“It is OK to go outside for walks or bike rides (or horseback riding) so long as you keep 6+ feet away from others,” says the shelter in place mandate. I added the horseback riding as they forgot to consider the needs of equestrians. When life goes wonky, horseback riding becomes an essential activity.
So Giddy-up
That’s right, giddy-up and get your horse out. Breath some fresh air and see the world through the ears of your horse. Feeding, grooming and exercising your horse are essential activities. They are essential to the life of your horse and essential to your good health.
Come ride along with me! Get your riding the SLO County Trails Hotsheet to get started and join the SLO Horse News Herd!
Kick Forward
You may be struggling with kicking forward in life right now. There are a lot of reasons we might be feeling the weight of life holding us back. Just like us, our horses balk, stop and back-up when presented with unknowns in their world. What do we do as riders when our horses hesitate or show fear? We kick them encouragingly forward. Get yourself up on a horse and kick forward, your perspective on life can change with just going forward.
Ride On
There are so many places to trail ride in SLO County, try venturing out and exploring somewhere new. We have a SLO County Trail Ride Guide which leads you to the top 14 trail rides in SLO County.
Don’t have horse? No problem. If you don’t have a horse, find a guided trail ride provider so you can kick forward and enjoy the sheer pleasure of seeing the world between two ears. We have a SLO County Guided Trail Ride Guide to lead you to the perfect guided trail ride experience.
Essential Benefits of Horseback Riding
Mental Health Benefits
Open air, space and time with nature nourish our souls. Whether you venture out on a new trail or try a new training technique in the arena, just having to focus on riding and communicating with our horses can lead us to greater mental health. There are also physical benefits from horseback riding and caring for horses.
Posture Benefits
Riding requires balance which strengthens our core muscles. Posture is a very important aspect of riding. Riding in an unbalanced manner makes it uncomfortable for our horses and increases our instability in the saddle. Keeping our posture while staying up with the movement of the horse translates to improved posture in our walking and sitting posture everywhere we go.
Horseback Riding Gear Essentials
If you are an equestrian you probably have these horseback riding essentials. Perhaps your gear needs to be refreshed?
If you are just getting started or simply want to explore a new area on horseback through a guided trail ride your experience will be enhanced with this essential horseback riding gear.
Hey, head’s up. Purchasing products through clicking the the links or product pics that follow may result in providing us a little kick-back money. To learn more see the affiliate disclaimer near the end of this story.
Essential Horseback Riding Gear
- A helmet. Yes, protecting your noggin is a great idea. Helmets come in a variety of styles and colors these days.
- Boots. The safest footwear to use while riding is sturdy boot with a heel. Your feet need to be protected and the heel will help prevent your foot going all the way through the stirrup in an emergency.
- Stretchy pair of jeans or riding pants. You’ll be most comfortable in a pant with some stretch.
- A tush-cush. Totally serious here. If you are going to spend even a few hours in a saddle, having a tush-cush can save your seat bones, especially if you haven’t ridden that long for awhile.
So Giddy-up, kick forward and ride on. Horseback riding is an essential activity. We will get through this current life challenge. If you are struggling with the changes imposed on you and the implications, be of good cheer as horseback riding has not been canceled. Having more time to ride and enjoy our horses is a blessing.
Just so you know, clicking the above story and product links can take you to the product on the Riding Warehouse website. This makes shopping easy and convenient for you. We do get a little kick-back from items purchased, giving us resources to bring you more stories, but your price stays the same. It’s a win-win! Also for local riders you can skip the delivery charge by ordering items online and request pick-up – during checkout – at the Riding Warehouse store in San Luis Obispo. Happy Trails!
Photo Credit: Sharon Jantzen Photos
Get Going! Explore the wonder and beauty of the SLO County trails from the best place on earth, the back of a horse. To keep this info at your fingertips we have developed a FREE Hot Sheet that will direct you to a few trail ride stories. We’ll continue to add trail ride stories to our website. You can stay up-to-date by becoming a SLO Horse News herd member. Get your Riding the SLO County Trails Hot Sheet here >.
