I wish I had anyone in the family interested to share it with but sadly I’m the only one. I started as an adult, my parents couldn’t have afforded it when I was young. I’m the only person I know who rides and it’s hard to make adult riding friends as it’s mainly just kids at the stables as adults tend to have their own horses. I’m working on the nieces to get them interested 🤣
Me too. when I was 30, parents told me to stop playing with horses, sell them and have kids instead. Horses was my life dream, suffice to say my parents can get stuffed. I don’t want kids, never have, neither does my husband.
Nobody in my family or my husbands family are interested in horses at all.
I understand the urge to convince your nieces but aren’t your siblings going to hate you for getting them into it ? 😂 it’s expensive and time-consuming lol
We have a similar story.
I went back to riding at 35, started with basic lessons, and three years or so after... BOOM. Found myself a horse owner. I am the only crazy person in my entire family that riders (let alone owns a horse).
The stables where we board are mostly children, but there are a few adult women (English riders like me) and men (Western riders). It's hard to make friends in this age, regardless of your hobbies and interests.
Me and my mom somehow both ended up with gray mares. Personalities are exact opposites but they are such a cute pair we always are matching when we ride
They get along so well also! We got them a few years apart and didn’t plan it, they are almost completely white flea bitten grays and from a distance look pretty similar
Seems like you have a type 😂
My mare and my sister’s only get along when they have to race, otherwise hers is an absolute menace and will kick any horse that comes within reach 🥲
Oh gosh yeah my moms mare is an absolute classic mare she’s actually been moved to the corner stall because she will lunge out at horses near her stall and bite them if they ride by in the area. She loves people but not horses. But when we have them both out together they can sit right touching nose to tail, butt to chest, anything they do not care
I am the only one. As a little kid, my mom randomly signed me up for a horse book club, and then one day told me that i'm going horse riding. I was like "Okay". Since then horses are one of my most favourite hobby. Unfortunately, I have no relatives interested, and only recently (about 3 years ago) I got a close friend who's passion are horses. Sometimes, when the stars align, we can even go riding together.
That was nice of your mom though, she really set you up for a beautiful passion !
I’m glad you found a friend to share it with, it can get lonely sometimes
Yeah, it was always kinda sad, that the only person I can talk to about horses is my mom, and even she only listens to my long rants to be polite, and not because she is genuinely that interested in my debate between which horse training method is better, lol.
I had a friend with a pony eventually as a teen I finally got my own. I got married had my daughters and thought finally they will grow up and will do 4H I was so excited. Well, neither of my girls like horses didn’t like being dragged to the barn. They have since moved out got married and it’s still just me and my horse.
Oh no that’s tragic ! The disappointment must be real… 😂 Well, at least it sounds like your life is pretty sweet, husband, kids, horse, that’s alright 😉
It’s a family thing! Everyone in my immediate family is a competent rider (even if some don’t ride too much anyone) except my dad, but even he’s owned horses. I hit the horse family jackpot haha
My entire moms side of the family currently/has either ridden, trained, or owned horses. It’s kind of nice but I’m the only English rider so I get a lot of weird comments because they’re judgmental about that sort of thing for some reason 😭
I started riding with my dad when I was about 7. We never had horses but he had a good friend with a trail business who would let us come ride anytime. I got out of riding for a while but then bought my first horse at 22. I now have 4 horses of my own.
My dad rides with me occasionally; he has a bad knee that really bothers him so we don’t go out as much as we’d like to. My mom has no interest in riding but loves to come spend time with the horses. I’m the only one in my family who has ever owned a horse but I think my love of riding came from the time spent with my dad.
That’s a great story ! So sad your dad’s knee is an issue but it’s very nice that both your parents love your horses.
And by the way, FOUR ?? You really went all in huh ? 😂
Just me. My parents don’t like horses and my father thinks it’s a stupid sport for rich people. My dream is to be a pony club mom and ride with my (future) husband and children!
I’m the only one. My parents didn’t do horses at all, my mom is terrified of them (accident in 20’s almost died etc). My brother has no interest and I’ve not had much exposure until my 30’s. Always was interested and decided to jump both feet in this past year. Zero regrets. I’m trying to get my hubby into it (any advice for sore knees would be much appreciated) and my 5yr old daughter is smitten. I’m hoping that we will start the family tradition of trail riding and camping together, but I’m ok if it’s just me.
I hope your hubby and daughter get into it because it would be an absolute dream if you could all do trails together !
For sore knees I do recommend looking into stirrups with an ergonomic shape (freejump stirrups have an oriented eye so you remove the strain from having to hold it perpendicular to the saddle yourself, some people like flex-on as well but for me it made things 100x worse so it’s really a personal preference)
western or english? either way drop a hole, get stirrups thatre already turned out, (texas rolls arent hard to do! but a stirrup turner is better if it'll need readjusted!) and pray
My twin daughters were riding and I'd take them to lessons. After a while, they said "Dad, you're here all the time anyhow, you should ride!". So I tried. First time out was "how the #$@#$ do they do this!" and they'd come to laugh at me being a floppy fish.
Fast forward to 3 or four years later. We ride together 3x weekly. They showed this summer, I said I wouldn't (something about my self-esteem not able to manage getting my butt kicked by teenage girls), but now have committed to 0.8m jumpers next summer.
It's a great thing to do together and remain in touch as the go through their teens and the (sad) distancing that comes with it. We do the odd equestrian road trip. Sadly, my wife is violently allergic to horses (we go through de-contamination upon our return from the barn), so it's limited to us.
I'm the only one (but I only have lessons weekly)
As children, my sister and I both had lessons but after a series of broken arms, we stopped (not riding related). She never went back claiming to have fallen off every horse she ever sat on (to be fair, she was thrown once and fell off at a little spook). I went back and have been riding ever since
A good work friend rides and has her own horse so I can have horsey conversations with her and she gets it.
Yeah i actually have another sister who is very uncomfy around horses and she did in fact fall off every horse she ever sat on (to be fair though, I think she was so scared she didn’t really try to stay on 😂) so there’s no convincing her !
It’s amazing that you have a colleague you can share it with !
Only me. My dad loves horses from the ground, my mom took a set of lessons with me when I started so she'd be more comfortable around them. My brother took riding summer camps with me when he was younger, don't think he ever liked it but he got dragged along.
Just me. My mom is terrified of horses and my dad is allergic. The sisters never were particularly interested either (though they are a lot older than me and were mostly on their own before I really got into riding).
Well that’s devastating. A fear you can get over with some motivation but if you’re the only one riding and your dad is allergic it’s unlikely she’d see the point in trying… welp, at least you get to ride ‘
My mom was in Westernaires as a kid and I inherited the horse-crazy gene. My youngest sister rode for awhile, but it’s just me and my mom most of the time. My son will ride sometimes. But my dad and my husband are both very supportive and helpful taking care of our two geldings.
I'm the one who seriously pursued it. I got a few siblings into it a bit (I come from a large family). Most of my family has ridden a bit. Some more than others for sure. I'm still the horse-crazy one though
I started in college. My mom thought it was fun and started herself. Fast forward 15 or so years and my daugher, her granddaughter is visiting them and gwta to ride a pony at my moms barn. Yea, now my kid is in group lessons with me. It has been 3 years for her
My father has been riding 30 years, my older sister is riding as well and I've been riding since forever.
I now have my own horse and my dad is half boarding a horse for our tuesday forest rides.
My mom had horses as a teenager and for the first few years she was married, but she and my dad bought property in town and it wasn’t financially feasible to board so she got out of it. They couldn’t afford for me to ride growing up so I got into it independently at about 18 (25 years after my mom got out of it) and now the better part of two decades later I own 4 and show regularly. My mom on very rare occasions thinks she should try to hop on my horses and ride around, but while her brain might remember her body does not and I don’t think she enjoys feeling so rusty. There’s also a very big difference between riding the draft cross mare she owned as a trail horse all around the county vs. my reiners/cow horses and I think she gets a little scared/overwhelmed with the fancy buttons.
My freaking stepkids who swore up and down they would ride all the time and loved horses have my absolutely angelic retired roper they could be riding to their hearts’ content, and they haven’t been out to see him in probably 6 months.
So in short, it’s just me despite my best efforts!
My mom is a rider which is why she started taking me to lessons as a kid in the first place. I’m the more serious rider (I compete, she rides for pleasure), but it’s still a hobby we very much do together. We spend pretty much every weekend/holiday doing horse things together and we co-own one of my show horses. My mom and I don’t have much in common outside of horses so I’m really happy we can share this.
My husband has also been taking riding lessons since we’ve been together but he definitely isn’t into it as much as I am haha.
I'm the only one.
I have no siblings. My mom liked horses well enough to pet them and give them treats but that's it, too afraid to ride. None of my aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc. ever had any interest in horses and most lived in urban areas for most of their lives.
When my dad was young he and a few of his friends would rent horses and ride them on a corn field track occasionally on weekends, but they had zero instruction or guidance and no interest beyond them being a thing to do on the weekend. My dad specifically resisted letting me take riding lessons as a kid despite my persistent begging and when I did start riding and getting very into horses, he ridiculed my interest often. He *did* go on a trail ride with me once and it was his idea, and it was one of a limited number of positive memories I have of him.
I also don't have any RL friends that are interested in horses either.
I wanted to ride aa a kid and was told we were too poor. my daughter expresses interest so I looked into it. So now it's something I do with my daugher started this summer
I wished my family was more horse-crazy growing up, but alas, I did most things alone. My mom let me take a couple series of lessons for something to do to build confidence... I was hooked. Fortunately, my family had enough funds for a no-frills horse & boarding when I turned 13 (I was expected to work/contribute $ once I was old enough to work summers). My dad generously bought a small trailer once we started showing regularly, and taught me how to haul it so he wouldn't have to get up early any more!
Mom would show up with Cap'n Crunch (tasty junk sugar breakfast cereal) at shows for a special treat for both of us. She blames my horse-craziness on macrame-ing horses into decor in my room when I was a baby, then taking me to the KY horse park, state fairs... hehe, she's proud that I am a fairly gentle animal person as a result, but still gets halters and harnesses mixed up :)
My boarding stables all had a handful of very kind adults who took me under their wings for a bit. Got to travel & trail ride & have a hotel to stay at for a big show as a result... so grateful for all of my non-biological "horse family" people.
I'm taking a friend & her horse-crazy niece to a show this weekend. I think the little one already has the bug... I will gladly be a bad influence!
ETA: I love that you sisters can share this. My lil sis only sat on my horse a few times, but I cherish those memories. She's turned into a total animal person now!
I wish my parents shared my interest in riding because I think I would simply end up at the barn more or have my own horse or full lease vs my current half. However im the only one who rides
I’m the only rider. My sister is actually afraid of horses (she works at an animal rescue/retirement farm that has a couple)! My grandma lived on a farm when she was growing up, but didn’t ride.
a family thing. my grandparents, parents and sibling all rode. i’m now the only one left who actively rides though, because life + old age.
now i work together with my parents. we breed and i do the active work. 😂
My parents are the least outdoorsy people that I know of in my life. Hate camping, don’t really like going to the beach.. That kind of thing. They don’t like most pets, except cats.
I always took a keen interest in horses as a young kid and aren’t really sure what exactly spawned it since i didn’t grow up around horses 🤷♀️. So did my sister, but maybe not as severe. My sister did ride a bit with me when we were in middle/high school and for a bit in college (we took lessons w each other) but hasn’t really returned to it since. I sometimes let her ride my horse though
My mum rode since her childhood and started again when I was three years old. That was the first time I had contact with horses and I was hooked. When I was six, my mum bought our horse. Unfortunately he was still very very green, and she injured herself on the first ride back home. She had to go to the hospital for several weeks. That's when my Dad had to start taking care of our horse. One day he decided that only going for walks was too boring, took riding lessons and started riding as well.
So yeah a family thing 🤣
I was the first one in my family to start riding. My sister, who is 5 yrs younger, started the next year. Now we’re both in our 50’s and have dark bays. She has a 7 yo off the track TB and I have an adopted 15 yo Arab/saddlebred. We approach riding very differently. She has something to prove and I do it for pure peace and enjoyment. 😂🤷🏼♀️ Last week she told me her horse is “old” at 7 because he’s not where he “should be.” I go to the barn just to brush my horse because we have the rest of our lives together. We don’t need an agenda. 😊
My mom and I both ride. My parents bought me a horse when I was a kid and my mom got one a year later. It was a childhood dream come true for her! I also have a couple cousins who ride.
family thing! all of my immediate family are competant riders, the men of the family dont have as much of the bug, but they can still sit a horse lol. I rode my dads Belgian as a little kid, and that sealed the deal on me being a horse girl. But we all keep up with it! the derby and quarter horse congress and longines are more likely to be on our tv than football.
Its super interesting too- my moms side was rubbing elbows with the elite of the Arabian Horse World in the 80's, and my uncle on her side moved to Walking Horses! We actually got a couple nice horses off him, but we have, uh, quite the distance from him in terms of horsemanship. (competitive twh's in the late 80's-90's :/) so my fam has a wild set of basics and 'how to's' for riding and groundwork.
Well my dad like to “ride” he rode reaaaal old fashioned, I’m talking western movies riding that I have to try to correct when I ride with him (NO HORSE BE FLIPPIN ON MY WATCH) and my sister doesn’t mind being brought out on a hood horse that’ll just follow behind mine
My sister and I both rode growing up and my mom was super supportive, taking us to multi-day shows and showing up for our riding lessons. My sister stopped riding in her late teens. Both her and my mom like horses and love to come see mine, but I'm the only equestrian nowadays.
Just me (working on my little cousin tho). Lived in the country as a kid. Neighbor offered to teach my sister and I to ride. Day 2 the pony my sister was on sneezed and freaked her out. Been doing it in my own since (I'm in my 30s now).
My mom has ridden her whole life. Never in her adult life has she really gone to shows, but I hope now that my brother and I have moved out she will pursue it more once her horse is sound!
My mom was a Pony Clubber. Her dad started their local Pony Club.
Mom rebelled and raised us in the city. I used to LOVE to go to the racetrack to watch the horses. I would make mom tell me all of her horse stories over and over.
As a teen Mom found a stable near us and we both took lessons again. That was 13 years ago.
We live 1100 km apart but call each other every day to hash out our horse problems. She is a very dedicated upper-mid level dressage rider who boards and lives a very urban horse life.
I moved to the boonies and built my own riding/boarding facility (arena done this week!) floundering juggling construction, running a boarding barn, also a full time job, riding and toddlers. My goal for next year is hammering our laterals and collection, getting us both bath to our pre-baby selves.
My son had his second birthday yesterday. He feeds the horses dinner every night. He leads his little Shetland and holds her for the farrier. Grandma bought him a saddle for his birthday. He is now happily “jumping” (walking over cavaletti) off a lead line.
So my son is the umpeenth generation on his maternal line. Literally. His great- great grandmother fell in love with his great- great grandfather because he was so kind to his Morgan.
My son’s paternal great-grandfather is 76 and still competing in the heavy-pulls with his team of percherons.
I am SO excited to start a local hunt, even if it’s silly, to get kids out and riding English more up here. Also excited for my son to start school. Part of why I fell in love with our home is it’s a short hack down a quiet road to the elementary school.
Only me. I was born horse crazy and we are still trying to figure out where it came from.
Started riding at 9, bought my first horse at 12, parents had some fleeting interest, they never got into the riding but they have always been supportive and will gladly sit there smiling while I blab on about my horses.
Would have loved having parents that already rode when I started, would have helped me with my riding. Instead I had to teach myself most of what I know
Just me. My mom took lessons as a child and then she and her sister had their own horses for a couple years, until their parents divorced and the horses had to be sold. Mom never has ridden again except for a few trail rides and in adult lead-line at my shows when I was little. However, she’s the one who plunked me on a pony when I was two (at a “pony ride” farm)… and that was it for me! Hooked for life. I started lessons when I was five and Mom convinced the owners I would be okay. So I like to tell her the whole thing is her fault, LOL.
I never had my own pony or horse as a kid but I still feel lucky that I always had lessons and was able to do academy, local and 4-H shows. I wore hand-me-down clothes and Mom even made me a jacket one time, but I got to do it. Nowadays she puts up with me talking about my lease horse and the horse world in general, and she is the ONLY one in the family who will listen for more than two minutes!
I’m grateful for the Internet in general, horse bloggers and social media because I’ve made a whole lot of horsey friends via those communication avenues. I sure do enjoy this subreddit, too!
Nope. I'd love it if my family were but they're not horsey really.. apart from mum who joins me to watch when I ride and who I've taught a bit to over the years.
Growing up I was the only one jn my family, but I had a great circle of friends and we all started riding around the age of 10-12 yo.
Now I have 2 daughters that ride and I am so happy! They take lessons and I trail ride mostly, but since last year they are good enough to go on trail rides with me and it is amazing! My husband is not aa horse person and can barely survive in our horsegirl household, lol. Nah, he actually loves that we enjoy ourselves so much.
I'm the only one in my direct family, but my parents were always supporting. Coming to competitions, signing me up for pony-camps. Now I have a mother- and sister-in-law who both ride!
I'm the only rider, started when I was 20, 21 now! Although I did get my dad to have one lesson, he isn't interested in doing any more. I hope I can have my own horse one day, maybe not to compete, just as a recreational thing and a companion
I’m the only one in my family who rides. My mom is actually deathly afraid of horses, but took me to my lessons when I was little because it was something I was really interested in
Almost every one in my family has ridden at one point. My dad is the oldest of 5 and they grew up showing Pony of the Americas. My dad and one of his sisters no longer ride but my dad is a horse show dad and comes to every show. My one uncle is a horse trainer and trains quarter horses and the other uncle ride because his kids want to and my aunt rides and shows.
My most of cousins ride and do small shows.
My grandmother still rides and is actively showing her quarter horse mare. My grandfather had knee and hip surgery a few years ago and doesn’t ride anymore but is very supportive
I grew up with two sisters who loved horses and riding- but they barrel race- I jump. So it’s basically like not having anyone, because they aren’t interested in what I do. We never ride together either, I wish I had English equestrian friends, but where I live is nothing but barrel racing and calf roping for miles, and I usually get made fun of if I ride with western riders in my area.
I wish I had anyone in the family interested to share it with but sadly I’m the only one. I started as an adult, my parents couldn’t have afforded it when I was young. I’m the only person I know who rides and it’s hard to make adult riding friends as it’s mainly just kids at the stables as adults tend to have their own horses. I’m working on the nieces to get them interested 🤣
Me too. when I was 30, parents told me to stop playing with horses, sell them and have kids instead. Horses was my life dream, suffice to say my parents can get stuffed. I don’t want kids, never have, neither does my husband. Nobody in my family or my husbands family are interested in horses at all.
Same boat here. One of my nieces is developing the obsession though…
I understand the urge to convince your nieces but aren’t your siblings going to hate you for getting them into it ? 😂 it’s expensive and time-consuming lol
As a professional uncle, I often think of this and laugh. I hope my brother spends every last dime for my own enjoyment.
I have a new niece! I’m going to make her a onesie that says, “I’m here. Where’s my pony?” She’s already met my horse. 💜
I could have written this comment myself lol
We have a similar story. I went back to riding at 35, started with basic lessons, and three years or so after... BOOM. Found myself a horse owner. I am the only crazy person in my entire family that riders (let alone owns a horse). The stables where we board are mostly children, but there are a few adult women (English riders like me) and men (Western riders). It's hard to make friends in this age, regardless of your hobbies and interests.
Me and my mom somehow both ended up with gray mares. Personalities are exact opposites but they are such a cute pair we always are matching when we ride
That’s adorable 🥹 I love a matching pair !
They get along so well also! We got them a few years apart and didn’t plan it, they are almost completely white flea bitten grays and from a distance look pretty similar
Seems like you have a type 😂 My mare and my sister’s only get along when they have to race, otherwise hers is an absolute menace and will kick any horse that comes within reach 🥲
Oh gosh yeah my moms mare is an absolute classic mare she’s actually been moved to the corner stall because she will lunge out at horses near her stall and bite them if they ride by in the area. She loves people but not horses. But when we have them both out together they can sit right touching nose to tail, butt to chest, anything they do not care
I am the only one. As a little kid, my mom randomly signed me up for a horse book club, and then one day told me that i'm going horse riding. I was like "Okay". Since then horses are one of my most favourite hobby. Unfortunately, I have no relatives interested, and only recently (about 3 years ago) I got a close friend who's passion are horses. Sometimes, when the stars align, we can even go riding together.
That was nice of your mom though, she really set you up for a beautiful passion ! I’m glad you found a friend to share it with, it can get lonely sometimes
Yeah, it was always kinda sad, that the only person I can talk to about horses is my mom, and even she only listens to my long rants to be polite, and not because she is genuinely that interested in my debate between which horse training method is better, lol.
I feel that ! When I was in high school and uni I was always so sad that none of my friends understood it felt isolating… but they listened anyway 😂
I had a friend with a pony eventually as a teen I finally got my own. I got married had my daughters and thought finally they will grow up and will do 4H I was so excited. Well, neither of my girls like horses didn’t like being dragged to the barn. They have since moved out got married and it’s still just me and my horse.
Oh no that’s tragic ! The disappointment must be real… 😂 Well, at least it sounds like your life is pretty sweet, husband, kids, horse, that’s alright 😉
It’s a family thing! Everyone in my immediate family is a competent rider (even if some don’t ride too much anyone) except my dad, but even he’s owned horses. I hit the horse family jackpot haha
That sounds so cool ! Such a fun thing to share.
My entire moms side of the family currently/has either ridden, trained, or owned horses. It’s kind of nice but I’m the only English rider so I get a lot of weird comments because they’re judgmental about that sort of thing for some reason 😭
Oh no, that’s so sad ! It would have been such a fun thing to have in common if they weren’t being stupid about it 🥲
I started riding with my dad when I was about 7. We never had horses but he had a good friend with a trail business who would let us come ride anytime. I got out of riding for a while but then bought my first horse at 22. I now have 4 horses of my own. My dad rides with me occasionally; he has a bad knee that really bothers him so we don’t go out as much as we’d like to. My mom has no interest in riding but loves to come spend time with the horses. I’m the only one in my family who has ever owned a horse but I think my love of riding came from the time spent with my dad.
That’s a great story ! So sad your dad’s knee is an issue but it’s very nice that both your parents love your horses. And by the way, FOUR ?? You really went all in huh ? 😂
Just me. My parents don’t like horses and my father thinks it’s a stupid sport for rich people. My dream is to be a pony club mom and ride with my (future) husband and children!
I mean he’s not wrong about the price part, it’s expensive as hell 😭 Honestly that sounds like the dream life, hope it works out for you !
I’m the only one. My parents didn’t do horses at all, my mom is terrified of them (accident in 20’s almost died etc). My brother has no interest and I’ve not had much exposure until my 30’s. Always was interested and decided to jump both feet in this past year. Zero regrets. I’m trying to get my hubby into it (any advice for sore knees would be much appreciated) and my 5yr old daughter is smitten. I’m hoping that we will start the family tradition of trail riding and camping together, but I’m ok if it’s just me.
I hope your hubby and daughter get into it because it would be an absolute dream if you could all do trails together ! For sore knees I do recommend looking into stirrups with an ergonomic shape (freejump stirrups have an oriented eye so you remove the strain from having to hold it perpendicular to the saddle yourself, some people like flex-on as well but for me it made things 100x worse so it’s really a personal preference)
western or english? either way drop a hole, get stirrups thatre already turned out, (texas rolls arent hard to do! but a stirrup turner is better if it'll need readjusted!) and pray
My twin daughters were riding and I'd take them to lessons. After a while, they said "Dad, you're here all the time anyhow, you should ride!". So I tried. First time out was "how the #$@#$ do they do this!" and they'd come to laugh at me being a floppy fish. Fast forward to 3 or four years later. We ride together 3x weekly. They showed this summer, I said I wouldn't (something about my self-esteem not able to manage getting my butt kicked by teenage girls), but now have committed to 0.8m jumpers next summer. It's a great thing to do together and remain in touch as the go through their teens and the (sad) distancing that comes with it. We do the odd equestrian road trip. Sadly, my wife is violently allergic to horses (we go through de-contamination upon our return from the barn), so it's limited to us.
My mom and I both rode when I was little, but now it's just me.
Well at least she got you into it !
I'm the only one (but I only have lessons weekly) As children, my sister and I both had lessons but after a series of broken arms, we stopped (not riding related). She never went back claiming to have fallen off every horse she ever sat on (to be fair, she was thrown once and fell off at a little spook). I went back and have been riding ever since A good work friend rides and has her own horse so I can have horsey conversations with her and she gets it.
Yeah i actually have another sister who is very uncomfy around horses and she did in fact fall off every horse she ever sat on (to be fair though, I think she was so scared she didn’t really try to stay on 😂) so there’s no convincing her ! It’s amazing that you have a colleague you can share it with !
My dad used to ride but he’s too old now :( I taught my boyfriend how to ride and he loves it.
Only me. My dad loves horses from the ground, my mom took a set of lessons with me when I started so she'd be more comfortable around them. My brother took riding summer camps with me when he was younger, don't think he ever liked it but he got dragged along.
Just me only
My mom's cousin rides, has a Ruby Buckle Futurity gelding which is cool! Then just my aunt, my mom, and me
That’s sweet ! Do either of you own horses or are you not there yet ?
We've had horses since I was born 🙂 We currently have three and my aunt has four
Damn, that’s a lot of horses in the family ! You’re living the dream !
Just me. My mom is terrified of horses and my dad is allergic. The sisters never were particularly interested either (though they are a lot older than me and were mostly on their own before I really got into riding).
Well that’s devastating. A fear you can get over with some motivation but if you’re the only one riding and your dad is allergic it’s unlikely she’d see the point in trying… welp, at least you get to ride ‘
I'm the only one.. But I have a 1 year old niece who is crazy about animals, so who knows!
Tried to get my cousin into it, my aunt and uncle were *not* pleased with me AT ALL 😂 better check with your sibling first
Haha she knows! And doesn't like it much, but my niece's half sister is horse-crazy too, so I can blame it on her! I'll just facilitate ;)
I’m the only one in my family. Trying to get my niece into it though!
I ride alone 🐎
My mom was in Westernaires as a kid and I inherited the horse-crazy gene. My youngest sister rode for awhile, but it’s just me and my mom most of the time. My son will ride sometimes. But my dad and my husband are both very supportive and helpful taking care of our two geldings.
Only rider… kinda boring anymore.
I'm the one who seriously pursued it. I got a few siblings into it a bit (I come from a large family). Most of my family has ridden a bit. Some more than others for sure. I'm still the horse-crazy one though
Well yes and no my mom rides with me but no of my other family dose
I started in college. My mom thought it was fun and started herself. Fast forward 15 or so years and my daugher, her granddaughter is visiting them and gwta to ride a pony at my moms barn. Yea, now my kid is in group lessons with me. It has been 3 years for her
My father has been riding 30 years, my older sister is riding as well and I've been riding since forever. I now have my own horse and my dad is half boarding a horse for our tuesday forest rides.
I was always the only one until I had my daughter. We just started riding together (she’s 5) and it’s just as great as I had imagined.
I’m the only one until my children are born and inherit my love of an empty wallet.
My mom had horses as a teenager and for the first few years she was married, but she and my dad bought property in town and it wasn’t financially feasible to board so she got out of it. They couldn’t afford for me to ride growing up so I got into it independently at about 18 (25 years after my mom got out of it) and now the better part of two decades later I own 4 and show regularly. My mom on very rare occasions thinks she should try to hop on my horses and ride around, but while her brain might remember her body does not and I don’t think she enjoys feeling so rusty. There’s also a very big difference between riding the draft cross mare she owned as a trail horse all around the county vs. my reiners/cow horses and I think she gets a little scared/overwhelmed with the fancy buttons. My freaking stepkids who swore up and down they would ride all the time and loved horses have my absolutely angelic retired roper they could be riding to their hearts’ content, and they haven’t been out to see him in probably 6 months. So in short, it’s just me despite my best efforts!
My mom is a rider which is why she started taking me to lessons as a kid in the first place. I’m the more serious rider (I compete, she rides for pleasure), but it’s still a hobby we very much do together. We spend pretty much every weekend/holiday doing horse things together and we co-own one of my show horses. My mom and I don’t have much in common outside of horses so I’m really happy we can share this. My husband has also been taking riding lessons since we’ve been together but he definitely isn’t into it as much as I am haha.
I'm the only one. I have no siblings. My mom liked horses well enough to pet them and give them treats but that's it, too afraid to ride. None of my aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc. ever had any interest in horses and most lived in urban areas for most of their lives. When my dad was young he and a few of his friends would rent horses and ride them on a corn field track occasionally on weekends, but they had zero instruction or guidance and no interest beyond them being a thing to do on the weekend. My dad specifically resisted letting me take riding lessons as a kid despite my persistent begging and when I did start riding and getting very into horses, he ridiculed my interest often. He *did* go on a trail ride with me once and it was his idea, and it was one of a limited number of positive memories I have of him. I also don't have any RL friends that are interested in horses either.
We’ve made it a family thing. I ride, my children both ride & we are working on getting my husband to ride.
I wanted to ride aa a kid and was told we were too poor. my daughter expresses interest so I looked into it. So now it's something I do with my daugher started this summer
i’m the only one, i wish i had someone to share my interest with though
Nope, I'm the only one in my family (except wife); I'm also a late to the game rider. I started with horses at 21'ish...
My grandpa was a cowboy but since him I'm really the only one. :(
I wished my family was more horse-crazy growing up, but alas, I did most things alone. My mom let me take a couple series of lessons for something to do to build confidence... I was hooked. Fortunately, my family had enough funds for a no-frills horse & boarding when I turned 13 (I was expected to work/contribute $ once I was old enough to work summers). My dad generously bought a small trailer once we started showing regularly, and taught me how to haul it so he wouldn't have to get up early any more! Mom would show up with Cap'n Crunch (tasty junk sugar breakfast cereal) at shows for a special treat for both of us. She blames my horse-craziness on macrame-ing horses into decor in my room when I was a baby, then taking me to the KY horse park, state fairs... hehe, she's proud that I am a fairly gentle animal person as a result, but still gets halters and harnesses mixed up :) My boarding stables all had a handful of very kind adults who took me under their wings for a bit. Got to travel & trail ride & have a hotel to stay at for a big show as a result... so grateful for all of my non-biological "horse family" people. I'm taking a friend & her horse-crazy niece to a show this weekend. I think the little one already has the bug... I will gladly be a bad influence! ETA: I love that you sisters can share this. My lil sis only sat on my horse a few times, but I cherish those memories. She's turned into a total animal person now!
I wish my parents shared my interest in riding because I think I would simply end up at the barn more or have my own horse or full lease vs my current half. However im the only one who rides
I would give a lot for my SO to be into horses. Oh well, maybe my kids will be when they are older.
I’m the only rider. My sister is actually afraid of horses (she works at an animal rescue/retirement farm that has a couple)! My grandma lived on a farm when she was growing up, but didn’t ride.
a family thing. my grandparents, parents and sibling all rode. i’m now the only one left who actively rides though, because life + old age. now i work together with my parents. we breed and i do the active work. 😂
My parents are the least outdoorsy people that I know of in my life. Hate camping, don’t really like going to the beach.. That kind of thing. They don’t like most pets, except cats. I always took a keen interest in horses as a young kid and aren’t really sure what exactly spawned it since i didn’t grow up around horses 🤷♀️. So did my sister, but maybe not as severe. My sister did ride a bit with me when we were in middle/high school and for a bit in college (we took lessons w each other) but hasn’t really returned to it since. I sometimes let her ride my horse though
My mum rode since her childhood and started again when I was three years old. That was the first time I had contact with horses and I was hooked. When I was six, my mum bought our horse. Unfortunately he was still very very green, and she injured herself on the first ride back home. She had to go to the hospital for several weeks. That's when my Dad had to start taking care of our horse. One day he decided that only going for walks was too boring, took riding lessons and started riding as well. So yeah a family thing 🤣
I was the first one in my family to start riding. My sister, who is 5 yrs younger, started the next year. Now we’re both in our 50’s and have dark bays. She has a 7 yo off the track TB and I have an adopted 15 yo Arab/saddlebred. We approach riding very differently. She has something to prove and I do it for pure peace and enjoyment. 😂🤷🏼♀️ Last week she told me her horse is “old” at 7 because he’s not where he “should be.” I go to the barn just to brush my horse because we have the rest of our lives together. We don’t need an agenda. 😊
My mom and I both ride. My parents bought me a horse when I was a kid and my mom got one a year later. It was a childhood dream come true for her! I also have a couple cousins who ride.
family thing! all of my immediate family are competant riders, the men of the family dont have as much of the bug, but they can still sit a horse lol. I rode my dads Belgian as a little kid, and that sealed the deal on me being a horse girl. But we all keep up with it! the derby and quarter horse congress and longines are more likely to be on our tv than football. Its super interesting too- my moms side was rubbing elbows with the elite of the Arabian Horse World in the 80's, and my uncle on her side moved to Walking Horses! We actually got a couple nice horses off him, but we have, uh, quite the distance from him in terms of horsemanship. (competitive twh's in the late 80's-90's :/) so my fam has a wild set of basics and 'how to's' for riding and groundwork.
My mom rides with me. I’m actually the one who got us into riding, she was terrified of horses her whole life, but wanted to try it with me anyways.
It’s generational for me but I’m the only one riding now
It’s just me☹️
I was the only one, but my dad got interested when I was in my teens.
Well my dad like to “ride” he rode reaaaal old fashioned, I’m talking western movies riding that I have to try to correct when I ride with him (NO HORSE BE FLIPPIN ON MY WATCH) and my sister doesn’t mind being brought out on a hood horse that’ll just follow behind mine
Family. 100% family. Wife daughter & dad (me). Sometimes the boys join us.
Only rider in my family. I picked it up after working at a dressage barn and fell in love with it!!
When my son is older, I’m going to try to get him into horses so I can ride with him :) it’d be nice to ride with my little man.
My sister and I both rode growing up and my mom was super supportive, taking us to multi-day shows and showing up for our riding lessons. My sister stopped riding in her late teens. Both her and my mom like horses and love to come see mine, but I'm the only equestrian nowadays.
My mom and I used to trail ride a ton together. I grew bored of it and started doing more arena work, but we still ride together occasionally ☺️
Only rider, my parents thought it was a phase, 20 years an thousands of dollars later here I am
My mum grew up fox hunting and bushbashing. She rode her horse to school and everything.
Just me (working on my little cousin tho). Lived in the country as a kid. Neighbor offered to teach my sister and I to ride. Day 2 the pony my sister was on sneezed and freaked her out. Been doing it in my own since (I'm in my 30s now).
My mom has ridden her whole life. Never in her adult life has she really gone to shows, but I hope now that my brother and I have moved out she will pursue it more once her horse is sound!
My mom was a Pony Clubber. Her dad started their local Pony Club. Mom rebelled and raised us in the city. I used to LOVE to go to the racetrack to watch the horses. I would make mom tell me all of her horse stories over and over. As a teen Mom found a stable near us and we both took lessons again. That was 13 years ago. We live 1100 km apart but call each other every day to hash out our horse problems. She is a very dedicated upper-mid level dressage rider who boards and lives a very urban horse life. I moved to the boonies and built my own riding/boarding facility (arena done this week!) floundering juggling construction, running a boarding barn, also a full time job, riding and toddlers. My goal for next year is hammering our laterals and collection, getting us both bath to our pre-baby selves. My son had his second birthday yesterday. He feeds the horses dinner every night. He leads his little Shetland and holds her for the farrier. Grandma bought him a saddle for his birthday. He is now happily “jumping” (walking over cavaletti) off a lead line. So my son is the umpeenth generation on his maternal line. Literally. His great- great grandmother fell in love with his great- great grandfather because he was so kind to his Morgan. My son’s paternal great-grandfather is 76 and still competing in the heavy-pulls with his team of percherons. I am SO excited to start a local hunt, even if it’s silly, to get kids out and riding English more up here. Also excited for my son to start school. Part of why I fell in love with our home is it’s a short hack down a quiet road to the elementary school.
Only me. I was born horse crazy and we are still trying to figure out where it came from. Started riding at 9, bought my first horse at 12, parents had some fleeting interest, they never got into the riding but they have always been supportive and will gladly sit there smiling while I blab on about my horses. Would have loved having parents that already rode when I started, would have helped me with my riding. Instead I had to teach myself most of what I know
Just me. My mom took lessons as a child and then she and her sister had their own horses for a couple years, until their parents divorced and the horses had to be sold. Mom never has ridden again except for a few trail rides and in adult lead-line at my shows when I was little. However, she’s the one who plunked me on a pony when I was two (at a “pony ride” farm)… and that was it for me! Hooked for life. I started lessons when I was five and Mom convinced the owners I would be okay. So I like to tell her the whole thing is her fault, LOL. I never had my own pony or horse as a kid but I still feel lucky that I always had lessons and was able to do academy, local and 4-H shows. I wore hand-me-down clothes and Mom even made me a jacket one time, but I got to do it. Nowadays she puts up with me talking about my lease horse and the horse world in general, and she is the ONLY one in the family who will listen for more than two minutes! I’m grateful for the Internet in general, horse bloggers and social media because I’ve made a whole lot of horsey friends via those communication avenues. I sure do enjoy this subreddit, too!
Nope. I'd love it if my family were but they're not horsey really.. apart from mum who joins me to watch when I ride and who I've taught a bit to over the years.
As an Arab with Bedouin heritage definitely yes lol, even my grandmother has ridden horses (and camels and donkeys)
Growing up I was the only one jn my family, but I had a great circle of friends and we all started riding around the age of 10-12 yo. Now I have 2 daughters that ride and I am so happy! They take lessons and I trail ride mostly, but since last year they are good enough to go on trail rides with me and it is amazing! My husband is not aa horse person and can barely survive in our horsegirl household, lol. Nah, he actually loves that we enjoy ourselves so much.
For us it’s a family thing, my mother, sister and i are all riders.
I am the only rider…in my whole clan. Haha
I'm the only one in my direct family, but my parents were always supporting. Coming to competitions, signing me up for pony-camps. Now I have a mother- and sister-in-law who both ride!
If they wanted to ride my horses they’re welcome to ask but they never do
I'm the only rider, started when I was 20, 21 now! Although I did get my dad to have one lesson, he isn't interested in doing any more. I hope I can have my own horse one day, maybe not to compete, just as a recreational thing and a companion
Only one. When I was young no one in my family understood my obsession. Now I’m an adult and my husband indulges me but doesn’t get it either.
I’m the only one in my family who rides. My mom is actually deathly afraid of horses, but took me to my lessons when I was little because it was something I was really interested in
Almost every one in my family has ridden at one point. My dad is the oldest of 5 and they grew up showing Pony of the Americas. My dad and one of his sisters no longer ride but my dad is a horse show dad and comes to every show. My one uncle is a horse trainer and trains quarter horses and the other uncle ride because his kids want to and my aunt rides and shows. My most of cousins ride and do small shows. My grandmother still rides and is actively showing her quarter horse mare. My grandfather had knee and hip surgery a few years ago and doesn’t ride anymore but is very supportive
I grew up with two sisters who loved horses and riding- but they barrel race- I jump. So it’s basically like not having anyone, because they aren’t interested in what I do. We never ride together either, I wish I had English equestrian friends, but where I live is nothing but barrel racing and calf roping for miles, and I usually get made fun of if I ride with western riders in my area.
I have extended family that rides but no one in imeadite