Is 16 too old to start learning?

[blaaake]

Hi all, never posted in here before

Dd2 aged 11 recently started riding lessons with the long term goal of my buying her a horse when she's good enough in a year or two. But dd1 who is almost 16 has now become immensely jealous, saying she always wanted a horse and felt like the odd one out as a few of her friends go riding .

So I was wondering if she's too old to start learning now? I'm happy to get her a horse too if she proves that she wants to and has at least a year of lessons.

I had 10 lessons for my 17th birthday. Since then intermittent schooling cadged from friends and a fair bit of hacking. I won’t win any medals but i’m a decent enough rider

Not at all. My sister took up riding as an adult (became very good too) and now has a farm and keeps horses.

This is promising!! Though I'm not thrilled at having to drive them both to saddleworth multiple times a week

No, not at all! There really isn't much to the basics and her enthusiasm will help. She'll be stronger physically than a younger child but quicker of mind than an older adult so will probably progress well!

Jock Paget didn't start riding till he was 18, and he's won at Badminton and rode at the Olympics and all sorts...

Not at all ! After me riding since I was 4 , my mum decided to have a go when I was 22 and she was 46 ! She's still going and she's 72 this year

I was 46 when I started riding 2 years ago - I don't think I'd ever seen a horse close up before

I love it, and am looking at working towards a loan. I'm not ready for one right now, but it's what I want to aim for. 16 is no age!

She'll be great at 16.. I started to learn to ride at 30 when I could afford to buy my own horse and ended up riding him at Horse of the Year Show so anything is possible if you buy the right animal and have good lessons..

No my friend started at 60!

I didn’t start until I was 19, she’ll be fine.

Not at all. Lots of people learn, and become very accomplished, as adults. I think that you tend to learn much faster and being able to take on responsibility much faster if you are older. Let her have a go.

I was about 16 when I started riding and by 19 I was working on a competition yard. I think DH was in his early 20s when he started, and together, we have owned a fairly fit horse and done lots of leisure competitions.

Plenty of people start as older teens, so I think you should give your DD a chance to learn. At 17, I'm not sure I'd buy her a horse of her own, though- most people aren't able to take a horse to uni with them, and it can end up a huge tie if you want to go traveling or something like that.

If uni is on the horizon, could you get them a horse to share in a year or so? Then, when DD1 goes off to uni, DD2 can keep the horse but DD1 can ride when she comes home in the holidays etc?

Anyway, she'll be fine to learn at 16, she should definitely get the chance to try it if it's something she feels she might like to do!

Just agreeing with what everyone else is saying, although you must already be convinced by now.

I notice the last post was towards the end of April. Has your 16 year old had a lesson yet blaaake?

How's your DD 11 getting on?

Dd2 is getting on well!! She really enjoys it and now wants to become a vet

Cannot say the same for dd1 she's not yet had a lesson despite the moaning, though understandable as she has GCSE's currently !

Definitely not too late. A good age to start.

I'm not sure you need a year's worth of lessons. I had some lessons but was lucky enough to get a pony when I was 13. I read huge amounts about horse care. Most of my learning was from the point when I actually got a pony. I left school and became a riding instructor.