I used to be obsessed with horses, from my first lesson at age 10 until college I rode almost daily.
I was a working student through age 15 and when I got my license worked at horse farms before and after high school.
I started riding at Belclare Farm in Stewartsville, NJ where I met my core group of girl friends. It was crushing when I moved to VA at 15. In VA most people that rode had their own barns and horses, there wasn't the community I was used to. Fox hunting also rules Loudoun County which was foreign to me.
I'll get back into horses one day.
Those pictures made me smile. What a great way to grow up. I loved horses all my life, but never got to ride regularly until I was in my late 20's. I hope you get to ride again soon.
ReplyDeleteI rode as a kid and had to give up working at the barn at 16 to get what my dad called "a real job" to save for college. I took lessons intermittently, but mostly I didn't ride for about 20 years. I went back to it almost 2 years ago now and it's the best thing I've ever done! I was lucky enough to find a riding instructor who specialized in teaching adult beginners or adults returning to riding like I did. I hope you get as lucky as I did!
ReplyDeleteI always wanted that hat! But we lived in urban NJ and the chance for me to ride a horse wasn't as much of an option as roller skating
ReplyDeleteI took lessons growing up in LA and paid to take group trail rides in the hills around Griffith Park until I moved to the country at age 30 and finally got my first horse. It was like living an amazing dream. I rode my mare almost every day until she passed from Equine Cushings. I said I'd get another horse but never did; we may end up with something like a donkey or mini-horses but my riding days are over at this point. But as the saying goes, "don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." I really do feel that way, and feel sure I'll ride my mare in heaven once we're both on that side of eternity.
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures! My sister went through the horse crazy stage when she was 12 or 13, and that is when we got our first horse. Shortly after we got another horse for me, I was 15. I had horses in my life for 42 years, as many as four because I married a guy that had his own horse, and he had her bred before we got married. That colt was with us for nearly 32 years, until early last year, our last horse. There are days that I miss them, lovely days when I think that it would be so nice to go for a ride, but for the most part I was ready to move on.
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ReplyDeleteI grew up on a wheat farm and rode western from the time I was about 5. My farm neighbors also had horses and kids my age, so we rode a lot through the wheat fields. We were 4H horse kids, rode in parades, did gymkhana, and I had a little palomino barrel horse. My favorite thing to do, though, was just ride bareback through the fields just Sunny and me. I still remember the quiet peacefulness of that.
ReplyDeleteLater when I moved to San Francisco, a friend and I took English lessons in the East Bay. I loved it, but did not get to the point of jumping. My friend that I took lessons with had done three day eventing, so was more experienced at English of course. I loved that horse, a big 16.5 hand thoroughbred. A very gentle giant.
After I moved back to Eastern WA here, I have never gotten back into riding though. Raised two kids which kept me too busy and too broke for that. I too miss it, but doubt I'll ever own another horse. Someday when I'm not so busy, I might look into just going for pleasure rides as there is a stable about a half mile from me.
Thanks for bringing up such great memories, Meredith. Awesome pics!
Duckmama
How is your daughter? Home and much better, I hope.
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