How to spend time with horses

[Annialisting]

I love horses and I’ve ridden most of my life. I’m too old to ride now and scared of falling off. I miss the company of horses. How can I have contact with them? Anyone got any ideas please?

You could volunteer with your local RDA group? I find this really rewarding.

do you have a local rescue place?

I’ve tried the local rescue but they needed people to do heavy work, which I’m not able to do.

Yes volunteering is good, RDA around here always looking for helpers, or a rescue. At my livery yard/riding school there are a couple of lovely older ladies who just like you don't ride any more but who still like to be around the horses and they casually 'help out' on a weekend similar to the teenagers, they groom and tack up the ponies, do light yard work, sometimes take one that's off work for a little pick of grass or walk in hand. TBH I'm a bit dubious because the stables is a business not a charity and they don't get anything back for their work, unlike the teenagers they don't even get a free lesson, I think they get a staff discount for the on site cafe and shop and that's it. But then again they seem perfectly happy and get a lot out of it so if you have a connection to a nice local riding school you could ask?

Or I'm sure if you posted offering some casual help with light chores in exchange for spending time with a horse on a local horsey Facebook group you'd get takers, if anything you'd have to sift carefully because there are some right CFers on those groups who'd bite your hand off for free labour and probably work you like a dog in exchange for occasionally getting to pat their precious pony, but you might well find something/someone lovely?

Oh sorry, cross posted. Can you manage light work e.g. tacking up, grooming, tack cleaning, sweeping? TBH if all you were wanting is to pat and cuddle and spend time with a horse you'd be welcome just to wander in at a lot of large riding schools (ask the owner/ manager first of course?) - at our stables we get a lot of people that do that as we have a large on site cafe that's popular esp at the weekends with families and the elderly, a lot of people come for a coffee and spend some time wandering round patting and chatting to the ponies and watching lessons and the general comings and goings (the kids love seeing the tractors and farm equipment) which is absolutely fine by us, so long as they stick to the public areas, don't climb on or touch any equipment, don't get in anyone's way, leave the animals that are clearly signposted 'don't touch' alone and don't feed any of them anything (even grass) we're perfectly happy and the horses enjoy the extra attention - lots of people struggle to stick those simple ground rules mind you! But if there's a large riding centre near you and you're respectful I expect it would be fine to spend a bit of time with their horses...

You could , funds allowing , get a pony or horse , even a rescue and keep it on assisted or full livery . Up to you then how much you do . Alternatively you could go on your local horsey FB page , explain your situation and see if anyone has a horse/ pony that would appreciate a visitor / groom etc .

You’d be very welcome at my riding school to either help on the yard, or to lead beginners on short lead-rein treks!

Where in the country are you? You'd be perfectly welcome to come and spend time with mine, they love attention. I have 3 children and work full time, there's never enough time for all of the brushing that they'd like. My chestnut would happily stand there all day, longer if you'd be kind enough to put the hose on... There might be similar people near you, you just need to find them :-)

Some brilliant ideas, thank you. 🐴

Put a post on local groups offering yourself as a non-ridden sharer.

I have someone who grooms, feeds & makes a fuss of mine. She occasionally brings in/turns out for me too.

I do visits for horses while their owners are away - no riding needed but lots of cuddles, feeding and company. As long as you’re capable of doing basic care then you’d be well in demand!