Many parents new to horse shows ask me about the benefits and rewards of horse showing for their children. I have been watching my own 21 year old daughter demonstrate those rewards as she continues to horse show, rides on a varsity equestrian team and becomes an adult.
Horse riding for us started out as something my daughter had begged to do for years. We took the occasional vacation related trail ride, stopped for horses when driving by pastures and did our best to avoid owning a horse. When our daughter received a diagnosis of dyslexia and it was clear school was going to be both difficult and trying for her, we had to find something she enjoyed and excelled at. We fell into horses with lessons, a saddle and eventually leasing a horse. We tried one local horse show which she hated and it was two years before she was asked to try one again. She kept riding a leased horse, hung out at a barn and enjoyed trail riding and learning basic horsemanship. A couple of years go by and she asks to try horse showing again. That led to a series of horses as we moved from local to A Circuit shows and to goals like qualifying for a national show. Her showing led to collegiate horse showing and a great scholarship and some interesting experiences as a student athlete.
So when I look back, what did we get out of all of the time, expense, and "horsy" life style? One of the most important impacts is that we got a mother daughter relationship that is close, connected and able to survive any number of transitions and bumps in the road. We know how to work hard as partners to accomplish something difficult, can let go so that each is comfortable living 26 hours a part and have a respect that goes deep when we are in conflict with each other. All those weekends on the road gave us a foundation for our current and I hope our future relationship.
Here are some key traits I observe in my daughter which I relate to horse showing (since we did little else for five years).
Problem Solving
Horse showing teaches you to problem solve and think through issues when they arise in life. Every athlete goes through a slump - your horse may not be performing up to par, increasing fence heights may be unsettling, there might be a mismatch between your skills and that of your horse or any number of other problems. To horse show, you have to learn to solve those day by day, issue by issue. I recently watched my daughter go through a day of problems related to getting a horse to a show. The truck broke down, the trailer hitch (all borrowed) did not fit the truck, the light fuses blew on the truck, the battery when on the truck (also borrowed) and she spend an entire day solving problem after problem with pretty good humor.
Determination and Hard Work
It takes a lot of hard work to horse show. To win even once in awhile takes determination and practice, to qualify for a national show takes even more. It means getting up at 4:30 am to be in the ring by first light, give a horse a bath and braid. It means long days of practice and more practice. Most days she rode two horses and more in the summer months every day of the year. That same determination and hard work has given her A's in school and the ability to volunteer with a can do attitude.
Goal Setting and Planning
This is an important life skill and horse showing gives you many opportunities. Practice is setting goals like qualifying for certain events, getting in the ribbons, winning a classic or riding through a difficult time. We set annual goals every year with the trainer so she had practice to reach for those goals. She learned to plan her time around horse showing, school social events, and make choices. She learned about fitness, preparation and remaining healthy so she was fit to show. She achieved her goals sometimes and other times we had to amend when a horse was lame. She learned to adjust to life in so many ways.
Organizational Skills
Packing takes a great deal of planning to remember everything, set it up and be organized for a horse show. Everything has a place and must be organized if you want to horse show. Most trainers are strict about organization and cleanliness in the barn area. A good lesson for a dorm room! Think of the lists, the planning and packing, unpacking and then repacking if you help out at the barn. Show clothes, hair nets, gloves, and other key items have to be packed. High school classes have to be organized with homework and tests managed for a show schedule. Keeping up the grades provides more lessons in organizing.
Responsibility
Think of the responsibilities in caring for a horse that totally depends on humans for his care. Scheduling lessons, practice and readying a horse for the show ring all take time and are great experiences in responsibility. As your child ages, they should gradually increase their level of responsibility for a horse. Nutrition, supplements, injections, and general care all require research and a level of responsibility to do it well. Do not let your child delegate all of this to the trainer and the grooms. Remember part of this should be about horsemanship so being responsible is a great life lesson.
Confidence and Poise
Horse showing is about wining and losing. It is about learning a pattern and laying down a trip in the hail, wind, rain, snow and mud. Try riding a horse and getting them to do what you want to build confidence. Try losing to learn poise and sportsmanship. Not every ride goes perfectly and most of the real lessons are from the ones that do not go your way. My daughter has worked with young horses, unruly horses and green horses in training. Through it all she has leaned how to manage her fears and stay on (well, most of the time).
Horse showing was a sacrifice on our part. I started reluctantly and often wondered on those early morning drives if I was nuts. It was hard work for the whole family. Looking back, I can see the impact and the benefits. It is not for everyone but it will have lasting impact and many memories.
back to top
>>
An Idea: Working with your school - share ideas for an article
