As a lifelong, passionate horse lover and equestrian, I know firsthand that there is simply no greater feeling than that of being of the back of a horse. All my life, even just the thought of getting to be around horses made me ecstatic. I was that child who had more horse toys and books and memorabilia than I could ever count. I would sit and read my horse books, soaking up all the endless information I possibly could about them. I would also work away at my bedroom desk for hours, drawing them and dreaming of one that I could call my own.

I took lessons as a child and began my show career through 4-H. My dream of having my own horse came true when I turned thirteen. His name was Mongo, and he was my absolute pride and joy. He was still very "green" when I got him, as he was only six with very little training. But I learned more from this horse than I ever thought possible - not just lessons in the saddle, but lessons in life. Since attaining my first horse and taking my first lesson, I have grown leaps and bounds not only as an equestrian, but as a person. I simply couldn't imagine a better way to teach someone than from doing so through horses.

Since I was about seventeen, I have had the incredible opportunity to teach children of all ages and skill levels what I have learned about horses and riding throughout the years. From riding lessons to parts of the horse and everything in between, my experiences thus far of teaching children all about my passion has been nothing short of amazing. For all my fellow equestrians out there, you know that feeling you get when you accomplish something you have been working towards with a horse - whether it's finally getting that clean flying lead change or even just teaching your horse to ground tie or lead quietly onto a trailer. Now imagine that feeling of accomplishment and euphoria when you get to teach a skill to someone else, and then watch them succeed at it. That is just a glimpse of what it is like to teach children through horses.

Of course, you can teach any person of any age through horses, but teaching children is particularly rewarding in its own right. Children often take a little longer to learn things, and a lot of extra patience to teach, but once they get something, the smile that lights up their face is absolutely priceless. When they gleam and boast in excitement about learning something new with a horse, I can't help but rekindle my own love for it all. I, in particular, love to see how excited children get about everything horse, because I was once that kid. Their raw passion for learning how to properly groom and care for a horse, to finally getting to canter for the very first time is so refreshing to me. It makes me remember why I love the sport and the lifestyle so much - and on long, hard days, it reminds me of why I started.

Horses are the best way in teaching children to not only foster a passion for something, but to unceasingly grow and learn about it as well. Love, care, responsibility, respect, thoroughness, humility, and hard work are just a few of the countless values a child can and will attain through horses. Granted, some kids only ever take a lesson or two, or maybe they complete a couple weeks of horse camp and never go back, but that doesn't mean they haven't learned or taken anything away from their time with horses. Other kids, like myself, catch the horse bug and never look back. What matters most of all, though, is that in any situation, a horse can and will teach a child the lessons and values that they will carry with them through the rest of the ride that we call life.