Horse Riding for Kids : The Awesome Benefits & Tips on How to Get Started

Drawing from my own experience, here are some of the many awesome reasons why I believe children should learn to ride horses...

 Kids Helping Horses (and Vice Versa)

Though horses have traditionally been “kid magnets,” many in the horse world worry that this dynamic may be changing. There are so many digital distractions and extracurricular activities available to youngsters today. Then, too, there’s the rising cost of horse ownership. Put these together, and horseback riding just isn’t as attractive to families as it once was. In a growing trend, unique horsemanship programs are benefiting kids that might otherwise never see a horse— and drawing new families into the horse world.

Why the long face: just how risky is horse riding?

So eventing might not be more dangerous than motorcycle or car racing after all, but are event rider deaths “freak occurrences”?

After the Fall: How pink is your concussion? (What women riders need to know.)

Raise your hand if you're ever suffered a concussion--whether from riding a horse or a car accident or any type of mishap. If you didn't raise your hand, how do you know you've never had a concussion? And did anyone ever mention to you that men and women react differently to head injuries?

Fear of Riding Horses… what causes it and how to overcome it

Fear. Anxiety. Dread. Not words that you want to associate with riding, but there is no doubt that these feelings come up for most of us at some point in our riding lives. I know that there have been numerous times in my life that a bad experience made me down right scared to get back in the saddle.

From horseback-riding to a wheelchair and back

Having a spinal cord injury doesn’t have to mean an end to the hobbies and sports that you love; it just means having a view from a different angle.

Horse Riding Is Leading Cause of Sport-Related Traumatic Brain Injuries, Study Finds

Sports-related head injuries are increasingly gaining attention as researchers investigate long-term consequences of multiple concussions. Concerns about the neurodegenerative disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, has put a focus on contact sports such as football and soccer. However, a study released today by the journal Neurological Focus found that the sport that causes most traumatic brain injuries isn't even a contact sport, it's horseback riding.

Horse-riding can improve children's cognitive ability

Recent research shows that the effects of vibrations produced by horses during horse-riding lead to the activation of the sympathetic nervous system, which improves learning in children.

Horseback Riding Improves the Ability to Cause the Appropriate Action (Go Reaction) and the Appropriate Self-control (No-Go Reaction) in Children

There are many obvious health benefits to riding, including developing a strong core and legs, but there are also many less obvious benefits, such as increased confidence and introspection. Few studies have addressed the effects of horseback riding on children and the mechanisms underlying how riding affects humans. We examined the effects of horseback riding on the ability to distinguish Go/No-go tasks and solve arithmetic problems in children.

How Horseback Riding Can Improve Your Health

Horseback riding has been a popular pastime for centuries. Though no longer used for such practical purposes, such as transportation and the herding of livestock, horseback riding’s popularity persists well into modern times. As the recreational use of horses continued to grow, so did our understanding of the many ways horseback riding can improve your health. Horseback riding provides stimulation and exercise for the horse, but it also yields both physical and mental benefits for the rider.

Is Horseback Riding Good Exercise?

It’s very good exercise for the horse and, depending on how you ride, can be moderate or even strenuous exercise for you, too.

Middle-Aged and Older Women Who Start Riding

I have been thinking lately a lot about how hard it can be for middle-aged and older women to either get back to their long interrupted riding or to start riding. It is not easy. We know we can get hurt. Many of us have osteoporosis and many more have arthritis.

Rider’s Prayer: A Poem That Rings True for All Equestrians

The next time that you need a little inspiration or a reminder about the power of horses, this video can serve as a perfect reminder.

The Art of Horseback Riding

Capt. J. B. Dumas, at our request, has been kind enough to send us a very interesting note upon the method that he employs in his teaching at the High Riding School. We reproduce it.

The Health Benefits of Horseback Riding

There are many obvious health benefits to riding, including strong core and legs, but there are also many less obvious benefits, such as boost in confidence and meditation. Horses are even used in therapy for mentally disabled children- which only proves further how wonderful they are!