Children And Horses

Children seem to have a natural affinity for horses. Maybe it's because children are curious and have little fear. Maybe they sense a kindred spirit in the heart of a horse. I've noticed that it seems to be girls more than boys who connect with horses most often.

Among my favorite classes to watch at horse shows are the Small Fry Walk/Trot and the Lead Line. Watching children who have - or are beginning to - form bonds with horses is encouraging to see. After all, the future of the horse industry does depend upon the involvement of children. If children don't have - and maintain - an interest in horses, there won't be any future equestrians.

The breed associations that have youth associations include American Quarter Horse, American Saddlebred, Arabian, Morgan, Appaloosa and American Paint Horse. Cutting, Reining and Barrel Racing are among the events that have youth divisions. For young rodeo competitors, there is the National High School Rodeo and Little Britches Rodeo. Little Britches covers a larger age range, including ages five to eighteen. 4-H also offers youth horse opportunities.

I've only been to one 4-H horse show so far, but I enjoyed seeing the different ways young people could be involved with horses through 4-H. Even those who don't own horses can do horse-related projects. It was fun to look at the different horse projects the 4-H members created. One project I remember clearly was by a member who used Clinton Anderson's Method to help a neighbor with a problem horse. I appreciate that 4-H requires competitors to wear helmets.

There are organizations that use horses to help at-risk youth. It has been said that "There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." That quote has been attributed to both Winston Churchill and Ronald Reagan, but I doubt anyone knows for sure where it originated. In any case, it is definitely true that horses have a positive effect on those who deal with them. The healing power of the horse is used to help at-risk youth have a new look at life.

Children and horses are a popular movie theme. Among the movies that have the relationship between young people and horses as a theme include: The Greening Of Whitney Brown, Flicka, Set Apart and Second Chances. All of them show the positive influence horses can have on young people.

Opportunities for children to be involved with horses abound. It's up to horse-loving adults to make sure children are given those opportunities.