When I was 13 I started working as a helper for a local vet because I loved animals and wanted to become a vet. I had been horse riding a few times on rented horses and really enjoyed it but couldn't afford to rent often. The vet acquired a young two year old filly (as payment probably from someone). He had tried some of the local horsey kids to ride her but she kept bucking off all comers. Grown cowboy types were too heavy for her (never mind the fact that even in the good old days that riding a two year old was just a bad idea). So he kept asking me to ride her, which I told him I was not keen on, and she needed an experienced rider (who had a clue how to train a youngster?). Finally I agreed, expecting to be her latest missile rider. But to my surprise she didn't buck me off. So I just took on riding her, knew nothing about training, couldn't afford a saddle, but eventually we went on little rides, and gradually longer rides, just about anywhere, she adapted to traffic, bridges, baby jumps, etc.. At the end of the summer the vet sold her to one of the kids who she originally bucked off, so I didn't think that was right. But by then I was hooked on riding and graduated to another horse. I still couldn't afford the horse or a saddle, but the owner said I only had to pay for shoes. That one was an arabian, which is how I got hooked on arabs.