After nine years of horseback riding, I’ve had my fair share of aspiring riders ask me about riding. I’ve always given them the general overview of the sport, but wished I could warn them about the little ways their lives were going to change if they chose to take up horseback riding. So, these are some of those little things, now you can’t say we didn’t warn you:

  1. Piggy back rides

Sadly you will no longer be able to enjoy these without crushing your friends torso with your thighs of steel. You will now have to walk instead of being carried. A true loss.

  1. Being able to walk between two cracks in the road without counting strides

“Oh I’m coming in on a half stride!” *opens up stride to close the gap* There’s no way to stop this because your brain will insist on doing it so might as well accept it. (don’t lie people we all have done it)

  1. Manicures

You know you’ve entered an extreme sport when there are YouTube tutorials on how to have a “Horse-Proof Manicure”

  1. Enjoying movies that feature horse-back riding

“Yes I’m judging you, actress who probably lied about being able to ride a horse to get the part.”- every equestrian ever

  1. Overall comfort

You’ve never experienced true soreness until you’ve tried to walk up stairs the day after falling directly onto a solid wooden pole and flower box, and didn’t go to the doctor because you had more horses to ride.

  1. Relaxing Sundays

Goodbye watching TV and drinking tea all day, Hello waking up at 4am and not sitting down until 8pm. (also when you sit down it will probably be in the shower as you cry over how much your show bill was, this is normal)

  1. Judgment of how expensive things are

“MOM there’s a Pikeur Gotha II show coat on sale! It’s only $400!!”-Yes this actually happened and it will happen to you too. Horses are expensive.

  1. Peaceful Car Rides

All is well until you see a fence and proceed to intensely stare at the barn until it goes out of sight because ponies.

  1. Nice clothes

Everything becomes barn clothes. EVERYTHING.

  1. Being able to stand up/sit down/bend over without sounding like a fireworks show

You’ll hear joints pop in places you didn’t even know they could. Don’t be alarmed.

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