Are you or anyone in your family feeling stressed or overwhelmed from life pressures?
This year has been a difficult year for many. You might be thinking what is the right way to
cheer you or maybe one of your children up, and we have a suggestion for you! Horses are
considered a form of therapy for many; some would even say horses are one of the best forms of medicine. No one has really said it better than Winston Churchill when he said, “There is something about the outside of the horse that is good for the inside of a man.” Horses have many beneficial attributes which truly show why they can be the best type of medicine.
No Judgement
· Over the last few years, social media has taken the world by storm and infiltrated
almost every aspect of our lives, which is especially true for the younger generations.
Social media has created a funnel of judgment and constant social pressure, and we are all
starting to feel the weight of its burden. However, when you are around horses, an equine
will only ever judge you on how you treat them and nothing else. No horse will look at
you differently if you are wearing older breeches or maybe have a hole in your riding
boots. A horse will only judge your character towards them, and that type of freedom
from judgement can be a significant weight off you or your children’s shoulders.
Relaxation
· Horseback riding has been proven to reduce anxiety and free your mind from
thoughts that you normally can’t escape from. Even for veterans experiencing PTSD, one
of the most effective therapies they can undergo is equine therapy for reducing their
stress and anxiety.
Understanding Your Emotions
· One of the most amazing aspects of a horse is that they have the ability to read
human body language, and then mirror the emotions a person is eliciting toward them. If
you walk up to a horse happily, the horse will normally walk up to you happily.
However, if you are angry and walk up to a horse, the horse will generally be more pulled
back from you. The ability of a horse to mirror human emotion gives us the ability to
think about how our emotions are affecting others around us.
Increasing Your Work Ethic
· When you are around horses, it is quite easy to see that they are a lot of work.
There is much that goes into daily horse care that has nothing to do with horseback
riding. You need to clean their stall, feed them many times a day, and take care of them
when they are sick. Especially for children, the work ethic they can learn from horseback
riding at a young age will generally stay with them for the rest of their lives.
Physical Exercise
· Horseback riding is a physically demanding activity and you will expend a considerable amount of energy when you ride and take care of horses. One of the biggest benefits of this exercise is a reduction in stress and an increase in endorphins. So if your child likes to stay inside all day and play video games, get them on a horse and just watch
their transformation both physically and mentally.
Horseback riding really is medicine for your soul. There is nothing more magical than
having a 1500-pound animal trust you and let you ride and train them. They create a judgement free space in which you can relax and understand yourself better through the eyes of these majestic animals. So, the next time you think you or someone in your family needs a pick me up, try horseback riding and see the smile on their face as soon as they set foot into a stirrup!
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