The Many Benefits & Lessons That Come With Learning to Ride a Horse

What child doesn’t love the idea of spending their day learning about and riding horses?

Maybe it is the freedom that a horse represents to a young child? Or it's the power of a horse?

Or perhaps it's the sheer fun of having a cuddly friend who is over six feet tall.

There are many reasons kids are attracted to horses and even more reasons why we should introduce our children to them.

Develop Leadership Skills

In today's world, colleges and employers are looking for more than good grades and strong communication skills. They are looking for young recruits with strong leadership skills. They also want young people to possess the ability to work as part of a team. Riding horses fosters both competencies.

In fact, merely working with horses requires the rider to take on a leadership role on each occasion. Children also learn that referring to their horse as their partner when riding, as opposed to treating him as a servant, often brings the best results.

There is something about your sport involving another living creature with their own thoughts and feelings that forces the rider to analyze their own actions when working with them.

It Benefits Mental Health

We know that kids today are under more pressure than ever before. For many, the stress of “keeping up appearances” on social media, getting decent grades, and family responsibilities, all while managing overbooked lives, causes a significant strain on their mental resources. Horses back riding provides a welcome respite from all of these stressors. It offers unconditional friendship and serves as a stabilizing presence in children's lives.

Builds Character

Negative influences on children are overwhelming these days in mass media, pop culture, and politics, primarily. However, riding, and caring for a horse can actually help counteract these effects, and promote positive character like self-discipline, responsibility, kindness, accountability, and empathy.

Patience

Anyone who has spent time training an animal will tell you that it requires patience. And learning to ride a horse requires a lot of it. It takes time, and trust.  Children who ride learn that their horse is their partner, and it takes time for both of them to get to know one another and feel confident in what they are doing. Through practice, taking care of the horse, and trust, they'll learn to work together and gain a ton of patience along the way.

Spending time taking care of and riding horses is a great way to instill valuable life skills in children from a young age. Essential life skills like leadership skills, good character, strong mental health and patience are vital as kids grow, especially in our modern society.

 Horseback Riding - Ottawa - Life Skills - Benefits of Horses - Leadership