Horses have been such a large part of my life for the majority of my childhood and teenage years. Although riding can be an expensive and time-consuming sport, it is so worth it. Growing up in the equestrian community has taught me so many important life lessons and skills.

Riding taught me is how to have a strong work ethic. Taking care of your horse is a huge part of riding. Although barn chores are not the most glamorous part of riding, they are absolutely necessary. Doing many hours of barn chores simply became a habit. Getting into the habit of working hard every day really helped me develop a stronger work ethic.

Horses are extremely expensive. My parents and I bought my old horse when I was sixteen years old. I worked quite a bit and was responsible for paying for a portion of his costs. This taught me so much about being responsible and smart with my money.

Showing horses taught me how to be a better loser. Not every class will be perfect, and that's okay. It took me a very long time to learn how to lose with grace. When things go wrong in my life or I fail in some way, I think about how important it is to take a step back, calm down, look at the situation, and learn from it. It is so important that we do this both in the arena and in life.

Riding horses taught me how to be brave. I am not a very courageous person by nature. Naturally, I get super worried and afraid to step outside my comfort zone. However, riding horses requires you to step outside of your comfort zone, take control of the situation, and be brave. Thanks to some wonderful horse trainers, I learned to gradually take steps to be more courageous and to try new things. This has helped me so much both in my equestrian life, and my everyday life.

Riding taught me about teamwork. When you're on the back of a 2,000-pound animal with a mind of its' own, you learn about how important it is to work with that animal to be a successful and safe team. Being in the equestrian community also teaches you how to work professionally with horse trainers and other riders. This has definitely helped me work with many different kinds of people.

Overall, riding and showing horses can be difficult, time-consuming, and expensive. However, I wouldn't have spent my childhood and teenage years any other way. I learned so many important skills, and had so much fun doing it! Horses are amazing animals, and the equestrian world is a great place.