I started lessons at 29 years old. I had a pony as a small child and had ridden trails several times since then, but never really learned to properly ride. I got my first horse (Bud) after about 3 years of lessons. He's an off-track thoroughbred (did turf and hurdles) who already had basic retraining. I love him to death, though he's been a bit of a hot house orchid.

I live in a very suburban/ small town part of the country. Land is available, but precious. There are a good number of boarding and training options in the area. There are also a good number of high level showing opportunities for those with the capability and income, but boarding and training is relatively expensive, ranging from $425-1000 per month for facilities with indoors.

Quarter horses and off-track thoroughbreds are probably the cheapest and most commonly available horses in the area. European Warmbloods are most commonly seen in the higher levels of showing in Dressage, Jumpers, and even Hunters these days. Thoroughbreds are still strong in Eventing.

My own horse is an off-track thoroughbred. He's built like a sprinter and not particularly well-suited for the more collected work needed in higher level dressage or showjumping. However, I'm not particularly grand prix material either, so I don't think it will be a problem.  

My horse is kept on full board, which means that they feed, turnout, and muck. I do my own mucking on sundays.He's stabled about 30 minutes from my house and 20 minutes from work. I visit just about every day and usually ride him 5-6 days a week. I have a sheet on him now and start blanketing by late fall/early winter, as it gets quite cold where I live and he doesn't tend to grow much of a winter coat.