Get back on the Horse!
5 Life Lessons I’ve learned from 20+ years of horseback riding
I started riding horses when I was 4 years old. The riding program where I wanted to ride didn’t start teaching children until they turned 5.
I had been at the stables every day possible. I begged to learn how to ride. I had no fear. I had so little fear that when I went over to pet a horse that was known for being aggressive, he was sweet to me. When other people at the stable saw what I was doing, they were shocked to see this huge, typically unfriendly horse be gentle with me — a little girl.
That was how the locked door opened, and I started riding at only 4 years old.
There are many lessons just in that one story, but I have many more stories to share from my 20+ years of horseback riding, and how it shaped me into adulthood. Here are 5 of the most essential lessons I learned that may be helpful to you, too.
1. Yelling often doesn’t help
In fact, when it comes to being around horses, yelling is often the last thing you should be doing. It makes things worse — much worse. Horses don’t like yelling, and may respond by taking off — whether or not you’re mounted on top of the horse or not.
