21/04/2026
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AfmXUXWyH/
Im just going to share this here because I think there's a lot of valid points here. I have a fairly similar view on what horses have done for me. Plus I think Chloe does amazing stuff and I value her point of view 😁
What do we really want kids to get out of horse riding? Part 1.
I have a lot of thoughts. I teach in New Zealand, Australia and the USA. I used to run school holiday programs for kids with horses. I’ve talked to a lot of parents over the years. I have friends who teach at pony clubs and riding schools. There is a lot of angst among parents and students, too, sometimes about why they are riding and what the goal of is, from this huge financial and time investment. So I thought I’d share some thoughts. Buckle up.
I’m going to start with what horse riding has given me and why I think it is a fantastic thing for kids to get involved with.
For starters, a career that has taken me all over the world, I’ve achieved more than I ever thought possible because of horses. Both competitively and as a trainer and horsewoman. I’ve seen more of the world than I ever thought I would. Every time I get a new lot of wild horses, I think about how this is something teenage me would have dreamed of but never thought possible.
It also taught me persistence, responsibility, and how to overcome setbacks. Because horses deliver these things in bucket loads.
However, more than that, it taught me self-belief, patience and the ability to tackle and overcome adversity. Things that have stood me in good stead throughout my life. The things I remember most from a childhood of riding is breaking in my own pony, taking that pony from its first show all the way to Horse of the Year. It bucked me off and kicked me a few times along the way, but honestly, it just felt super cool to do the whole journey together. I thought I was practically the 'Horse Whisperer' after that.
I remember getting my first clear round on a tricky pony jumping, stepping up height levels. Riding the first decent dressage test on an old thoroughbred that, who to start with, used to rear and go crazy if you touched his mouth. I remember the personal achievements and the feeling of hitting these milestones, yet I can barely remember the wins.
I also remember the pure joy of being out all day with my friends exploring paddocks, farmland and everything else with my horse. We were fearless.
I spent a lot of time problem-solving and just figuring things out along the way, too. I was a kid in a paddock with my pony and little adult supervision. I had lessons in horsemanship and, later, in jumping and dressage, for the most part, though I was on my own. So I spent a lot of time trying to remember those lessons and apply them to whatever I wanted to make my horse do. A great skill that would help me later.
There is one other thing, too. As I got into my teenage years, I got very competitive. With my mother, we went all over the country competing, spending hundreds of hours on the road. At various events and various disciplines. Did I win that often? No, did I return with carloads of ribbons and pockets full of cash, no. However, at a time when most other teenagers barely say hello to their parents and are trying to sneak out at weekends. I spent endless hours talking with my mum on long drives. Time and conversations I definitely didn’t appreciate then, but I do now. I think it made us closer, especially as she certainly never begrudged the time and financial strain it put on her.
I will always remember how willing she was to support me with her time, yet I can’t remember what we talked about on those long drives. I also remember not acting particularly grateful and finding any advice on riding she gave me at the horse shows unbelievably annoying because she couldn’t possibly “know anything”. I was a normal teenager. However, I do think those years and time were incredibly precious, and I never doubted her love or support. They would also have a lasting effect that has stayed with me for life.
�So yea, horses gave me family time, persistence, responsibility, self-belief, and problem-solving. As well as an active, healthy outdoor childhood that probably kept me out of all sorts of other mischief, it was of great benefit to me growing up. Far more than the actual sporting and competitive success I achieved along the way.
I will always believe kids and horses are a great combination because how many other activities can give you all of this as you grow up?
I’m going to leave this here and write the next line of thoughts in another post because, honestly, I’ve got more and this will quickly turn into a novel. So stay tuned…
