The local riding school

You walk down this cobbled yard and the first thing that hits, is that familiar smell of hay, golden straw, and the horses. There is a certain smell that both me and my sister still remember to this day and we call it “the first day smell”.

The yard is full on both sides from a little appaloosa pony about 12.2 with half a tail swatting it at the flies to coloured chunky cobs with flowing manes, sport horses, half breeds, Thoroughbreds, Connemara,s and every sort of cross you could imagine. Some of them are tacked up, and some have got their toasty rugs on them still. The yard dogs run around smelling for mice or a pat off one of the passing yard kids They are as much part of the furniture down here as the horses are.

There are yard kids running around tacking up ponies for the next lesson, dropping neck straps along the way, more yard kids sweeping the yard and cleaning out drinkers. Another few pull down a trolley full of hay to feed the multitude of faces that eagerly peer out through their stable door in await of their breakfast.

The perfect start – Annaharvey Farm

We all remember our first lesson, our first jump, our first canter, and our first competition. For most of us including me, we made our start in our local riding school. For me, mine was Annaharvey farm. To this day I have yet to find a better place to start your ridden education. From the horses to the facilities to the amazing instructors. It is every kid’s dream. I stayed in Annaharvey for years learning as much as I could from all the instructors and Aisling who has probably forgotten more about horses than I will ever know, I owe a lot to her. She introduced me to Dressage, thought me how to work a horse in an outline, and lit a fire in me to produce horses to the standard she always did.

The tormenting child prevails…eventually

I was 7 and had harassed my parents for years to start riding lessons. I was a child on a mission. My mother bought me The Heartland books, which I read religiously, and thought my life should be like the pages of my favourite books. Every year I asked Santy for a pony which never arrived. I drew pictures of them and wrote about them in school. When the Dublin horse show was on the TV, I was glued to it and always imagined one day riding in the main arena (like many of us). Eventually, I plagued my parents enough that they finally gave in.

I can still recall my first lesson so vividly to this day. I walked into what seemed to be the biggest shed I had ever seen. It was the first indoor arena I was ever in and it was enormous to me. There was a little 13hh Dun Connemara type pony standing tacked up in the middle of the arena waiting for me and my instructor, Rachel, smiled as I nervously approached her to start my very first lesson.

From the ground she told me a bit about Bonnie and gave me a demonstration as to how to get up. I thought I would have been just flung up, but no, there is an actual proper procedure to mounting a pony correctly, who would have known?

Finally on board

After all the safety checks I was up and walking around in my first lesson. I remember how tricky it was initially to get used to holding the reins correctly. For years I watched people riding horses on the TV. I thought I would have this riding thing down in like a few short sessions and I would be well on my way to international success. I was totally flabbergasted that you DIDN’T throw the reins at them and shout, “giddy up” or “yaaaaa”. Learning to steer, look up, and stay on was proving way more difficult than I first imagined, but I was doing it. But the hard part hadn’t even started. The trot was still to come.

Officially hooked to horses for life

When I think back on my first attempt at a rising trot I have to laugh. Thankfully I still have it on video if I ever need a good aul laugh at myself. I had zero coordination, zero balance, Bonnie also felt like she was going about 1000mph, while I looked like a very ungraceful ragdoll. I was beaming from ear to ear. It was incredible! I was officially hooked.

The infatuation continues

And now 20 odd years later, I would like to think I am slightly more co-ordinated and balanced in the saddle. But that same feeling from the very first day never escaped me, elation, pure bliss, pure magic that is usually kept for special days in our lives, pinnacles in our careers, or momentous occasions. But for us equestrians, we get this feeling every day we have a good ride. These are the moments we live for. That good ride, whether it’s a 3 star track, hacking alone, or mastering one-time changes. It’s all relevant! We all have those feelings many times throughout our riding career and it makes the days where you end up in a sloppy ditch at the start of a hunt or falling in the sand with your pony in the interschool’s jump-off, all worthwhile. Those moments! I will cherish my first riding lesson, and I will always look back at it as one of those moments of pure elation, along with my first rosette, first competition, my first time backing a horse, or backing my own horse this year, and many more special occasions these amazing animals have given me and 1000s of others across the country every day. Let’s celebrate the wins with our horses, no matter how big or small. Any day we have the privilege of riding a horse is always a good day in my book.