The subject of which horse was the “first” I ever rode is a tricky one. I never took lessons when I was a child, but one of my cousins owned horses while I was growing up and I remember getting pony rides on them when we would go there for Easter and Christmas. I know there were other pony rides as well, most likely at the Maryland Renaissance Festival and carnivals. So the answer to the “first” horse is not very clear-cut at all!
Instead, I’ll write about the first horse I ever took riding lessons on. I had just turned 30 years old that year and found a local riding center to volunteer at. In exchange for volunteering for the summer camp sessions, I got a few free lessons. Plus my parents paid for me to take a session of lessons as well, which was awesome and was something I was very excited for – despite the fact that I was the oldest rider in the beginner’s class by a few decades!
Since I’d been volunteering at the riding center for a few weeks already, I was familiar with the horse I would be riding for lessons. She was a gentle giant named Ivy, a 16hh-ish Percheron/Hanoverian crossbreed with the slowest gaits ever. Her show name was “Island Time” because she did everything at her own slow, plodding pace. I’ve always had a soft spot for big draft horses, so the moment I met Ivy the first day I was at the riding center I fell in love with her, and I was seriously excited to start riding her.
Ivy was an amazing teacher, patient as could be and just lovely to ride. She was also comfortable to ride bareback because she was like straddling a couch with her wide, flat back! I am not a naturally gifted rider, so having a patient teacher who could handle a six-foot-tall adult was a real blessing. I’m sure that Ivy hated my inability to post the trot, but she never acted up or stepped a hoof out of line, no matter how much I bumped around on her back. She was big enough to carry an adult, but gentle enough to teach a child to ride.
The most “advanced” thing I ever did on Ivy was trotting over small crossrails. We were supposed to be trotting over those crossrails, but because I was such a bad and inexperienced rider she would get right up to the poles and stop suddenly before gently stepping over them. I don’t know if I was incapable of keeping her in trot or if she thought I’d go flying off if she went over any faster than a walk!
My lessons on Ivy went for a little over a year, until I got my own horse and started my first barn job. Because I was working at another barn in exchange for board for Glory, I didn’t have time to continue volunteering at the riding school. A few years ago, Ivy passed away suddenly. It was a huge blow to me when I found out, because she wasn’t very old and it was out-of-the-blue. I hadn’t been down there in quite awhile, so I hadn’t seen my old teacher before she passed. I was extremely upset about this, and I admit that I cried several times over the next few days because of the news (and I went and gave Glory some extra hugs).
Ivy taught me how to brush a horse, how to pick burrs out of manes and tails, and how to tack up. She taught me how to ride the walk and trot, both posting and sitting, and how to go up in two-point jumping position. I hated posting the trot on her because her trot was so slow that in required a lot of work, and because of that I learned that I have muscles in my thighs that I didn’t know could hurt so much! She taught me to be proud when I made progress, and how to be grateful for a patient horse who would deal with teaching me to ride. I do wish I’d been at a point where I could’ve cantered on her, because apparently she had a lovely canter, but I wasn’t at that point when I stopped taking lessons there so it didn’t happen. I am forever grateful for the things she did teach me, however. She gave me a steady foundation for my riding, and even though I am still learning every time I climb into the saddle, I know that my basics are strong.
What was the first horse you rode, and at what age did you first start riding? Comment below and share your story!
