Newsdate: February 5, 2020, 10:00 am
Location: East Yorkshire, UK

Horses are a great way to enhance a human’s life, ensuring both horse and rider live a happy and healthy lifestyle. Horses can help shape us into well rounded people. They give us opportunity to learn about relationships, responsibility, and how we view ourselves as individuals.

Horse riders enjoying a challenging adventure in the outdoors

Riding a horse creates a true sense of achievement, purpose and responsibility resulting in a happier and more fulfilled individual.
© 2006 by Forrest Service Northern Region New window.

The physical benefits are apparent from riding, as it provides exercise for both the horse and rider. It’s a great way of getting in a full body work out, working your arms with having control of the horse, legs with control and movement, especially when in trot and gallop and also core, as you need to be positioned correctly in the saddle.

There is also a physical responsibility when not on horseback – mucking out, lifting water buckets with country boots etc. 

Many feel that the emotional side of riding out-ways the physical, as it can be a great recipe for a positive mind-set. It can give you a true sense of achievement, purpose and responsibly. All factors that can make you a much happier and fulfilled individual.

Horse riding can provide much more than traditional physical exercise such as running, biking etc. It gives you that sense of peace and encourages you to appreciate the simple things in life. You take in your surroundings and are so much more aware when on a horse.

The buzz that you get from riding a horse can last for days, one good ride and you feel on such a high. Caring for a horse gives you a reason to get up and start your day on a positive note.

Riding horses enhances the lives and makes humans healthier in the following ways:

1. Riding enhances mood by giving the rider a sense of achievement and purpose which releases endorphans and serotonins.
2. Riding is a great calorie burner, burning up to 400 calories in one ride.
3. Riding contributes to heart health by increasing recovery rate from heart attacks and lowers mortality rates from cardiac disease.
4. Riders tend to have lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels due to movement and exercise.
5. Riding helps fight depression because taking care of a horse occupies the mind and releases endorphins and dopamine.
6. Being involved with horses enables people to meet like-minded people resulting in friendships and a sense of purpose.
7. Riding gives a people a sense of community as they talk about their horses and attend events.
8. Interacting with and riding horses is beneficial to people with disabilities.
9. Getting out in the fresh air is scientifically proven to be great for people's respiratory health and also increases a person's vitamin D.
10. Riding a horse increases a person's sense of responsibility since it involves helping meet the needs of the horse with food, water, and exercise.
11. Building rapport and bonding with the horse helps in developing new skills interacting with people.
12. Riding a horse helps reduce stress levels.
13. Horses are prey animals which means they are hypervigilant and capable of detecting human emotions leading to increased empathy between human and horse.
14. Riding increases physical strength since riding is a full body workout and reduces the potential for injuries because in new strength in arms, legs, and core.
15. Improved self-esteem comes from having and caring for a horse.
16. Riding a horse brings a sense of happiness because of the release of endorphins brought about by physical activity thereby lifting the mood and contributing to a sense of well-being.

Press release provided by Rydale Life

Edited for use on website.