For example：
Ever since he was five, he learned to ride horses.
Does "learned riding" also work here?
Which is more proper or what is the difference between "learn to do <something>" and "learn doing <something>"?
Learn English – “learn to do ” vs. “learn doing “
gerundsinfinitivesword-usage
Best Answer
"Learned riding" is grammatical but feels a little clunky. I suspect it's because we expect to see "learned [noun]" or "learned [to verb]" and, while "riding" can certainly be used as a noun, it's most commonly a verb when it's used on its own: you'd normally specify what you were riding if you were using it as a noun (e.g., "horse riding", "bike riding", etc.). In contrast "He learned programming" does sound natural because "programming" is commonly used on its own as a noun.
So I would say that "Ever since he was five, he learned riding" is OK but "Ever since he was five, he learned to ride" or "... he learned horse/bike/camel riding" would be better.
Even better still is "... he has learned", since the phrase "Ever since" implies an action that began in the past but is continuing into the present.