Why do you (or your children) ride?

[outofofficeon]

I’ve always ridden, 50 years. Always kept horses (my family had them before I was born) and my children have all ridden.

We’re part of a VERY competitive pony club. The thing is, I hate competing, but there’s a real snobbery about happy hackers in our community. We’re definitely looked down on because we’re not competitive.

The thing is, we just love hacking, riding and keeping the horses and ponies.

Its made me wonder what motivates others to ride.

So folks, why do you ride? If you’re ultra competitive, what is it that you love about it?

Honestly I grew up in a family that hunted/shot/pointed and it’s just what you did? I’m now pretty anti-bloodsports but grew up horsey and loved it. Neither of my sister have ridden since their early teens though

I am part of what we loveingly call type B equestrians on my yard, that means , we ride how we want to, don't give a f**k about the horse bitchiness, I don't care if I'm on the wrong diagonal or I'm not matchey matchey, or the fact my cob gets a bath twice a years, lives out for 8 months and looks like a woolly mammoth! She is happy and loved, we go on happy hacks and help not criticise each other. The type A's look down on us and call us behind our backs, I know who I want to ride with, I'm too old for yard/horse politics X rant over xx

I think I’m just very grumpy about the incredibly materialistic nature of riding these days. I can’t bear the £150 stirrup irons for a kids who barely rides and probably wouldn’t if they weren’t being made to.
I think that’s what I’m trying to understand. What’s it all for? Lots of kids give up at the first opportunity.

I grew up surrounded by a very horsey family. Bred, broke and trained horses, showing, hunting, carriage driving, the lot. My mum was the single family member who hated the lifestyle and so as a child I wasn’t allowed to be involved. I’ve always deeply resented that. So now I have DD who loves ponies and is showing signs of being very competitive. I’m absolutely loving just being around horses and being her number one supporter! The cliques are very confusing to me though, I hate the hierarchies and don’t fit in anywhere it seems.

I haven’t ridden for 2 years because my old mare was retired and then pts so I have done some reflection on this of late!

I don’t have another one yet because I have an uninterested DD and am in midst of a divorce and just can’t commit the time and money for a while. I could ride others or go back to a riding school but I don’t have my mojo back for it yet.

When my horse retired I didn’t miss the riding as much as I expected but when she died I missed the routine and the smell and just being around her enormously.

I only competed lightly, hunted and occasional riding club. Mostly hacking. I bloody despise pony club though, not my vibe.

I’ve never understood the need to compete really, and proper hacking (I did some low level endurance so needed hours of hacking) where you go out for most of the day exploring at all paces on unfamiliar ground actually needs more skill than anything in a manege. So many people that can ride a dressage test but not manage a tricky gate.

But in short, I just love horses. The way they move, breathe and interact with us is intoxicating. And when you have a bond with your heart horse it’s just amazing isn’t it. I mean I love all horses, but some of them
just have your soul.

I miss her beyond words.

I absolutely love horses. I’ve ridden most of my life. I love the thrill of a canter, I love the feel of being on a horse, I love the countryside. I just love it all.

For me it was the enjoyment in training my horse to the level required to compete at a decent level. I enjoyed working through the challenges and building a partnership with my horses and competition was a good way to test out that training. That said, competitions were very different when I competed and there wasn't as much big money in general, far more ordinary people bringing on young horses themselves which was what I did. Locally there weren't many people competing so travelling to shows was nice to meet like minded friends.

My son rode from an early age, probably because there were ponies available but again always youngsters to bring on and made a lot of friends through it. He did however chose a different discipline to me.

I’ve ridden for as long as I can remember and just love being around horses. They bring me such a sense of calm and happiness.

I’m autistic and very sensory to so many things, especially the cold weather, but that’s never an issue for me around horses.

When I was younger I competed and enjoyed it but I wouldn’t do that now, although I do enjoy hacking and schooling. I also still love cross country jumping. However, I could never ride again and would still get a huge amount of happiness from just being around horses.

My children ride but with differing levels of desire and enjoyment. My youngest is probably the most natural in the saddle and enjoys when he goes but I am sure he could never go again and wouldn’t miss it. I also have a severely autistic child who has never even trotted but enjoys walking and some basic yard duties. Another child of mine is enthusiastic and fearless but also enjoys a huge number of other activities so has limited time for it.

DH rode when he was younger but doesn’t now. I think he would enjoy doing occasional hacks in the future though.

My parents weren’t remotely horsey but myself and my sister were both hooked from 4/5 , we originally got taken to lessons because a friend was taking her children and invited my mum along . My parents became very horsey very quickly and at one point in my teens we owned 3 horses and a Shetland , our horses have a home for life . I’ve now owned continually for 45 years although I cannot ride or get involved anymore due to health issues . We now only have a retired pony who was my son’s second pony and is now 32 . Neither of my children ride , they both started but gave up and as adults are not remotely interested . As a teen I was quite keen on doing working hunter classes with my sisters horse but I’ve always been just as happy schooling / hacking .

I love being around horses and find them very calming. I enjoy horse care. I also enjoy being out in the bush on trail rides, the sensation of covering a lot of ground quickly from a height, and the feeling of being in partnership with such a large animal. While at the moment DHorse and I are having a bit of a bump in the road in terms of my ridden goals for him, I still enjoy being with him.

In answer to your question though, riding lessons for children are quite a status symbol where I live. The main stables are honkingly expensive and I guess all the gear goes with that willingness to spend and large budget.

I was keen for DD to have riding lessons for the sake of enjoyment/being outdoors/emotional benefits, but it wasn’t her cup of tea, partly because she didn’t want to be part of that social environment.

It's the relationship for me. The way my horse has learned to "kiss" me for treats, learning his little quirks, how we communicate out on a hack, the thrill of a fast gallop, the joy of being out in the woods on a frosty morning with no one else around except wildlife, the jogging home with him blowing out steam from his nostrils in his eagerness to see his field mates, the smell of his coat, the softness of his nose like a hairy raspberry, the way he always neighs at a certain point on the way home, the puddle he always shies at, the jaunty clip clop of his hooves on the lane, the way he always does a wee when we go into the pine forest (doesnt like to splash his legs), and the way he closes his eyes when I brush above his eyes. Its all the little things.

It's wonderful how different people can enjoy their horses in different ways. We are a very competitive pony family, out at events most weekends but we wouldn't assume that everyone is the same - nor that they would want to be.

Personally, I don't understand the concept of just hacking as I find it dull (possibly because our hacking is quite boring) but I also grew up competing and DD and I both love the time it gives us together. If the phrase "horses for courses" were every designed for a situation, it's this one.

Ultimately I get such huge joy from being around our lovely horses, from the smell of their beautiful noses to the satisfaction a freshly mucked out stable gives me, it all brings feelings of happiness. I try to explain to non-horsey DH why they entrance me so much but I can never fully articulate it - essentially it's a deep-rooted love, a passion that is there from day 1 (my first word was horse). There are days when I want to give it up (at 5am in the pouring rain for example), but I never do . . .

I love being around horses, my own, not other peoples though - oddly! I think i spent too long working with other peoples horses I'm kinda "meh" to anything that isn't mine!

I like owning/riding with a purpose. i like to have a goal to get to - whether that be a certain show or event etc.
I hate happy hacking, i school mine on all hacks and only do it for variety for them and for training/fitness. i wouldn't own horses if all i had to look forward to was a daily hack, i'd be so bored.

The main thing for me is the bond with the horse. I am mostly a happy hacker, but we get out and about to clinics and small local competitions regularly. I love the trust my horse has in me. It doesn't matter what I ask him to do, he will give it a go, even if it scares him, as long as I am telling him it is OK. I don't think it matters what level you are riding at, or what you are doing, as long as you have that trust.

I returned to horses after being obsessed during my childhood and having a loan pony for a while. Although I’m from a farming background, my family are not horsey at all, I’m the only one. I grew up skint living in a (lovely) council house with my mum. I remember the envy I had for the children where I rode who were getting their own ponies and being ferried around to competitions etc., it was all I wanted to do and I constantly pestered my mum who had no money, time or skills to make this happen for me.

I ditched the dream in my mid teens, when I had a wild phase. I then dabbled in lessons and hacking intermittently while DCs were growing up. Fast forward to my late 40s and I finally had the time and financial security to go back to horses properly and at aged 50 I got my first horse. More recently, I got a trailer and we are now very happy hackers, this summer just started fun rides and non competitive endurance.

I just love the feeling of being out in the countryside with my horse, the relationship I’ve built with him and the satisfaction that I am living my childhood dream. I’m on a small, basic yard, I’m the only one that rides regularly and I know no one who competes despite having loads of horsey friends. I can not be arsed with the snobbery and cliques and feel fortunate that despite having glimpsed this phenomenon, I have managed to swerve it. I think if I were on a competition yard or around snobby know it all types it would suck the enjoyment out of my much loved horsey lifestyle.

Like others have already said, for me it's the one that you build with them. I've been jorse mad from being 8 but didn't get my own until I was in my thirties. I'm 61 now and can't ever imagine not having a pony in my life.

Im now 60 and have loved horses all my life. I was a pony mad kid, but never had my own horse. I bought my first horse aged 55 and Im so so happy being at the yard with the horses, it's a really happy environment. We do compete, very low level unaffiliated , but honestly my best things is riding out with my pony on my own...

I ride because some of my horses enjoy being ridden and it is easier if I can do it myself. I own horses because I like being around them. Having my own means I get to choose the type (I like specific SJ bloodlines) and how I keep them (as naturally as possible).