Benefits for the Child from Horse Riding and Being Around Horses
Published: 2015-11-27
Translation
This is a translation of a Bulgarian-language post. It conveys the content faithfully but is not the author's original English writing.
Why encourage your child to discover the world of horse riding?
What child does not love horses? Boys and girls all over the world dream and play at riding imaginary horses.
Why this attraction? Is it the strength and freedom that the horse symbolises for the small child? Perhaps. Or is it simply the joy of having a furry, two-metre friend? There are many reasons why children are drawn to horses, and many good ones for bringing your child and introducing them to horses.
Benefits of riding:
Those of us who ride know well about the many benefits of horse riding. Among them, of course, are being with the animal and with nature, as well as the physical exercise. But some benefits remain hidden at first glance. Many people think that equestrian sport is a very expensive privilege only for those who can afford it. Personally, I could not put a price on what I get from horses. It is a lifelong love that brings us different benefits at different phases of our lives.
I know many adult riders who share the same story of how their interest in horses spared them quite a few problems and pitfalls during adolescence.
One mother explains it very well: "I can use all this money for equestrian sport now, and have the children be active and stay away from the troubles of this age that befall most of their peers — or I can use the same money, and many times more, later, for therapies and programmes to get rid of addictions. I prefer the horses!"
Horses keep children active. More and more children here too have a problem with weight and with sitting at home in front of screens, and parents are looking for a good opportunity to contribute to their children's health. Horse riding can be the perfect solution, because besides the physical exercise, it also improves balance and coordination. As the child progresses in riding, they gain self-confidence and a sense of freedom. Caring for the horse requires the child to be responsible. By learning to care for and feed the animal, the child also learns to be caring toward others.
Do not forget about safety. Even the calmest horse can be a danger — especially for a child — so we must always be careful and observe certain rules. A horse is a large animal and must be treated with respect, so that the experience leaves positive emotions both in you and in it!
But above all, riding should be fun! Delivered by an experienced instructor who is also a good teacher, riding is, besides a particularly useful activity, also an enormous pleasure for the child.
Give your child, in this fun way, the chance to gain knowledge and skills so as to be good at riding, and you will have given them a lifelong hobby.
Do not forget to capture the memories in photos and clips, and to enjoy together, again and again, the unforgettable moments with the horses.