Like many little girls, I had the dream of owning a pony from a very young age. It’s all I ever wanted: to have a horse to call my own. As I grew older, that dream never changed. I transitioned into being the weird horse girl, and I gladly accepted that title.

Being able to work with horses has been one of the best experiences of my life. I have learned so many important lessons, and I will always be grateful for that.

1. Not everything is going to work out.

This is probably one of the most difficult lessons that I learned from riding horses. You might have everything planned out and things may be going perfectly, but then suddenly one little thing can change everything. And it hurts. A lot. But rather that dwelling on it for too long, the best thing you can do is take it in stride and move on.

2. Never give up.

Maybe something didn’t go your way. Maybe you didn’t place in your class at a show or you are having trouble figuring something out with your horse. You can’t let things like this stop you. Instead, you use them as motivation to keep trying. No one ever truly masters riding. You learn something new everyday and it takes hours and hours of constant practice.

3. Patience is key.

In the horse world, nothing comes easy. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to make any progress. It is important to have patience, both with yourself and with your horse. And listen to your horse. They are living, breathing creatures with a mind of their own that deserve to be respected and treated with kindness.

4. The value of hard work and responsibility.

Riding horses isn’t just something that you do – being an equestrian is who you are. Horses are a lot of work and are very time consuming. They require constant care to keep them happy and healthy. A happy horse equals a happy rider – and sometimes that requires being at the barn by 5 a.m. to feed, or sitting in their stall overnight to watch over them when something isn’t quite right.

5. To be grateful, and to always remain humble.

Horseback riding is truly a humbling experience. Many opportunities will be presented to you, and it is important to remember to remain grateful for every one that you are given. Not everyone is so lucky, and no matter the amount of success you achieve (in anything, not just riding), it is important to remain true to yourself.