5 reasons why being an adult rider makes you a bad ass: 

 Overcoming fear; 

• As a kid you were fearless, brave, and willing to jump over anything! Except now, you realize being an adult that you can actually break stuff and it will take twice as long to heal. Plus, you have that nagging voice in your head, if you break something who is going to pay your bills!  But you still ride! You still get on that oversized grown toddler of a horse that you so love. You deal with the fear and push those negative Nancy voices to the back of your head and carry on! You’re a bad ass for pushing through it and making your inner child happy!  

 You have to pay for your own stuff now;  

• OMG. SHIT IS SO EXPENSIVE. HAS IT ALWAYS BEEN THIS EXPENSIVE. OH. MY. GOD. MY PARENTS WALLETS! Now that I have to pay for all my own expensive crap, I realize how pricy things are! And of course, I want all the nice and shiny things but because I have a life outside of the barn that no longer involves digging in my parents wallets I have to …budget…. (the B word no adult likes to hear). But, I gain a sense of pride knowing that I bought all my goodies with no one’s help! Okay, the occasional help from my fiancé but shhhh! Don’t judge me!  

 The work to horse life balance  

• You work a full-time job to basically support your horse addiction. I don’t have children so to you riders that have children and can still make it to the barn, you are a serious bad ass. I struggle to make it to the barn on time most days for my lessons. But, I’m generally late for everything. And I feel guilty most times when I don’t go to the barn on my days off to hang out, help around, and just to socialize, but my adulting life sometimes takes over. 

 You don’t “bounce back” 

• You fall. You splat your organs and your face on the ground. You struggle to peel your body off the ground that just happened to seem so inviting you had to land on it. Gravity has once again let you down. You probably feel like you need an extra second to catch your breath (Lord, I do after I do one full circle of canter around the ring).  You’re not the younger you anymore. You’re not like the younger generation at the barn. You don’t “bounce” like they do after a fall. But hey, at least you can “bounce” back into the saddle on your own sweet time. 

 Adult time 

• Let’s face it, we have the coolest and least boring hobby around. While other adults are golfing, or doing other boring adult things, we are riding a 1000lb animal. Not only are we working out our whole entire body (because we do more than just sit there!) but we are also spending time with our adult barn friends. Some serious adulting happens while schooling. And barn friends make the best friends. 

 You know it, your horse knows it, your coach knows it, horseback riding isn’t for the faint of heart and we don’t just sit there. You are trusting and gaining the trust of an animal. You are controlling the horse with the slightest movements from your body. How many people can say that they controlled the motion of the golf ball with their seat! I am obviously a little bias but horseback riding is amazing. Horses are amazing. Having that relationship with a horse isn’t a feeling you can describe with one word- all my equestrian friends get this! Being able to communicate with your horse with the slightest movement, feeling, and the occasional muscle spasming (because let’s be honest… Cramping calves is all too real) is something not many can say they have had the chance to experience.

 So, you my friend, are a horseback riding bad ass! And keep on continuing to make your inner child happy by getting on that horse! 

❤️ The Nervous Equestrian