Never to old to take up the reins for the first time!

Take Back The Reins is not just for returning riders, but welcomes those with no experience too.
Mary Morris, 66, from Stoke Newington, shares her story.

I started three years' ago to ride at 63.

Every time I saw a horse my heart would melt but it never occurred to me that riding was something I could access. Then, on my birthday I thought, it's now or never and there's no reason why I shouldn't try.

Starting out

I booked half a dozen lessons, thinking I'd be an expert. I was so naive I didn't realise there was so much to riding; that the horse could be scared of things, that horses have personalities, that you have to learn how to get the best out of each horse.

For a good year, my riding was all about me and I never sought to have a partnership with the horse but as I learnt, so the horse became as important as me and to commune with the horse when riding and just being around the horse has changed me.

Even though my purpose when I started was to learn enough to be able to hack - to canter, gallop and hack - once I'd had lessons I got hooked on the finer points of learning - and I enjoy a mixture of both.

Fitness benefits

I learnt that even at my age you can fall off - and get back on again.

I didn't realise how fit riding was making me until I had to run for my bus - and did so without conscious effort.

I rode a bicycle and realized my balance was better than it was 30years ago.

My doctor told me my core strength was remarkable for a woman of my age and, after the first time that I fell off, I thought the doctor would tell me off for riding at all but instead she said she wished more of her patients would ride.

But riding is also about mental health - it's good for my mind, body and soul!

And on the other side there's just absolute exquisite joy at every sense of achievement. I'm not the best, but I am improving and there's always another goal.

Social benefits

The social side is almost as good as the riding too.

I'm older, single, my children live abroad, and although I work, it is from home so it's very hard to maintain a social life.

Riding gave me an instant social life - every week we ride, hang around, natter and we go to things together and stay in touch.

Travel and ambitions

Riding has also given me a great excuse to travel. I'd never dream of going on holiday on my own but by choosing somewhere, where I could also ride, it gives a purpose to the holiday and I've gone with other people from my riding group too.

We've ridden like mad hoons, galloping along beaches in Norfolk and Ireland, galloped the heavy horses in Cumbria and gone to Worcestershire for dressage lessons on the lunge.

I don't want to win competitions or to do anything unsafe but I do aspire to get better and I enjoy our dressage evenings at the stables and there's a huge amount on offer including jumping.

Family benefits

If I'd ridden before I had my five kids, I'd have been a better mother; riding teaches you patience and understanding.

Some of my grown-up family and friends say my taking up riding and jumping, at my age, is wonderful and a couple dared say I was their hero but in fact, I'm sure they think I'm mad!

So although my group is flexible, you turn up when you can so there can be six or 15 of us each week and we then split who is going to hack and who wants a lesson, I turn up every week and because it's so much more affordable this way, twice a week if I can!