As parents, we’re constantly focusing on helping our youngsters have fun and giving them every opportunity to learn and grow. It’s our job to encourage them to bravely undertake new challenges and discover their passions. But what about ourselves? Here is a list of reasons moms should consider horseback riding. Who knows? Maybe it will even make you a happier and healthier mom.
Reduces Stress
Horseback riding provides many benefits mentally and physically. It is also very therapeutic. Riding horses helps to release endorphins (feel good hormones) and lowers cortisol (stress hormones). While riding, your mind is focused on the task at hand, your balance, and communication. You don’t have time to think about all the problems present in your life. The horse senses when you are stressed or tense, so you must work on relaxing your mind and body to have a peaceful ride.
Improves Physical Fitness
Riding provides a cardiovascular as well as a strength training workout. Horseback riding is great exercise because it builds your stamina, improves your posture and flexibility, and works your core strength and leg muscles.
Provides Joy and Excitement
This is the main reason I love to ride! I have fun, I get adrenaline rushes, and it makes me smile. I enjoy connecting with and being carried by a 1200+ pound animal, becoming air bound over fences, riding at a nice balanced canter, or riding on some scenic trails. Riding can sometimes be a challenge, but it offers so much pleasure.
Improves Confidence
Everyone starts at the bottom when you first begin to ride, but you set goals and achieve milestones. As you reach each milestone, you take it as a small victory and each small victory builds your confidence. This not only makes you feel as if you are accomplishing something but also continues to boost your confidence.
Teaches Life Skills
Whether you are an adult or a child, riding can improve your character. Horses are not vehicles or robots; they have a mind and a will of their own. They have ingrained instincts and individual personalities. Sometimes horses don’t respond the way you want them to for a number of reasons. You must be patient and try to ascertain why the horse is behaving the way he is. It’s our job as riders to be leaders to the horses and also to respect and be patient with the horses we ride.
Along with respect, patience and empathy, riding teaches discipline and perseverance. There may be times when you feel that you hit a plateau, or you are struggling with a certain aspect of your riding. You must push through these times and look for supplemental options to help move through these dry places such as reading riding books and articles. Workouts for core and leg strength, stretching for flexibility, or whatever you can think of that may help you in these instances. Pushing through such times when you want to just give up, and it seems too hard is what helps you develop discipline and perseverance in your life.
Creates Friendships
Sometimes it’s hard making friends as we live our busy lives. Riding gives you the chance to meet new people with a similar passion to your own. You can meet people in group riding lessons, just being around the barn, talking with other riders, or joining different horse clubs or organizations.
Earn Horse’s Respect
When you’re horseback riding, you are working with an animal that is willing and wanting to please. You are also working with a very large animal that can take advantage of their size to get what they want. Instead, they have been taught to be gentle giants. They seek your guidance and leadership. You have the opportunity to make relationships with these amazing creatures.
Horses are beautiful, graceful, powerful, innocent, and loyal. Presently horses are mostly used for companionship, teaching lessons, competition, racing, and some still work on farms. It is an honor to be able to develop a connection, trust, and respect from a horse.
Personal Experience
I am definitely happy to have horseback riding as a hobby of my own. Once I started, I never looked back! The mind clearing, calming therapy the horse provides each and every time is well worth it. Afterall, heading to the barn is cheaper than any therapist. The physical demands riding requires has helped me become fit and energized to care for my active family. I come home after a ride feeling refreshed, restored, and ready to devote time to my children and husband again. In pursuing something I have wanted to do for years and pushing aside those feelings of self-doubt and embarrassment, I am teaching my children a lesson without saying a word. This is how horses make me a better mom.
