spent on actually handling the horse, learning stable management?
50%. Now it's 80%.

Who taught you feed requirements? A combination of my coach/BO and horsey books.

How experienced were you, truthfully, before you bought your own horse? I had a fair amount of experience. I've definitely learned a lot since I started going to the barn every day and helping out with barn chores.

How much instruction did you take after purchasing your own horse?
A year and counting.

The only riding I did before owning a horse was once at camp when I was young and a couple of paid for trail rides. So I only had rode maybe 3 horses.

Before I owned a horse, about all I knew about them was they were horses. Didn't know anything about caring for them or how to handle them. Really didn't know much about riding either.

I learned about their care and feed from the people we boarded them with and doing some studying on my own. I also learned how to work with them and train them pretty much on my own, watching videos and tv shows and reading books and magazines. I never did take any lessons before or after owning a horse. Pretty much taught myself how to ride. Training a horse from scratch can really teach a person how to ride better. If you're riding incorrectly, you'll probably come off. The more times you come off, you'll start to figure out a better way to stay on. LOL
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I am a newbie to horse ownership. Spent some of my youth around horses, but never had to care or cleanup after them. So I have had no experience what so ever. But my girlfreind was raised with horses and farm animals. She did a great job finding Dixie ( 5 yr. Old QH ) for me. Yes I make mistakes on the ground and under saddle and Dixie is a little head strong but we are doing great together. We moved onto the ranch 3 months ago and got our horses then. Had never tacked up a horse, feed a horse, mucked a stall.... but I am reading "Horse's for Dummies" (seriuosly)loving RFD-TV and riding at least 4 days a week. I would like to get a trainer for me and Dixie soon. So I think you can be green and successful but you have to old mature enough (I'm 59) have the time (I own my own business) and have some extra funds to get started. Peace and Happy Rides... D