"Daddy, can I have a pony?!" If you were a lucky little girl (or boy), the answer was YES! For many of us, that answer took a long time to get.
People know the cliche that every little girl wants a pony, but they don't always realize that this request really should be accommodated if it's at all financially feasible. You don't have to buy her the horse, but at least take her to get lessons! Every little girl benefits from their time with horses if they get it. It teaches us responsibility, much the same way as a dog would, though a little more so. If you teach a child that this animal and its safety, well-being, and happiness is their responsibility, it makes them pay attention to the care they are taking of the horse. Horses teach us empathy and compassion. If your child has a good trainer who teaches basic horsemanship along with riding ability, she will learn that she has to think of how her actions are affecting the horse. They also teach humility. One of the first lessons a new rider (or owner) gets is that most times, any "misbehavior" from a horse is most likely the result of an unintended rider cue. This very quickly teaches you to check your ego at the gate and be a real teammate to your horse.
But horses don't just teach us the character traits that make for good human beings. They teach us practical skills as well. First and foremost, money management. It's mostly a running joke to those of us who participate in equestrian sports. "How do you make a small fortune in the horse industry? Start with a large one." "Get your daughter a horse and she'll never have the time or the money for drugs and boys!" Although we know it's mostly in good fun, it is really a practice in watching where you are spending your money. Oh, you want that brand new designer handbag? Too bad, your horse needs new shoes this week. Do you want to go out to dinner with your friends at that really expensive new Italian place? Well, then your horse won't eat because we need to buy hay and grain. You don't treat yourself until your horse is well taken care of because that animal depends on you to live a happy and healthy life. It's really good practice (financially) for having a child!
Financial lessons aren't the only ones we learn either. Horses help to increase rider confidence. They help in developing hand-eye coordination. They help with honing fine motor skills. They encourage socialization. There is a reason these animals are used for therapy! They are gentle giants that feed off of the energy that is provided by the ones who care for them. They help people with anxiety, depression, mental and physical disabilities, people with anger management issues, people going through rehabilitation processes, and a wide array of others. Even people who aren't suffering from anything find themselves becoming better people after their time spent at the barn. These amazing animals bring out the best in most people, and watching how people treat them can tell you a lot about their personality.
But the humans aren't the only ones who are helped by these relationships. Personally, I ride at a barn that could be considered a small scale rescue of sorts. We don't go looking for horses that have had difficult lives, but somehow we tend to end up with ones who have had certain unfortunate run-ins with humans. We mostly deal in bringing ex-racehorses home, mostly those who have had a small injury, and giving them new jobs. Horses really can benefit from the relationships with their humans as much as we do. Through proper handling and training, we can increase their confidence. We can make them stronger to keep them healthy over time. We can love and care for them so that they realize that people aren't bad and we can help them the way they help us. We can foster love in them to keep them the gentle giants that they are meant to be. In all honesty, horses DON'T need us. But every horse and pony DESERVES a little girl.
