I believe I was just eight years old when I somehow convinced my non-horse parents to buy a horse. There was an ad in a local paper for a two year old Arabian for sale, and we went to see him. We did buy him, which we all know now wasn’t the brightest idea. Who buys a baby horse as new owners?
I know, too many people do it.
At any rate, that horse, Larry, went off to a trainer. The seller actually had two older horses that she had available, as well, and we bought them. They were much better matches for us.
We had nowhere to put these horses, so my parents got on that, building a four stall barn and two pastures. We still have that same barn, though it now has five stalls, and one of those pastures. The other became an outdoor arena first, and then a long time later, in 2009 we built an indoor arena on that spot.
I have a bad memory of most events of my childhood. Like, completely awful. Sometimes, I’m not sure I ever was a child.
Despite that, I do remember going to the other barn to learn how to ride horses. Since I was so little, it was mostly walking for me, and then eventually trotting. My first horse was BG Bourbon Street, a grey Half-Arabian gelding. He was a good boy for me, and I truly wish I had appreciated him more at the time.
I don’t remember much of those lessons. I do remember being excited to go to them each week, but that’s about it. They set me up well, though, as obviously it sucked me in to being a horse rider.
I wasn’t taught anything about posting or cantering back then. I rode in a western saddle, and I did for years.
It’s kind of amazing to me when I think about how little I remember of that time, but how it still was something I genuinely loved.
Silhouette Arabians 