That really sucks, and unfortunately there are a lot of people in your position. In my experience, if the parents aren't invested in it, then the kid, no matter how much they want to ride, won't get very far.

I don't want to sound really pessimistic or anything, because it is still very possible for you to continue to be involved with horses (just taking lessons is much cheaper), but horse leasing or ownership requires so much money that its hard for a teenager to afford all on their own.

Depending on how much experience you have and your skill set, you may be able to find a position as a groom or an exercise rider at a boarding barn. But in the meantime, I'd say take as many lessons as you can and see what pops up, you never know when opportunity will knock!

That really sucks, and unfortunately there are a lot of people in your position. In my experience, if the parents aren't invested in it, then the kid, no matter how much they want to ride, won't get very far.

I don't want to sound really pessimistic or anything, because it is still very possible for you to continue to be involved with horses (just taking lessons is much cheaper), but horse leasing or ownership requires so much money that its hard for a teenager to afford all on their own.

Depending on how much experience you have and your skill set, you may be able to find a position as a groom or an exercise rider at a boarding barn. But in the meantime, I'd say take as many lessons as you can and see what pops up, you never know when opportunity will knock!

The good thing is that this summer ill be doing trail rides with one of the boarders at my neighbours barn, and the owner really wants me to ride her horse because the horse I currently ride (the trail horse) is 30 years old. I think thats a pretty good start, and it's all free.

I am around your age and I own a couple of horses, which I show competitively around the country. I would not be able to do this however, if it wasn't for my mother who owns her own farm and helps to cover expenses. I am not sure if this has been covered, but the best place to start is to decide how competitively you would like to ride, this will determine the horse you invest in and the quality of equipment nessesary. If you are not looking to compete than I would suggest looking into a half board/ half lease on a horse at your barn. If they offer that of course, with a half board you would get to ride the horse a couple of days a week and that is the only expense you would have to cover. At my barn (ny) you can get a relatively cheap price on a horse, ride two to three days a week and not have to worry about the additional expenses(vet, teeth, farrier), meaning the lease price is the only thing you pay for other than your own equipment. Not sure if that helps at all, or if it has already been said, but if you have any other questions that haven't been answered on here feel free to ask me :) I'd like to consider myself pretty knowledgeable on this topic being my mother runs a barn xD

Thank you!

Sage.. things also to remember if your horse requires special shoes (pads, bars, clips) those will also cost alot more than a barefoot horse.

Pasture boarding is usually cheapest... but if you stable.. you will need to buy shavings or straw for bedding.

You also have your consumable products other than feed and hay and supplements...you have your grooming supplies, your fly spray, blankets, sheets, fly masks... boots...it is a VERY expensive "hobby"...ok.. addictiton...

I am just tossing out costs

Thank you so much!

Just telling ya, some people say that £50 saddle pads and all that stuff is really affordable. Don't fall for it, go straight to ebay 😂

I wouldn't be riding a horse that old. Nothing against you or the owner, but I've always been taught that everything deserves a retirement, and by retirement, it has always ground handling only, not "retiring" your old horse as a lesson horse for a million kids to yank around. My current retirees are 20 and 24. The 20 year old was last ridden 18 months ago and has been ridden maybe 10 times in 13 years. The other hadn't in around 18 years. They're expensive pets now. I don't believe in anyone other than a tiny kid riding horses over 25, and the main riding there is learning how to steer, stop, and to forward. You guys are probably going to think it rude of me to say so, but that's just what I've been taught and adhered to my whole life. If the horse did good for me when he/she was young, it instantly earns a retirement plan with all expenses paid for. It's my way of letting them know how grateful I am for how they performed for me. And yes, they still get all the extra feed, attention, thick blankets, and vet care that elderly horses need, they just don't have to give me anything in return because they gave it long ago.

^ I think it's different for every horse. I know 19 year old horses that need to be retired, and 35 year old horses that still want to go go go and would die of sadness if they were put in a field to do nothing. The oldest horse I've ever ridden was 37 and that thing wanted to GALLOP the whole ride. I was more exhausted than he was by the end of it. His owner also owned a 42 year old that went in much the same way.

My sister's horse we retired when he was 35, he was initially retired at 25 and just started losing muscle tone and was constantly badgering for attention and he didn't WANT to be retired, so we pulled him out and let him keep trail riding until one day my sister put the saddle on and he just. Laid down. So that's when we knew he was ready to retire, and he went perfectly happily into retirement then. But they know when they're ready, and I do believe that horses are designed to move and experience new things, so retiring them too soon and keeping them from that can have worse affects than keeping them in work. Again, though, every horse is different!