Briar, an adult with cerebral palsy, talks about getting back into horse riding and the many benefits that come along with that experience.
One of the highlights of my week is my horse riding lesson. I get so much joy out of hopping on a horse and with it comes a huge benefit to my health and well-being.
I first started horse riding when I was six. I rode on-and-off up until the age of sixteen. The purpose of horse riding was to help my balance and coordination. As a child you don’t understand that there is a hidden therapeutic value to horse riding. Nearly twenty years later I got the opportunity to hop on a horse again, which changed my life.
I never thought I would have the opportunity to ride again. It was with some trepidation that I accepted a group riding lesson at Riding for the Disabled.
I was so nervous at the thought of hopping on a horse, but once I did the skills I had learnt as a child all came back to me.
There almost was a sense of freedom being on a horse again. I relished every opportunity that I had to ride and learn new horsemanship skills.
I entered into my first dressage competition in 2022 and found so much delight in having to learn a dressage test and develop the skills I needed to maneuver the horse around the arena. It was the first time in many years that I had the opportunity to work towards a goal, and with it receive pleasing results.
My horse riding lessons themselves have a tremendous benefit to my well-being. By being involved in the horse riding community, I am getting the opportunity to meet new people, which has reduced my social isolation. The judgments that I put upon myself and feelings that I have about being a person with a disability are not prevalent.
In this community, I am not the only person with a disability (which is often the case in my life), but I’m now one of many people, reaping from the benefits of horse riding.
Having contact with horses has also helped my physical and mental health. Horse riding requires me to be mindful when I am riding a horse for my safety and the safety of the horse. This means putting a hold on self-judgment and focusing on the task at hand. It helps me work towards developing core strength, balance and coordination whilst on the horse.
I’m also motivated to keep fit off the horse. I never was a sporty person, and the pain that comes with exercising as a person with cerebral palsy gave me the perfect excuse to do very little exercise. This had a compounding impact on my physical and mental health.
The opportunity to hop back on a horse as an adult has changed the way I view exercise. I have gone from a person who didn’t move beyond what was necessary to function each day to one who exercises most days. This has increased my level of fitness and improved my mental well-being. I now have a brand new outlook on life as I work towards my goal and be part of a community that accepts me for who I am.
For more information about sports and recreation as a person with cerebral palsy, My CP Guide hosts a variety of information resources. Browse the Leisure & Recreation category on My CP Guide to find other relevant resources.