Remember when.........

For those of us not lucky enough to be born to parents who kept or obtained horses for us as kids..........

Do you remember seeing friends that had horses, seeing riders out on the dirt roads and being insanely jealous?!? I was! I would wonder if they had any idea how lucky they were and start day dreaming about a horse of my own....oh man.I would ride every day, I would RUN every day, I would spend every waking free moment riding........
Having had to fight my way into the horse world later in life when I had my own means and my own money (and an AMAZING fiance ), I have a profound appreciation for my furry counterpart. I still get butterflies in my stomach when I open his stall door. And I remember how I used to wish those ppl I saw would stop and let me pet their horse, so I always stop and let kids I see pet Salem. We once had a whole BBQ's worth of ppl surround us when we were out road riding one day, good thing Salem is a ham that loves attention!

Definitely! I didn't have friends that rode. I also lived in the city so very rarely saw riders while out and about. I did have some family that lived in the country and I remember just being dumbfounded that they had land but didn't have horses...how could you not own a horse when you had a place for it???? I really didn't get very many opportunities to ride until the immediate years before I got my own at 18. I normally just begged to go to the local horse rental place that was in one of the city parks every chance I got.

Yep! Although my best friend owned a horse, so I did ride a lot. But I had horse fever so badly that it wasn't enough, I wanted my own. I couldn't get enough, I had to have a horse. I dreamt of the day that my parents would show up with my horse. In fact I was sure on each xmas that instead of a stocking a halter would be hanging in it's place, and the pony in a trailer in the driveway. It never happened....

Until a few months before my 38th birthday, when my hubby made my dreams come true, and I finally got my horse. I think that because I wanted one for so long, it's something I will never take for granted, and count my blessing every single day. It's amazing to have my own horse!

I spent my allowance first on renting to ride in the Forest Preserve once a week. Then, I spent my allowance on Hunt-Seat lessons. I had some wonderful friends who shared their horses with me a number of times. There was also a snarky HS "friend" who invited me out to watch her school for 2 hours, but I couldn't touch her TB. Seriously doubt she has a horse now, but I've been an owner since 1985.

Yes, totally with you. I had sporadic lessons as a kid, but one good friend who had a gorgeous POA mare that she didn't really appreciate that much. Every weekend, she would tell me that we could go to the barn and she'd let me ride. And then every weekend, she'd say something like, "oh, I don't feel like it, let's do something else instead." What 10 year old girl has a horse and "doesn't feel like" visiting it?! Funny, yesterday an adorable little POA moved in to our barn, and when I heard he was a POA, I had this reflexive rush of emotions that reminded me of that childhood friend :)

I definitely remember those days! I had friends who owned their horses and I was riding up to their barn with them and watching them ride. I would always want to ride their horses too but got the "We're getting ready for a show" as reason for now getting a pony ride! Finally I got my in cleaning stalls for lessons and got a job at 15 1/2 and spent every dollar on paying for board on horses I leased. I cashed out savings bonds to buy my first horse and have no regrets! My son is 4 in December and he wanted a pony. So I bought one for him! To this day? My mom still have tell one horse from the next or tell you what any of my horses looked like. LOL

This thread and a few recent similar threads got me thinking & for once I'll be BRIEF, because if I'm NOT, in this case, I could be in danger of literally writing a novel that would shut down the HF server!! ;0)

Basically, I've had a ton of what many people would consider "inconsistencies" in my life...changing so much from a young girl and a teen (in terms of my core beliefs about life, the world and such) to my present age of 39. (in ways that many don't...such as personality). A total extrovert becoming a person very content with people, but truly much more of an introvert; which psychologists believe this is rather rare-as personality is essentially cemented by age five-is but one example.

Anyhow, I've changed from what and who I was in my 20's to 30's so dramatically, & even now through my near 40's; but the ONE SINGULAR CONSTANT which has chased me throughout every "phase" in my life is my love for horses and my desire to ride, and to ride well, even if the goals behind the desire are very different now.

Regardless of clearly subconsciously believing I was "finished" with any horse-related goals at MANY stages in my life, they keep popping back up, seemingly out if the blue! My ideas ABOUT horses HAVE evolved enormously, but the LOVE, the longing for them, well, it keeps hanging around!! I'm thrilled that is the case. :0)
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I remember! I knew where every horse in the city where I lived was housed and spent as much time with them as their owners could stand. I even slept in the barns/stables when I could sneak in. Some of them would let me work off rides. I wash the horse = I could ride until it was dry. Clean a stall = I got to sit on one while it ate. Clean tack = a reward in itself to feel the leather and smell the horsey smells!

That's why I let almost anyone ride who wants to. I can remember absolutely aching for the opportunity to ride. I know what time spent with a horse, riding or driving (if they can't ride) means to someone who wants to but doesn't have the chance.

We don't know how lucky we were until we grew up more. Me? Horses were just there. Always. I never thought for an instant that that should cause jealousy from others. For me you just had them or you didn't.
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Yes!

When I was in Kindergarten I was with a friend and she had a little Shetland pony named Charlie. I was so thrilled to see him I didn't play with my friend at all.........Opps lol.