09/17/2025
š“āØ My son Nico is nine years old, and he loves riding horses. Hereās what it feels like to himā¦
Horseback Riding
By Nico, age 9
The second my boots hit the stirrups and I climb onto Shandyās back, I feel like Iām on top of the world. Sheās ready to goāI can tell by the way she moves under meāand her excitement makes me excited too. In the arena, I hear all the horsesā hooves thumping in the sand, like a giant drumbeat.
When we ride outside, everything changes. The air smells like flowers and grass. Shandyās trot bounces me up and down, and then we move into a lope. Thatās my favorite. The wind whips through my hair, and I can see it streaming through Shandyās mane. Her hooves beat steadily, and I listen to her breathing, strong and fast. For a moment, it feels like itās just me and her and the setting sun.
Sometimes I feel nervousāespecially when we ride into places Iāve never been before. My stomach feels tight, and Iām unsure if I can do it. But then I remember Shandy is with me. She keeps me calm. When she gets frisky or too slow, I learn to guide her with my hands and legs. Itās like weāre having a secret conversation. When she listens, I feel proud, like we did it together.
At the end of our ride, I slide off, hug her neck, and kiss her muzzle. She nuzzles me back, tired but happy. We walk together, step by step, like weāre one team.
A Note from Dad
As a mental health professional, lifelong rider, and someone working toward PATH certification, I see every ride not just as a lesson in horsemanship but as a deeply healing experience. Riding builds courage, trust, patience, and resilience in ways backed by science, and it's not just a sport for girls or women.
Hereās what research tells us:
ā¢ A study of Equine-Assisted Occupational Therapy with children aged 6ā12 who have ADHD found that after a single 45-minute session, participants showed improvements in self-efficacy and positive mood, and decreased negative mood. (PubMed)
ā¢ A pilot trial of Therapeutic Horseback Riding for children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder showed reductions in irritability and hyperactivity, and improvements in social awareness. It also found that cortisol levels (a stress hormone) decreased after horseback sessions. (PubMed)
ā¢ Research on human-horse interaction more broadly shows that simply being with horsesācaring for them, standing near them, or rubbing themācan increase oxytocin, the hormone linked to connection, safety, and stress reduction. (PubMed)
Why does this matter? Because when boys ride horses:
ā¢ They engage their bodies in rhythmic motion, which helps regulate the nervous system.
ā¢ They get immediate feedbackāhorses respond to gentle cues and calm energyābuilding confidence and trust.
ā¢ They face small risks in safe settings, learning that fear doesnāt have to stop them.
Watching Nico ride, I see firsthand how equine therapy does more than improve riding skillsāit helps shape a boyās inner world: his emotions, his sense of safety, his voice.
āØ If youāve ever seen a child connect with a horse, you know the magic Iām talking about.
