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Honored Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Anyone here learn to ride horses later in life? After 40?

@Sooner  I alway chose for my riding horse one that was at least 7-8 years old, having seen everything so wasn't so jumpy and easily startled.  I had a gray mare I just adored.  She was near unmanageable when a man rode her, my DH wouldn't get on her, but she was a well-behaved, perfect lady when I rode her.  She was a natural pacer and very comfortable to ride.  We didn't know her background but I wondered if she was a Standardbred. 

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment
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Re: Anyone here learn to ride horses later in life? After 40?

Nope........not on my bucket list

♥Surface of the Sun♥
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Re: Anyone here learn to ride horses later in life? After 40?

That's wonderful!  I have always thought horses were such beautiful, awesome, brilliant animals! But have always been slightly fearful of them as well.  I have not been around them much so am not really comfortable with them.  Always wished that I had been exposed to them as a child and that I would be able to ride them.  Now, I am too old and have very bad osteoporposis.  I would be too afraid to fall and break something!

 

Good luck and enjoy your riding!  

"A day without sunshine is like, you know, night." - Steve Martin
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Posts: 659
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Anyone here learn to ride horses later in life? After 40?

 

For those who asked why I have fallen off.  

 

Everytime it was because something spooked him or he did something that I wasn't prepared for.  Example: we were trotting over poles on the ground.  Everything was fine until we got to 3 poles that had been stacked together.  He trotted to them and went over and broke into a canter.  That's what jumpers do. I had not cantered yet and so I lost my balance and fell off.  

 

Spooking is stuff like the tractor starting outside the barn as he goes right by that side.  He is 19 years old and really bullet proof.  The falls are more the result of my inexperience.  

 

When we found him he had been pretty neglected both food wise and no exercise.  He was slow and run down and kind of really ok for a beginner like me.  But I wanted the best for him and gave him top food and supplements, vet care and continued training.  He came on really strong.  Regained his strength, his skill and pretty soon it became clear to my trainer and me and all at the barn that he lives to jump.  

 

At 19 he is not jumping 4 foot fences but 2'6" at shows and he almost always gets a first or a second.

 

The fact is, he was not that much horse when we got him and now he's not a horse I would ever think about buying for myself.  However, he is a love and we have the most awesome relationship, he knows exactly where he was and where he is now and he is a grateful horse.  And he really is terribly polite considering the bouncing around on his back that I do.  

 

catlvr

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Re: Anyone here learn to ride horses later in life? After 40?

[ Edited ]

@Kachina624 wrote:

@Sooner  I alway chose for my riding horse one that was at least 7-8 years old, having seen everything so wasn't so jumpy and easily startled.  I had a gray mare I just adored.  She was near unmanageable when a man rode her, my DH wouldn't get on her, but she was a well-behaved, perfect lady when I rode her.  She was a natural pacer and very comfortable to ride.  We didn't know her background but I wondered if she was a Standardbred. 


@Kachina624  We had a mare that didn't like men or other horses. She bossed the lot and the others waited until she ate. I could not catch her if she got out.  Daddy had a 4yr old quarter horse t hat had Ben ridden in a quadrille group.  Touch her with your heels And you had better hang on. Fun but exhausting and daddy loved it--thought he looked fine. Lol

 

 

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Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Anyone here learn to ride horses later in life? After 40?

Hi catlvr - I got my first horse when I was about 45 years old.  She was a Thoroughbred, a retired race horse.  She really wasn't a very good choice for a calm trail horse, lol.  My DH is a very good rider and was fine on her, and my DD who was 13 when we got the horse, became a decent rider.  I never felt at ease on her back, and I knew what it was like to be sitting on the ground after she spooked. But I loved that horse.  We put her down 3 years ago due to age-related health problems, and I still cry remembering having to say good-bye.  I am glad that "Sugarplum" spent the last 9 years of her life in happy retirement with our family.  She was well cared-for.

 

The post-script is that my DD's earlier life experience with livestock made her feel much more at-ease around all kinds of animals, and she is now a veterinarian.