At Circle C Equestrian Center, part of Keyauwee Program Center, in Sophia, NC, girls of all ages have the opportunity to get up close and personal with horses. Throughout the year, the property offers riding lessons, Girl Scout riding programs and summer overnight and day camps opportunities.
Getting girls comfortable around horses and teaching them not only how to ride, but also how to care for the animals and listen to what the horses are communicating to their riders, is a big part of the work that happens at Circle C. When someone comes into the barn, we want them to take away more than just the fun of riding. Horses can teach humans lots of important lessons including:
- Leadership: Horses provide a natural therapeutic environment that teaches kids to work hard and be present in the moment. Children who are around horses learn to use their voice to instruct the horse, be confident in their decisions, understand animal behavior and manage situations.
- Responsibility: When your child is in a riding program, they learn to tack their lesson horse up, groom and ride. Learning to make the horse’s needs a priority builds your child’s sense of responsibility.
- Empathy: Horses communicate in a variety of ways, many of which are non-verbal. Learning to be attentive to these cues increases your child’s connection to the horse and builds stronger empathy skills.
- Courage: Children learn to overcome fears and how to build up their confidence. At Circle C Equestrian Center whenever a girl faces a fear either from the barn or riding, they get a Feedbag Fairy. A Feedbag Fairy carries their accomplishment into the woods with the other fairies.
- Confidence: Some people are under the misconception that riding is easy, but in reality, it can take years to learn. Understanding difficult concepts of riding requires a rider to connect their physical body and their brain together. Mastering these concepts increases self-esteem. They also build confidence by believing in their abilities to overcome obstacles. Plus, being able to team up with a 1,500-pound animal feels powerful!
- Physical coordination: There are so many physical advantages of horseback riding! When you are riding, you have to learn how to control your body- move your body with the horse’s gait, have gentle hands and proper posture. Riding also improves your muscles in your whole body! Riding requires balancing in the saddle, which is why therapeutic riding is so beneficial to people with reduced mobility.
If you think your girl could benefit from horseback riding, you can find upcoming events on our online calendar, learn about summer camp horse programs or e-mail circlec@girlscoutsp2p.org to learn more about our program and the riding lessons that are offered. You can also support our equestrian programs and become a Horse Buddy when you give to Adopt Our Herd.
Credit: https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2023/02/25/5-psychological-benefits-of-horse-riding-for-kids/
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