Well I started very tiny... about three years old... standing under a kindly old Clysdale patting her belly...my mom freaked!!! Real riding began in Fredericton,New Brunswick at the Fredericton Pony Club.We used to compete against the Halifax Junior Bengal Lancers, the Rothsey Pony Club and a pony club from the States [Maine] the Braley Gray family

I started at 5 star ranch. about 13 years ago

Hey there pinkhorse & Galactica. I used to ride & help at Central Don with Walter & Norm. I remember Jeff Bowden (& Hepplewhite) & Sue McGreal teaching as well as Norm & Walter. I remember Fat Jellybean, Pete & Jack the Clyde crosses, Sahara, Phoenix, Cobbler, Edna, Hershey, Hathaway, Trinket, Magenta, Renard, Bay Rum, Meerschaum, Medusa, Morsar, Midnight, & the ponies, Bluebell, Cain & Gunther. I also remember Jackie & her sister Kristen, Michelle & Annalease. I would pile them into my Camero & take them to McDonalds. No bubble when I was there though....we rode outside. I had a blast at their monthly schooling shows.

I used to live at the house at the front of Cinch Stables, worked for them and took out the trail rides.Took my lessons there as well....Aw the good old days ..lol

Appylover- your name was Laura, right? I have a recollection of you and I in the same lessons with Mr.B, I often rode Crackerjack and remember a giant brown thing called Charlie, a really fat probably Clyde cross called Poker Chip but we called him Porker Chop. I taught Neil as a very small kid out in that little arena to the left of the driveway...All back when Dinosaurs roamed the earth...

Hi - Another neighbour. I lived just north of that big white mansion. I moved to the area in 1963 when I was 5. There were farms all along the west side of Leslie where the townhouses and Medical Building are. The girl who got killed (I'm sure it was the same girl) lived in the street behind us one or two houses to the east. Because of her, my parents wouldn't give me riding lessons. I had to wait until I was 20 and could pay for them myself. They did lend me the money for my first horse - which ended up being a "grant" so I guess they bought me my first horse after all. They talk about trail riding through the Don Valley as children so it seemed very unfair.

Near the white mansion (isn't that part of the Bloorview Children's Hospital now?) there was a little stable with a paddock. A paint horse called Apache lived there. I'm not sure how we (the neighbourhood kids) all seemed to know its name. A man came daily to feed him and we thought he was mean but he probably wanted us to leave the poor horse alone. We all had our turns hopping on Apache who understandably did his best to buck us off and discourage us! Because of Apache I always make sure my horses are turned out in very private areas where no one bothers them.

My grandparents lived at Bayview and Eglinton and when we visited my Dad always drove by Winfields Farm so I could see the horses. Never got to feed them though.

When I finally started riding it was at The Horse Place in Oakville. Sue ran it - I remember Jigsaw and Star and Count2 who certainly taught me to never beleive your horse was really going to jump until you landed on the other side. Those horses were so physically challenged that they would tell us that horses jumped differently over 3' - of course they just didn't want to jump them too much as they were on their last legs. However they certainly put that thought in my mind and for as long as I jumped I always worried "Is it over 3 feet"???? Oddly that farm also had a cottage which they managed to rent to the hottest guys. For some reason all the horses were afraid of that cottage but they guys made it worth going past it!

Hey Spots,

Was Shirley there doing pony club? Do you remeber they used to have a group lesson for thoseof us who help groom and take care of the school horse.
There was also Michelle, later Linda and Norris.
I also remember, the old Bluestreak, who used to buck everyone off. Also Hastings, Gertie. I sed to ride Becky and rode with Jeffrey Sunday mornings.
Those were wild times. At the schooling shows they used to have fault and out.....not anymore I am sure.
I wonder if any use rode together.

Hey Jude,
I started at Grren Willow too- I can name every pony & horse & what stall they were in-just don't ask me what I had for Breakfast!

Hey Fox Run! Great to see another Green Willow rider! Not sure if I can name each one but I probably can. Probably wouldn't remember the riders names though!

double post

[This message has been edited by Jude (edited June 15, 2008).]

Hey Jude and Fox Run
I was at Green Willow. Rode Donegal and Richie. Took Richie to the Ford Show and didn't even make it over the first jump.
Sooo sad. But things got better.
My parents bought Colleen, the New Forest pony in the second barn and I won the junior champion at some gymkhana that we went to. What an amazing little jumper she was!! Oh the memories.
I was there probably in 1960ish?
Do you remember a mare called Dogpatch or something like that?

Rode my uncle's old QH mare when I was 3-5. Got my first nasty spotted shetland pony named Red when I was 5. Out grew him, got my second pony at 8 her name was Tweetybird. I had them both at Cherry Hill stables. Small place in the middle of nowhere. 5 stalls!lol.

Outgrew Tweety, got my first horse at 14. Appy mare. Always rode and took lessons with my cousin Roger Clairmont.

14-16 rode TBs for an old trainer by the last name of MacDougal. He raced out of Ft. Erie. I didn't get to Ft. Erie to gallop till I was 16. Rode for Mac and Bosco Buttigieg till I was about 18 and just got too tall and decided I wanted to show.

Rode at Silver Acres a bit, Henderson's which is now Camberwells, rode and showed at Four Seasons, Bill Barber's old place.

Even did a stint of exercising horses at the Old Double J when the Hermanns owned it.

Wowwwwwwwwww... I AM SOOOOOO OLD!!!

Hi Carron! Nice to find someone else. Sheesh we are not that old! [img]http://www.equiman.com/cgi-bin/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img] Yes I remember Dogwood. She was an old hunt horse that was in the school. I gather her owner was elderly and loaned her to the school so she would have a good home. She was old but full of spunk! I got run away with one day when we all went out into the fields for a ride. Yikkes! Didn't fall off though and ended back with the group. [img]http://www.equiman.com/cgi-bin/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

Collen was lovely. I remember her. Lucky you to have had her. [img]http://www.equiman.com/cgi-bin/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

Wow. It is amazing how strong the ties are. Some of you are remembering friends and horses from a quarter century ago and I can still read the joy in your memories. How beautiful.

I learned to ride at home and home is where I still ride. [img]http://www.equiman.com/cgi-bin/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

Yes I do have fond memories of Big Dan and the Jones family who ran Green Willow. The horses were always happy and well fed. They lived outdoors 24/7 in the good months. Mr & Mrs Jones made sure we kids had a great time and kept safe. There was a Gymkana every summer and a Christmas party in Dec. Lots of fun.

I learned to ride at eight. A girl down the road had a few ponies and loved people to ride with her as long as you didn't fall off. lol.. her nasty shetlands were the best teachers ever. We also went around to anybody that had a horse and asked if we could ride them. - some were broke some wern't but we didn't know any better My parents did not have a CLUE what we were up to. We rode bareback all over town at least 2-3 hours per day - terrorizing everyone, jumping ditches and hedges and anything else we could find. Including the picnic tables at the park. I would love to have the seat now that I did then.

After many years of begging I finally got formal lessons at Maple Valley with the Captain then rode with Barry Bull in R.Hill and Cedar Valley. Only a few of you may remember that name and Oxford Glen. [img]http://www.equiman.com/cgi-bin/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

I also earned more than one or two summers wage teaching at Horse Lovers Day Camp - what a blast and good parties. The weeks before camp started, sorting and starting the horses and trying to figure out which ones were broke were the best. I wonder how many parents knew their kids were riding GREEN GREEN horses.

If nothing else, I certainly had fun and loved working and volunteering at most of the local shows and some not so local.

I remember Shelley Johnstone & Daphne Porter,I thought they both leased Colleen
until Daphne got Sultan & Shelley got Crackerjack .Penny Rose had Mallory & Heather Hope had Flicka ?Brian Maloney had Mayo. I often wonder if any of the Jones kids post on here or even still ride?

Hey Fox Run
What years were you there. I remember Sharon Johnstone? I think. She owned a beautiful little grey pony. I had Colleen and Sheila was riding Donegal at the time. When we left Green Willow to go to Brian Hall my parents bought my second horse from Doug Hood and Colleen went back to Dan Jones, so that would make sense. But it would have been in the early sixties some time. I'm a little blurry on that.
Heather MacArthur owned Royal Skye.
Sheila, Sharon and I were all about the same age so used to pal around. I spent a couple weekends at the Jones' homestead on sixth line, getting up and eating breakfast at that long kitchen table in that old farmhouse. I've wondered the same about Danny and Sheila. Wonder where they ended up?

Hey Carron,
I was there in 60 or 61.Shelagh was still
on Donegal. I also stayed on 6th line.
Big breakfast(cause they got up so early)
I remember jumping Colleen bareback over
the course in the field.She was great.
Were you at Briar Hall with Jen Astles,Edie Craddock,Terry Leibel
& the Scott girls?

Oh my lord Foxrun.
I used to have overnights at Jen Astles place. And yes, Edie Craddock was there. Nancy Bragg with Nimrod. She was my idol. There was another girl there that we hung out with. Phillipa who lived right on the Lakeshore with this big tennis court. I had Christopher Robin and showed him. I think my parents were supposed to buy him but it seems to me that it ended up as lease situation.
If Terry Leibel was there I had no idea or appreciation of who she was at the time. The Scott girls rings some sort of bells but I can't place them. Who did they ride?
I loved their cross country there. Used to ride through there and up Upper Middle Road and back in.

Carron,
I am having lunch with Jen tomorrow.
Nancy Bragg still sees her alot. They went to the Queens Plate together.
I think Liz Scotts horse was Brush Lightly
(but maybe that was at Samson)
I think I remember Christopher Robin
a Bay? Do you remember Mary Bailey(?)

Hey Littlecreek...sorry just saw your post now. Yep you are right. I don't recall some of those horses though, but my memory isn't as good as it once was!!!! Thinking back I can only remember the boarders horses names and not the lessons horses. Good to hear from you!!!!

What a memory Fox Run! Yup, he was a 16 hand bay. I don't remember a Mary Bailey.
Did you guys all continue to ride together at other barns?
And did you come from Green Willow over to Briar Hall?
You are welcome to email me off the board.
carron at rogers dot com

Hi Debbie, long time no see... hope all is well and having fun in life. Yup there are a lot of Almar people out there, I run into them all the time in surprising places.

Cheers!
Tina W.

What are your parents names? my partner boarded there during that time ..... his horses were Noble and Bradoor?

I sarted riding at a stable called the Three Hussars when I was 13 - it was in various places - the king side road, then near Bradford, then on Woodbine near Stouffville road. It was run by a Hungarian named Cornelius Jeges. That was 42 years ago. I was very spoiled - took two or three lessons and ended up riding there, and working there all the time. Rode some fantastic horses, and loved every moment of it. Boy did I get a shock when I actually rode a school horse in my early thirties after being away from riding for 10 years. I think of him often, he was a fabuous teacher.

What are your parents names? my partner boarded there during that time ..... his horses were Noble and Bradoor?

I'm the parent (Jo Davis) that owned and ran BJ Equestrian Club, along with my husband, Bill. We had few male boarders, as do most places. I'm searching my senile brain to recall the owner of "Noble and Bradoor", without success. Unless it was Brad (whose last name I won't post for privacy reasons).

I often wonder what became of our boarders, Pony Clubbers and students. Anyone here hang out with us in the seventies/eighties? Would love to hear from you. Prior to that we had a little stable on Burnhamthorpe Road (Blue Spruce Stables) - torn down and built on long ago.

I took a break from horses after we sold the farm to one of our boarders. It's changed hands twice more since then - presently Penny Lane. I'm just getting back into pleasure riding now, at the ripe old age of 66 yrs. Do you think I can do it??

Any old Five Star Ranch people? I started riding there I think in 89?

It would be Bradley he's stayed in horses, various aspects .... QH, standardbreds, hunter/jumper ..... was a coach for a number of years, and now shows as an amateur again and works as road manager for a top A circuit barn

I started riding with the Eglinton Pony Club with Jim Henry and Doug Henry and Jane Murray. That was 51 years ago when I was 13. Anybody around from that vintage? Scary eh?