we have a VERY old pony at our barn named willy(aka:the wonder pony!).thou willys 40 hes still packing little kids around on his back and doing pony parties of twenty kids happily.my instuctor told me that when she was little she used to jump him bareback!hes given a lot of kids confidence and is curenttly teaching a 3 yr old how to ride.so heres to wee willy wonka the wonder pony!!!!
I adopted a wise old horse from an even wise old cowboy. Our story started on top of a mountain ridge in WV. I wanted to adopt, rather than buy a horse because I had been involved in dog rescue for so many years. I just thought it was the right thing to do. I had selected a beautiful X-race horse that was said to be safe and have a good personality. When I went to meet her she did indeed have a good personality, but a bit pushy in the saddle. I rode her up to a neighboring barn where they had a tack store and we decided to fit her with a saddle and bridle and take her home, or so I thought... Well the wise cowboy had ridden a very plain, yet odd looking older horse to the barn as well. He suggested I ride him back to the other barn, while my husaband rides the mare we had picked out. I agreed only because it was better riding a horse was always better than riding in the truck! I took another look at this plain sorrel gelding, and still was not impressed and was a bit disturbed by the way he hung his tongue out when you rode him. I mounted up and rode him back to the other barn. Wow! This strangly odd, plain sorrel, gelding had ransformed into a beautiful copper colored sorrel with a dream gait right under my seat! I was totally in love! When i arrived at the barn I announced he was going home with me! That was to be one of the best decisions I ever made about a horse. Blaze became my partner. He gave me confidence in the saddle and taught me to trust. Now after years of trail riding he is retired to children only. We now use him to help kids in the 4H horse club to become trusting of horses and respectful. He is a favorite in local parades and a beloved member of 4H. He has also taught both my girls to ride as well. Now well in his 20's Blaze is a permanate fixture in the barn. We can never repay him for what he has taught so many, but I promise he will be loved and taken care of for the rest of his life. I have learned, "Never judge a book by it's cover, or a horse with his tongue hanging out!"
I got my first horse at age 21. Mac was a 21-year-old Paint gelding. We spend five great years roaming over every piece of undeveloped land we could find in our home area. He taught me to have confidence in myself and in my horse and at times, I felt that I learned more from him than I did from my instructor. I've since moved on to a younger gelding, who is quite wonderful in his own way, and Mac is enjoying his retirement in my backyard.
My daughter's senior citizen horse Lovey gave me back my self confidencein riding after having had a really bad accident from a horse we were going to buy before we got Lovey. He may be 22 but he knows how to act with whoever is on his back and knows when to take care of you and when to "show off". I wouldn't give him up for all the money in the world.
A friend heard that we were looking for a horse for our daughter to learn to ride on. Boy he couldn't have done better!!! Big John (and he really is a big boy-probably 16 or 16.5h) helped her learn to ride, care and most important to recognize the importance of the bond between a rider and horse. She learned to trust him no matter where they were going! At 31 (that's right, I said 31) he would watch out for her and he looked for her everyday after school! I couldn't have asked for a better friend for her. He gave her the confidence she needed and made her believe in herself. I didn't have to worry about him getting spooked or having an off day - he was the same EVERY day! Even though he has moved on to teach another girl how to ride, we still have to ask about him and check to make sure he is doing good! She has learned to be a confident, safe, responsible rider on her "new" horse because Big John was such a great teacher!! You can see his picture on the site here.
I have ridden senior equines in the past but the most memorable were the two I got the chance to work with this summer. I worked at a camp for people with disabilities and the two seniors I got to work with were the two of the most frustrating and amazing horses ever. They would both give me heaps of attitude about working but once they had a camper on their backs they turned into saints. I had campers who sang at the top of their lungs, campers who would wiggle around in the saddle, I have had to ride double with campers who couldn't support themselves, and never once did I have a problem with my two senior citizens. These two horses gave campers the opportunity to ride who may have never gotten the chance to outside of this camp.
I am sure I fit the profile of many middle-aged recreational riders returning to the saddle, renewing a childhood love affair with horses. My relationship with my 20 yr old senior Appaloosa, Sky has empowered me. I am learning, relearning and finding out I can do more. My senior horse is my tolerant soft-eyed companion.
I am 13 and a bad speller so sorry if the spelling is off. I go trail riding all the time with my friend tabby and shes just lerning to ride. I have a crazy 5 year old little less than green haffliner mare named Eri that likes to take off with you and drink iced tea,and a calm 17 year old quarter horse/arab/thoroughbred cross named Charley that likes to jump and galop. I was riding Eri the bucking bronco and Tab was on Charley. We went up behind her house (where naighbors). We came on a part of the trail that was to muddy (with all the rain we had in NH) to continue so we found a diffrent trail and ended up turning what was supposed to be a hour ride into a 6 hour ride. Eri was etting borred but Charley was still happy to continue leading us home. I have rinden manny senior horses but Charley has to be the best off them he has tought me so manny things i cant start to count them all.
My horse's nickname is Shorts, and he is 23 years old. I lease him from a wonderful woman, who loves him even more than I. Shortie is my bud. He loves me so much in the year we've been together that he follows me around like a pup, allows me to put my hands in his mouth to look at his teeth, and get on on his off side. He also shifts his weight to get under me when he feels that I'm falling off. He's very laid-back but when asked to he'll act like he's a six year old again, he gallops around the arena without a care in the world. He's helped me so much by being patient, willing, with a sparkle of michief. He's been the best horse I've ever worked with, and the first horse I've been able to call my own. I love him so much!!!