Take a Horse Home with You For the Winter
Has your child been begging for a horse? However, you are not too sure yet If you want that type of responsibility? Lucky Shoe Riding Club offers club members the opportunity to take one of our lesson horses home for the winter (November-March). This is a great opportunity for your child to learn how much work it is to take care and own a horse of their own with out the costly initial purchase of a horse. If you are a club member this is free, yes free. Your rider can ride all winter long. All I ask is that you let your rider learn the responsibility of caring for the horse with hoof care, feeding and worming at your cost.
10 Reasons Why Your Horse Lover Needs a Horse
Let's get the ugly out of the way and talk about the cons of owning a horse. They cost a lot.... like a lot! They are a black hole for money. First you have the initial purchase of the horse which in all honesty is pretty rough because any good horse that will take care of your precious kiddo isn't going to be cheap. And if it is cheap and doesn't have the miles under its girth you run the risk of expensive medical bills when your child has to be rushed to the emergency room because of a horse accident. The next turn off is probably the cost of feeding, shoeing, vaccines, floating, and maintenance such as chiropractic care, injections and so on. There are probably a few more cons but let's go ahead and get to all the good stuff, like why your horse lover would benefit from having their own horse, or riding one of Lucky Shoe Riding Club Horses.
1. IT KEEPS THEM OUT OF TROUBLE
When they are busy taking care of their horse, grooming, riding, feeding, cleaning stalls, they have less time to run off and get in trouble. Friends who don't have the same interest and who would rather wreck havoc get pushed to the side. Not only that but getting a job to have to help pay for their entry fees and horse become much more important.
2. Riding costs money - which they should be at least partly responsible for.
If you own your own horse you know they cost lots of money. There are tack bills, vet bills, maintenance bills, boarding, and even lessons. If you don't own a horse
but take lessons it still costs a lot of money. If your child chooses to compete then you have even more expenses with entry fees and fuel. All of these expenses are a great opportunity to teach responsibility! If they want to ride they should have to earn their riding time by doing chores around the house or even getting a job to help foot the bill.
3. Riding builds Confidence
Riding a 1100 lb animal can be scary at times, especially when they spook because there is a stick on the ground. But when you can keep your butt in the saddle when he spooked your confidence sky rockets. When you finally get him to submit to flexing his head, your confidence jumps. When you can go out into the pasture when your own head barely reaches his chest and you bring him in with his halter on correctly you know anything is possible. If you can ride and tell this huge animal what to do, who is going to stop you in this life??
4. Riding builds Patience
Horses can be so frustrating. You sometimes have to work and work and work to finally get it to click in your head or the horses head. When a horse is learning something they learn when the pressure is released. Sometimes this can take several minutes. For a young rider this can be so frustrating but so rewarding once it finally clicks with the horse! I often tell the kids "your horse is a reflection of how you are acting, are you being patient and coachable, or shut down and frustrated?"
5. Opportunity to make more friends
If your child is in a club lesson or competes in an event they will have several opportunities to build life long relationships. The top 5 people you surround yourself with are the people you are most likely to be like. If your rider is surrounded with like minded people who are all striving for the same goals they will be more likely to succeed and have much more fun doing it. The friends your rider will meet at riding club, or competitions will have the same passions and love for horses as they do.
6. Riding keeps you Humble
Horses will teach you that you are wrong all the time. She didnt make the turn just right, or your hands are too high, or your butt is out of the saddle. There is always something new to learn with horses, as soon as you think you have it all figured out you get thrown something new.
7. Grit
You have to be tough. Yes tough and gritty. If you're not gritty, that 1200 lb animal will walk all over you and show you what he really thinks of these 12 circles you just made him lope, or
the bit you're trying to shove in his mouth. You have to be tough when you haven't quite yet figured out your balance when he turns that barrel and you fly off in front of entire crowd at your first rodeo. You have to be tough when you're going down the road in your rig and a tire blows and you have to change it all by your self. You're going to have to be tough when your horse gets their leg stuck in the fence and rips it all up and he wont let you touch it for the life of you. You're going to have to grit when your best friend starts to colic and you have to make the call to lay him to rest.
8.You stay fit and physically Active
I often ask the kids while they are riding, does your stomach and legs burn? If your answer is no you're not doing it right. In order to keep your bottom in the saddle and your horse engaged you use muscles you didn't even knew existed. When a student is having their first lesson at the barn they usually cant even carry the saddle out from the tack room. By their 5th lesson their arm and back muscles begin to become so strong they can carry it all the way out and heave it onto their horse!
9. Builds Work Ethic
Horses teach you to have a strong work ethic. If you want to have a horse there is a lot of work involved. It is a daily chore of feeding, watering, caring, riding, and cleaning stalls. If you're at the barn there will always be chores and things to do to care for your horse. Whether is picking up poop in their pen or arena, or just making sure your horse is exercised. There will be days you absolutely do not want to go because it is -25 degrees out side but you have to persevere and get the job done anyways.
10. Teach You How to Love
Horses are going to teach you how to love with all your heart. They will teach you how to put others first. You will love by making sure he is fed, that he has a safe home, is getting all the
maintenance he needs to get to your next competition. He will teach you how to sacrifice out of love for him and the sport. When you know he needs a new saddle that fits him just right so it will stop pinching his whither, but its $2,000 and that is just out of reach, you will find a way. Because every time you put that old saddle on his strong back that carries you for miles, you cringe for his uncomfortableness. They teach us that love is patient and love is kind and that love never gives up.
In Conclusion...
At the end of the day it is up to you to decide if buying a horse or using one of Lucky Shoe Riding Club's horses is the better fit for you and your family. If you are wanting to purchase a horse for your student please call, message, or text me. I would love to help and may even know of a horse that would be a good fit. It is so important that you know what you want and what to look for when you are looking at horses to buy. What ever you do, do not rush into it, there are thousands of horses out there. Let's make sure you get a good fit for your family.
-Coach Courtney
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