I know what it’s like. Every time you see a horse, even a picture of a horse, your heart beats faster. You read every horse book and magazine you can get your hands on. You envy every horse owner so much it hurts. You love the way horses look, feel, and smell. If and when you actually get the chance to ride, you wish it would last forever. But right now, you don’t have a horse of your own. Does this mean you have to give up on horses altogether? No way!
There are many ways to become involved with horses and be able to spend time around them without the responsibility or expense of ownership. Especially if you plan to have your own horse someday, it is a good idea to learn as much about these animals as possible beforehand.
A good place to start is with riding stables in your area. You can locate them in the phone book, through people at feed or tack stores, your county extension agent, or maybe even your local veterinarian. Call the stables and ask what sorts of services they provide. Some stables offer riding lessons. This is an excellent way to learn about horses and horseback riding. You can take lessons in several different riding styles and activities and see which you enjoy most. Even watching other students’ lessons can teach you a lot about the rights and wrongs of riding.
If taking a lesson or two a week is not going to satisfy your equestrian urges, consider leasing a horse. Though lease agreements can vary considerably in their terms, most offer consistent access to the same horse over the period of the lease. You can locate horses for lease by contacting the sources mentioned above or checking ads in local newspapers and equestrian publications.
Leasing may demand more of a financial investment and time commitment than you have available, however. In that case, there are plenty of stables which provide horses for rent by the hour. You can ride with your friends or family on a guided trail ride. Some barns even have horses trained to pull large wagons and sleighs for people who love horses but don’t necessarily want to ride them.
Larger stables sometimes hold horse shows and training clinics which you can attend to learn more about how to handle horses properly. You can take these opportunities to talk to riders and owners about their equestrian activities. Horse people are usually very happy to share their knowledge with anyone who shows an interest.
Some horse barns offer boarding for owners who need places to keep their horses. Even these stables may be able to help you develop very important and useful skills. Try talking to the barn owner and letting him or her know that you are willing to do any sort of work around the stable just for the experience. Many stable owners are overworked and would be grateful for the helping hand. You can learn a lot from these professional horse people.
If you happen to live near an equine rescue facility, you can volunteer to help in whatever ways are needed. Not only can you gain both valuable horse experience and information in such a place, just think of how wonderful it would be to help in the effort to bring an abused horse back to good health and happiness!
If you don’t have a stable or other horse facility nearby, you may be able to locate a summer camp with a horseback riding program. Look for camps that offer the style of riding you like best and that will allow you the most time around the horses.
If none of the above suggestions are available to you, don’t worry, you can still become involved with horses. Boy and Girl Scouts offer several options for the equine enthusiast. Boy Scouts may choose to earn merit badges in Horsemanship, while Girl Scouts can work toward the Horse Lover or Horseback Rider badges. 4-H, too, offers several different projects to teach you about horses, horse ownership, exhibition, and judging. You do not need to own a horse to become involved in any of these organizations or their horse programs.
Local saddle clubs are happy to accept non-horse-owners into their membership. These clubs are great places to make friends with people who share your love of horses. Some clubs sponsor shows and clinics and other activities that you can become involved in to learn even more about the horse world.
Maybe you will have your own horse someday, but in the meantime, you can take advantage of all these choices and opportunities. After all, learning about horses is always interesting and fun. And remember, the more you know, the better an owner you will be when the time comes.