Well, I never had the "luxury" of coming from a horsey background. We grew up in "town", so not much horse experience for me. The extent of my childhood experiences were sitting on a pony or horse a few times as a kid on my uncle's farm is Saskathewan, or going out to a friends place that lived in the country. I did "ride" a horse there once. Bareback, and when I got on, that mare ran full speed across the pasture until she got to this little rocky/treed area that sat up a little higher in the middle of the firld. I remember hanging onto the mane as tight as I could, and kind of laying forward while the horse was running. I remember jumping down off of her as soon as she stopped, (to ensure there would not be a repeat performance! LOL) and telling her "Good girl, good girl", just happy that I was alive. She was a good girl, because she stopped long enough to allow me to get off! LOL! This was about in the mid 70's probably. I was in about grade 6 or 8 I guess...cannot remember exactly what grade though for sure.
Fast Forward to about the early '90s. We were looking for something to do "as a family", so we found a riding stable about 80 miles from here, and we would go up there for an hour's ride once a week. We did this all summer, and that was about the extent of our experience. I bought my first horse, a 17 year old 7/8 Arab mare. She could be sort of a bull-headed thing, but I trusted her. I boarded her the first Fall/Winter at the stable we rode at. I went at least once a week all winter to ride. Brought her home in the Spring sooner than expected as she had injured her shoulder there. When it was time to start riding her at just a walk again, I was on her, then walked her to the house as the kids wanted to try her. I was TERRIFIED of the kids on our horses here, and we never allowed them to go out riding during the short time we had horses. Anyway, I went to get back on, not thinking about the cinch needing to be tightened, the saddle slipped, and rather than getting off, I tried to slide it bac over with my weight of the other foot, but she bucked me off. Strangely, even after that, she was the only horse I ever trusted. I knew it was not her fault, and I didn't think she would deliberately hurt me.
Since she was here, we needed another horse for riding. While looking (and buying) we found ourselves on a couple bad "runaways", and that shook my confidence so bad!! Then, in 1994, I found that Miniature Horses existed, and went with that, selling our big horses. Had a couple of driving horses over the years, but was never the same, and every Spring, I would get this strong urge on those nice days, to be out on a horse.
Over the years following, we had ridden "trail horses" at a dude ranch type thing twice. In 2010 when I went on my weight loss kick, I started walking. I would be out walking, looking at the wide area cleared out beneath the power lines, thinking what a good, safe place that would give me to ride, and the wheels started turning!! That weight loss venture ended up costing us thousands upon thousands of dollars, going through 8 horses to get 3 good ones! It was a long, hard process getting some trustworthy ones, but I have my mare now, that was one of the first two to come that Spring in 2010. She was to be my husband's horse, but I claimed her. She is my security blanket. I trust her and feel safe on her. Any other horse, I am a shaking bag of nerves, but I have built my confidence on her, and in her. I take her out riding by ourselves. I hate to go alone, but often I am here alone and if I want to go, I have to go alone. I don't take her through long trails alone, because I am scared of bears, but we do ride down the roads and highways and she does not mind gravel trucks or anything. She is not 100% spookproof, I don't think ANY horse is, BUT, when she "spooks", she does it pretty much in place. She never bolts or turns around or rears or anything. She faces it head on, and takes her time and looks at it, and trusts in me too I guess, to know that I won't let it hurt her. She takes great care of her "mama". She is NOT a deadhead, but she is a gaited horse and has a nice running walk gait, and this super little rocking chair canter. She is so comfy!! Anyway, just had to share my story, since it was kind of backwards, with me not coming from a horsie background, yet now having a dependable girl to go out and have a nice relaxing ride on.
I just cannot even begin to explain the feeling of satisfaction it gives me to be able to just get up and go out for a ride whenever I want to!
Anf for those of us "older" people that have lost some confidence along the way, I want to share this great website link with you.
http://www.positivelyriding.com/OlderRiders.html It's a great site with lots of helpful information and is a real confidence boosting site!
This is my "Pride and Joy" here..."Cheyenne"
and this is Chris's gelding, "Whitey", who also takes super great care of him!