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Why Should I Own a Horse?
Horses have a way of teaching us things we didn’t even know we needed to
learn. The life lessons from horses go far beyond riding, they shape patience, responsibility, leadership, and even how we treat other people. Whether you are new to horses or have spent years in the saddle, the
benefits of owning a horse show up in everyday life in ways that are hard to explain until you experience it yourself. Horses demand honesty, consistency, and respect, and in return they offer a connection that
is both grounding and powerful. Many horse owners will tell you their horse has been one of their greatest teachers.
From young riders learning responsibility to adults finding balance and perspective, the
emotional and mental benefits of horses are real and lasting. If you spend enough time around horses, you will come away a better version of yourself.
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Horse Lessons – What You Will Learn from Your Horse
Winston Churchill once said, “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.”
If anything, that statement rings even truer today.
There is an undeniable therapeutic effect when we are around horses. In fact, equine therapy has proven to help people with
severe physical and emotional challenges in ways few other therapies can. But you don’t need a study to understand it, you feel it the moment you step into a barn.
I have always believed that young men who grow up around horses learn lessons that shape them into better leaders, husbands,
and fathers. Ladies, encourage the boys and men in your life to be involved with horses. These same lessons absolutely apply to
girls and women as well, but the reality today is that over 80% of horse participation is female. We need the boys back in the barn.
If you stay committed to a horse long enough, there are lessons you will learn. Not maybe...will.
Here are a few:
Patience
The slowest way to do anything with a horse… is to be in a hurry.
Humility
Your horse will embarrass you. Count on it. And you can’t take it personally.
Horses are prey animals. They’ve survived for thousands of years by reacting first and thinking later. Our job is to help them trust us, and that’s a big ask.
Commitment & Loyalty
Every good relationship starts with respect.
I want my horse to be my teammate and my friend. That means showing up in the good times and the tough ones. Just like any
long relationship, you’re going to have both.
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Financial Discipline
Horses will teach you to budget, whether you planned on learning that lesson or not.
It doesn’t matter your income level… if you have horses, you will learn where your money goes.
Learning a Second Language (Body Language)
Yes, horses can learn a few words over time.
But make no mistake...their primary language is body language. That’s what they trust. That’s what they understand.
Even if you think you’re talking to your horse, they’re reading how you move, how you stand, and how you feel. In a way, you’re
learning to become a horse just enough for them to understand you.
Self-Control
If you lose your temper with a horse...you lose.
Getting that trust back takes a long time. Sometimes longer than you expect.
If you’re having a bad day, the best thing you can do is recognize it… and come back tomorrow.
Living in the Moment
Horses don’t worry about yesterday. They don’t think about tomorrow.
When a horse is with you...they are with you.
There’s a lesson there if you’re paying attention.
A Sense of Humor
Trainer John Lyons said it best:
“The only emotion that belongs in the saddle is a sense of humor.”
Most of us have horses because they make us happy. Don’t forget that.
Becoming a Better Teacher
Training a horse will make you a better teacher whether you realize it or not.
When your horse doesn’t understand, it’s not the horse’s fault.
It means you need to go back to a place where they do understand.
Keep lessons short.
End on a good note. Tomorrow is always there.
Responsibility
Young people especially benefit here.
Before riding ever comes into play, there are basics: cleaning stalls, fresh water, feeding, grooming, picking feet.
Riding a horse should feel earned, because it is.
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Leadership
Your horse wants a leader more than anything.
They are herd animals. Leadership gives them security.
If you don’t step into that role, your horse will...and that’s when things get confusing.
Watch a beginner ride across a field, weaving all over the place. Then watch an experienced rider on the same horse travel straight and steady.
The difference isn’t the horse. It’s the leadership.
There are countless lessons horses will teach you if you let them.
If you have the opportunity, get the whole family involved. There’s something powerful about sharing that experience together. And at the very least, support the horse lovers in your life.
You might just find it brings your family a little closer and learn more than you expected along the way.
Spending time with horses changes you. It teaches you to slow down, pay attention, and take responsibility for something bigger
than yourself. The benefits of owning a horse go far beyond the barn; they carry over into your family, your work, and your everyday life.
For many of us, horses are more than a hobby. They are teachers, partners, and sometimes even a mirror showing us exactly
what we need to improve. If you stay around horses long enough, you won’t just become a better rider and you’ll become a better person.
Article by Bob Pruitt CEO InfoHorse.com
Sometimes a Horse Gives You Back More Than You Lost
You don’t always realize how much a horse becomes part of
who you are until they’re gone.
I lost a horse I had for 25 years. It hit me harder than I ever expected. I lost weight, lost my appetite, and honestly lost a
part of myself. I ended up in the hospital for a week.
What I didn’t realize at the time was how much of my identity was tied to having a horse in my life.
Then Zoey came along.
She didn’t replace anything, she gave something back. She gave me a reason to get up, to look forward again, and to reconnect with something that has always mattered to me.
I truly didn’t know who I was without a horse in my life.
Zoey turned out to be the answer to prayers, mine and my family’s.
Sometimes horses don’t just teach us lessons.
Sometimes… they help put us back together.
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