Horseback Riding Lessons in Lexington, KY Area: 5 Reasons Why Your Child Should Ride

2/5/18

Horseback Riding Lessons in Lexington, KY Area: 5 Reasons Why Your Child Should Ride

Midway / Lexington, KY Area

As the daughter of a Hall of Fame jockey, I have been around horses my whole life, and I feel like it kept me healthy, focused and well rounded through my childhood and into my adult years. I now run a Hunter/Jumper barn in the greater Lexington, Kentucky area and see the many benefits that ponies and horses bring to our many students. Here are the many benefits to having your child ride…..

1. Horseback riding in Kentucky is a great way to get exercise

Without a doubt riding ponies and horses require lots of strength and fitness. Riding also helps with balance, coordination and endurance. Most horses are about ten times the size of their rider. Even though there is a huge difference in size, ponies and horses are incredibly in tune with their rider no matter their size or level of experience. It is an amazing thing to watch a tiny little rider get a big pony or horse to do exactly what they are asking.  In this day and age, with so much technology at our fingertips, being outdoors is not as common as it once was. Riding horses gets your kid outdoors in the fresh Kentucky air. A typical riding lesson lasts around an hour. Trying to get your kid to do a physical activity outdoors for an hour can be a challenge. I always find that our students are sad when the hour long lesson is over. Riding horses is a great way to keep them fit and will help burn some of that pent up energy.

2. Horseback riding benefits all types of personalities

We see kids with all different types of personalities at our farm in Midway, KY. We continuously see how much riding helps kids that are more hyperactive. The horses really have a way to calm the child down and demand a ton of focus and patience. The shy and introverted kids seem to come out of their shell when they bond with the pony or horse.  The confidence that a child gains from getting a horse to do what they ask is something that cannot be duplicated. It is incredibly empowering to improve on the different skills required for riding and also teaches the child perseverance. Having a bond with a live animal is something that cannot be compared to other sports and horses specifically have a way of being incredibly in tune with their riders. Horses crave attention, and there is nothing quite like the attention of a bubbly little kid. Horses tend to want to perform better when they are carrying around a child.

3. When riding, you learn life lessons and responsibilities

Riding horses is not just about swinging your leg up and over a horse’s back. Horses require a ton of responsibility from getting fed up to four times a day to having time outside in a paddock and daily work to keep their health and fitness at tip top shape. Caring for a horse is a huge responsibility that teaches the child how important determination and commitment is at a young age. Teaching any child the value of hard work at a young age is invaluable. Another aspect of being around horses is learning to have compassion and empathy for a live animal.  At our Midway, KY farm, we value teaching such responsibility, and it is a part of how we teach lessons here.

4. Horseback riding teaches teamwork

Most sports teach the value of teamwork. But nothing can compare to the teamwork between horse and rider. The horses are moving breathing animals that have emotions and thoughts of their own. They teach the riders to communicate clearly. Whether or not a child is purposely asking a horse to go fast or slow down, they have to be very clear on how to communicate through their body. There is nothing quite like watching a horse and rider complete a course or exercise from start to finish with perfection. The teamwork between horse and rider is the major component that make it all work.

5. With riding lessons, your child will learn responsibility

As I have described, horses require a ton of attention. Horses need daily care like feeding, grooming, and exercise, as well as cleaning and maintaining the facility. At our farm in Central Kentucky, just 10 mins outside of Lexington, KY, we try to teach the child every aspect of caring and riding a horse so they understand the responsibility and privilege that comes with being around the horses. When they are truly involved in every aspect of the horses, there is nothing more rewarding.

About the Farm:

Cloud Nine Farm is located in Midway, Kentucky which is just 10 miles from Downtown Lexington, University of Kentucky and the Kentucky Horse Park. We board about 18 ponies and horses and teach all levels or riders from young kids to older adults.

Thanks so much for reading this post. If you have any questions or are considering riding lessons at our Midway, KY location, feel free to contact us here.