They sound a lovely couple, and true horse lovers, very rare these days

Please go ahead, I've got some more of the army grooms and the sergeant who ran the stables and riding school, a fabulously interesting character who fought in the Boer war and WW1 with horses all his life.

Thanks, I have to say I also fell off a lot unfortunately the only pics of that were on the old cine 8 mm which have all been lost now.

A lovely 'action' shot there H and you have that 'determined' look

As you say it's amazing what we do, I can't remember how many times I fell but it was more than twice so you must have been a better rider than me

The family returned to UK in 1960 and I've never ridden since those days in Cyprus. It was my brother who was really bitten, he had a horse as soon as he married, then another 'cos his wife got hooked, and then when his daughter was 10 she of course wanted her own, so at one point he had three. He's only got the one now and it only gets ridden by his daughter when she has time, otherwise he has a life in retirement munching in a lovely grassy meadow and being put into his stable at night with a big bucket of apples and other goodies by my brother

What a wonderful thread, and it does make one trawl back through memories..........good and bad! I love all the photos on here, and would love to add a stunning shot of myself clearing an Olympic sized fence, but sadly they have all been lost over the years. (If you believe that you will believe anything). Harvey, that fence you were jumping was enormous

I had ponies when I was a child, and when my daughter was old enough I indoctrinated her into the pleasures of riding...

This was her first pony, Rusty - a Welsh section A - just after we took him on. He was a tad fat!! Still, he was the most cheeky, loveable and endearing little fellow and we all adored him.........he was eventually put down in the orchard and buried there in his extremely expensive Chaskit rug.



We had several other ponies over the years and my own horse, but the only picture I can find of me riding is when I was taking the tickle out of a pony before my daughter rode it: For some reason the pic is tiny, and I have scanned it several times but the result is always the same



I miss horses and ponies, but I don't miss the work especially in the winter. I also don't miss hitting the ground at speed, or riding across the top of the ridge and seeing the good old boys from the RAF heading towards us at low level and having a few seconds in which to decide whether to bale out before they arrived at head height, or whether to wait to be thrown off!! I DO miss that early morning welcome from the heads over the stable doors as I trundled up half asleep with a puffa on over my nightie to let them out into the paddock. I loved mucking out the stables and leaving them clean and fresh smelling with thick straw or shavings (one had breathing problems) banked up high and ready for night time. I loved rambling rides over the fields and hill and I loved jumping. Towards the end of horsey ownership though it became painful to ride unless it was on the level, and as we lived on a hill that was a bit of a problem. I will always remember those horsey years with a very great fondness.

I'm so glad that this thread has unearthed pleasant memories of past years, as I mentioned I haven't been riding for decades nevertheless I'll never forget the years in Cyprus mainly because of the horses, and the falling off bit God only knows how I didn't break my back.

I feel the same as you Sally, don't miss all the hard work in winter, but I do miss those heads coming over to shout for brekkie and just being with them.

That little pony of your daughter's there Sally, a real Thelwell type, bet she had loads of fun on him with you egging her on at the gymkanas (sp?). I'm loving that other welshie you're on there though, always my favourite, a chesnut welsh with flaxen mane and tail. I do love those, I remember trying to load two of them from a field once when I used to do a bit of transporting with my horsebox. Blooming 'eck they were strong fella's, I even had Dave with me, and I think it took about 2 hours to get the pair of them in my box!

I miss everything you miss too, but without all that hard work not to mention the expense. My favourite time was getting up at the yard 5 am in early summer, tacking up and just going off for a few hours with my dog tagging along. I had the whole world to myself (or so I imagined), and sometimes I wouldn't return until lunchtime. People who have never ridden, just don't know what it's like to get so deep into the countryside you're in another world out there, peering between those two ears, it really is the most beautiful view in the whole, wide world isn't it, along with being the most relaxing thing you can ever do.

Sometimes, we'd chuck them in the lorry early mornings, and set off down to the beach, with a friend of mine who worked at the local trainers yard. Jeesus Christ, she used to put my heart in my mouth jumping the huuuuge breakwaters at breakneck speed, whilst I kept right down at the end where I wouldn't have to jump them lol! Some of them had big drops on the other side, but she didn't know that on the approach, but that horse of hers, never once let her down, but I have to say, I wouldn't have trusted my own not to put in a dirty stop at one of them, hence the reason I was galloping along the lower edge of them!

Lovely pics everyone, and thanks again Harvey

I might have another dig about in my photo file later and see what I've got of other horses I've owned, cos I had a few, some good, some bad, some very, very bad

Obviously not just me that considered this turned out to be their 'thread of the day'. Great pics everyone. I've only got a couple of my daughter riding - dunno where they are. She used to ride at the stables down in Newlyn (with the buzzards circling overhead - beautiful place - I enjoyed just being there watching - a hack down there is usually on Marazion beach) and also rode my pal's horse with my pal's daughter up on Carn Brae - now that's what I call RIDING FOR PLEASURE. As soon as we left Cornwall and enquired of the local riding classes and stables it became obvious they were much more competitive and pony club orientated and she wasn't interested apart from helping out at stables and getting the odd ride there.

Well done for starting this 'animal, pet, related' thread Losos!

Most enjoyable indeed!

Harvey, wonderful photos of you and a great photo of you jumping that huge spread. Everyone elses photos are also lovely. One day I'll find the album of my favourite photos, these following ones were all loose in a drawer.

I have a few, most old apart from the last one which is of me on my then 4 year old welsh section D. All poor quality as I've had to take photos of photos
My friend and I (on the right) having a gallop (well my horse was!):


A very fuzzy one of me jumping - I actually had a broken arm in this photo, and note no hat


Me looking very grumpy on my jumping pony.


Finally an awful photo of me on my 4 year old.

Oh jenny, what fabulous old photos (well, not ancient obviously...I mean you are not THAT old - *gets spade).

Those days when we didn't even think of putting a hat on, and even if we did they were only those felt covered things that were probably broken in a million places anyway.

I love the 4 year old, such a pretty head........with those flaring nostrils he looks like a sudden whip round is on the cards!!

Sally, she was a real baby in that shot and yes she perfected the spinning round if she saw a scary leaf or twig She was the first mare I'd ever owned and they always say "you ask a mare and tell a gelding"

I don't ride any more as my back really doesn't like it but they were wonderful times and horses were a major part of my life.