Every Kind of Rider

You are not too old to start riding.

Let’s establish that right now. 

I know a woman who didn’t start riding until her mid-fifties. By the time she was sixty, she had her own horse (pictured below), her husband was also riding, and she was doing occasional horse shows. There are many different ways to ride and many different goals to have; the end goal is not always to be a competitive rider. Some people would be much happier with just the experience of learning to ride and bonding with a horse. And whatever your goals are, you are still a valid rider, and have valid reason to start.

Sung-Hyoun Cho conducted a study that investigated the effect of horseback riding on hormone levels in elderly people. Horseback riding was the chosen exercise because it stimulates a unique three dimensional movement that simulates pelvis tilting and influences muscles that aren’t used in other sorts of exercises. The participants had a significant increase in serotonin and cortisol levels after only eight weeks of learning to ride. 

“Riding exercise is being reviewed not only for its physical effects, but also for its social and mental effects. This is because riding involves physical interactions between patients and horses and promotes social activities among riders, who must communicate with surrounding people, including managers.” 

Cho may be focusing on the physical benefits but the social and mental benefits are not excluded. Despite the focus on the physical, Cho can not exclude the mental and social benefits from the conversation because it is such a large part of what makes being an equestrian so beneficial. 

The following video is an example of a woman who used to ride and wanted to do it again. She is not starting from scratch here, but she hadn’t ridden in a long time.

 

You cannot start too late.