When faced with the daunting task of learning to ride, it is sometimes easy to forget why you wanted to get into it in the first place, because despite the enjoyment factor, it can sometimes seem like a lot of hard work, but believe me, it’s worth it! Horse riding is not just a delightful pastime for people of all ages, it’s also hugely beneficial to many aspects of life, so sit back, relax and allow me to tempt you in to saddling up and joining the fabulous world of equine.

Fitness
Horse riding is an excellent way of exercising, so whether you’re going out for a long strenuous day of trail riding, or just taking your horse for a trot around the block, you’re doing your body some good! Not only is horse riding good aerobic, fat burning exercise, it’s also excellent for improving a persons flexibility and helps with suppleness, which can prevent problems such as arthritis from occurring. Horse riding is also excellent for toning the muscles in your legs, torso and arms, so this summer why not pack in the beach body diet and instead enjoy some riding!

Emotional well being
It is proven that doing some sort of exercise on a regular basis, combined with finding time to relax is excellent for a persons emotional well being, so why not combine both factors by riding! Horse riding is a unique sport in the sense that it offers both strenuous exercise as well as relaxation at the same time, so next time you’re feeling stressed from work, put down that bottle of Shiraz and go for a gentle hack with your equine companion!

See new places
There’s no view on earth quite like a view from a horses back, especially when you are in the heart of the countryside with not a care in the world. It’s easy to get caught up in the rat race and forget that there’s probably a whole world of adventure and beauty just around the corner from your house, so get out the house and take full advantage of our fantastic outdoors!

Make new friends
It’s hard enough to make new friends when you’re younger, let alone when you reach the daunting stage of Mid-life, but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t put yourself out there and meet lots of like minded fun loving people, and horse riding is the perfect place to start! All it takes is a trip down to your local stables and you can begin to meet lots of friendly, interesting people, who all share one thing in common, a love of all things equine!

Career prospects
Allowing yourself to become part of the horse riding community not only opens up hundreds of social and leisure opportunities, it also unlocks many employment prospects. From being a young stable hand to being a fully qualified full time riding instructor, the equestrian community holds an exciting job prospect for all lovers of horses alike.

So whether it is your ambition to gallop across a sandy beach in Spain as the sun sets or just to stroll down a peaceful bridleway close to your house, get out of that comfy chair and start searching for your local stables!

RichardMark is a budding young travel journalist who is currently travelling through Europe sampling a mouth watering selection of Horse Riding Holidays on behalf of travel company http://www.equestrian-escapes.com