| 1. Learn Responsibility - Horses will teach your child | | | | have a natural attraction to horses and enjoy spending |
| responsibility very quickly. Make sure that your child | | | | time with them. However, because horses are a lot of |
| does all the work involved in caring for the horse. | | | | work your child will soon learn self discipline. For |
| Everything from feeding, cleaning stalls, grooming, | | | | example, instead of sleeping in in the morning, they will |
| saddling and riding. Children will want to ride but they | | | | be up and out feeding and cleaning. Horses must be |
| may not always be eager to do the work. However | | | | fed twice daily and have access to fresh water at all |
| children almost always fall in love with the horses that | | | | times. Their stalls must be cleaned regularly and they |
| they handle and they will want to take as good care | | | | must receive regular exercise. This will take a lot of |
| of them. Once they know that the horse depends on | | | | time, but most people find that it is worth it for the time |
| them and that in order to ride they have to take good | | | | they get to spend riding, or just being with horses. |
| care of the horses, they will learn to be more | | | | 7. Teaches Sensitivity - Horses can be very sensitive |
| responsible in other aspects of there life. | | | | creatures. They have keen senses, and can sense if |
| 2. Learn Trust - Horses must be able to trust their | | | | someone is afraid, angry, happy, etc. They |
| handlers. One of the first things that your child will learn | | | | communicate with body language and are very |
| about handling and riding horses is to be trustworthy | | | | sensitive to their handler's body position. Because |
| and dependable, because if the horse doesn't trust its | | | | horses are so sensitive, the handler must be also. The |
| handler it will not obey him/her. This can be a very | | | | handler must be able to tell how the horse is feeling |
| valuable life long lesson for your child. | | | | and why it is behaving the way it is. The handler must |
| 3. Learn to be Open Minded - Every horse is different | | | | learn to interpret the horses body language and to |
| and will have to be handled differently. A good | | | | communicate effectively with the horse using its own |
| horseman never stops learning, even experts and | | | | language. When a horse misbehaves, the handler must |
| trainers will admit that they learn something new | | | | decide whether or not the horse is doing so out of |
| everyday from their horses. Horses will make your | | | | fear, stubbornness, anger, pain etc. and must respond |
| child realize that learning is an on going process that | | | | appropriately. |
| never ends. This can transcend into other aspects, | | | | 8. How to Learn From Our Mistakes - When your child |
| such as school and relationships. | | | | first starts learning to ride and handle horses they will |
| 4. Build Confidence - Horses are large and intimidating, | | | | make a lot of mistakes and will learn quickly not to |
| so naturally it takes a lot of confidence to be able to | | | | make the same mistake twice. That is what |
| control one. Letting a your child handle a gentle horse | | | | horsemanship is all about. When a rider makes a |
| will do wonders for their confidence. Most people are | | | | mistake he/she cannot deny it. They must |
| naturally a little bit timid, especialy a child of horses | | | | acknowledge the mistake and correct it. The rider |
| because they are so big. By handling a gentle horse | | | | must move on after correcting the mistake and not |
| children will overcome their fear and learn that they | | | | dwell on it. Handling and riding horses will teach your |
| can safely handle and control the same animal that | | | | child to use their past mistakes to improve their future |
| they were once had great fear of. The better your | | | | horsemanship skills and this will tanscend into other |
| child learns how to handle the horse, the more | | | | aspects of your childs life. |
| confident he/she will become. When children do well | | | | 9. Learn Respect - Children will learn to respect their |
| with the horses that they handle, their confidence goes | | | | horses and themselves. Horses are large, dangerous |
| up and their self esteem improves. They now realize | | | | creatures and they demand respect, yet in order to be |
| that this huge creature they were once afraid of is a | | | | handled safely they must also respect their handlers. |
| beautiful and loving animal. | | | | By learning how to handle a horse, children will become |
| 5. Learn Patience - Horses are like children themselves, | | | | more respectful of there horse and its nature. By being |
| and training a horse is much like teaching a child. When | | | | trustworthy, confident and responsible your child will |
| your child has become a confident and skilled rider, | | | | earn the respect of there horse. |
| letting them help train a horse will be an excellent | | | | 10. To Have Fun - Last but certainly no least, your child |
| experience for them. Horses require a lot of patience | | | | should have fun and enjoy being apart of the horse life |
| because training a young horse involves a lot of | | | | style. You don't want to put too much demand on your |
| repetition and time. This is a lesson that will follow them | | | | child, you need to let them have fun with there horse |
| in all aspects of life. | | | | as well as know when its time to be serious. |
| 6. Self Discipline - Horses take a lot of time and work, | | | | I hope the information provided here will help you |
| so your child will have to be dedicated to learning how | | | | realize how important it is for you to find a creative yet |
| to ride and handle horses effectively. I have found that | | | | fulfilling way for you to teach your child all aspects of |
| dedication is rarely something that children lacks when | | | | owning and caring for a horse. |
| it comes to horses. People, especially young people, | | | | |