Being in the field for so long, our instructors know that a day of riding isn’t always perfect for kids. It can be too hot, too cold, or the horse isn’t cooperating. The child might be grumpy or shy. And, let’s be honest, there are days when they just aren’t feeling it. You might be feeling discouraged or frustrated because you want them to have horsemanship skills.
We understand that life happens and sometimes your child has to miss a class here and there, but we’d like to give you a few things to keep in mind when deciding whether horseback riding is the right activity for your child.
Life Skills
Showing up consistently helps your child develop a routine. They will understand that this is what you do one day a week and learn to look forward to it. This can help your child build routines in other areas of their lives.
Horseback riding builds organizational skills. When you are about to ride, you have to have a plan. Your tack must be organized so you know where your saddle, grooming supplies and helmet are. You have to decide where you are going to tie your horse to put the saddle on, where you will ride. And you must make sure that all the tools you will need are readily available. You can’t be missing hoof picks or have a saddle that’s not the right size for the rider. It’s crucial that you are organized when you are planning to ride. Riding helps children develop these skills as well.
Sometimes children don’t see the fruits of their efforts, which is why it is a great idea to track their progress. This is one benefit of using a program that has a curriculum, is that your child knows exactly what skills they should be learning, and they can see how far they have come.
Why it Matters
Powering through when it seems tough is the exact thing that helps develop grit and determination in children. Whether it’s horseback riding or anything else in life, this is an important skill, and people aren’t just born with it. It must be developed. Not only that but successfully overcoming difficult situations (like their horse not listening), helps increase a child’s confidence and releases dopamine. This is sometimes known as the “happy” hormone and can help encourage good mental health.
The best part is that horseback riding helps build RESILIENCY! We can all agree that many kids today lack resiliency for one reason or another. Horseback riding helps you give your child the opportunity to build resiliency
We often hear about the more obvious benefits of horseback riding (balance, coordination, etc.), but we don’t often talk about the skills being built below the surface. Jumping ship too soon can take away the opportunity for these skills to develop. We encourage you to help your child develop these skills by learning horsemanship skills. If you’ve ridden with us before and want to get back into it, please reach out!
