Did you know that horses have been around for over 50 million years? These amazing creatures have evolved so much during this time. But now, they are mostly used for casual horse riding.
So if you’ve always wanted to interact with these beautiful animals, keep reading our article on Horse Farms in PA!
What Are Horse Farms in PA?
The best horse farms in PA will teach you everything about horse riding while still making it a fun activity! And anyone can join a class, it doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or an expert in horse riding in PA. Overall, the goal of horse farms is to educate you, have fun, and stay safe.
Is Horse Riding Safe?
About 100 people die every year from horse-related accidents. Unfortunately, a lot of these accidents occur because of human error and bad training.
And luckily, the best horse farms in PA will always teach you safety tips and emergency tips. And if you listen to each tip, the chances of an accident or death are very low!
What Should I Wear While Horseback Riding in PA?
The best horse farms in Chester County will have you wear protective clothing. Therefore, you’ll need to wear sturdy closed-toed shoes. For example, riding boots or flexible sneakers.
You should also wear thicker pants to protect your legs from any scrapes during riding. Lastly, a helmet will always be required when handling a horse. This means you’ll need to wear one when mounting, riding, or handling a horse.
Luckily, the best horse farms for sale in PA will have helmets to borrow. So if you don’t have one, don’t worry!
Can Anyone Join a Horseback Riding Class in PA?
There are some rules that are implemented for trail rides specifically. Here are some of the rules you should know:
- You must be over the age of 11 to ride
- You have to weigh less than 200 pounds.
- You cannot have any physical or mental disabilities that will impede you from safely riding a horse
- Helmets are required at all times
- You must sign a Hold Harmless Agreement before riding
There are other rules that you’ll need to follow when looking for horse farms for sale in Lehigh. But overall, these are the most common rules found for most riding classes.
Can a Disabled Person Benefit From Horse Riding?
Some horse farms offer sessions for children and adults with developmental or physical disabilities. These lessons are usually private or done in group sessions with informed equine instructors.
If you’re not familiar with equine therapy, it promotes brain activity by doing simple activities with horses. One of the first riding lessons will incorporate Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy or EAP.
This kind of therapy will have licensed professionals, who can guide the rider. Over time this exercise will improve their cognition.
With Equine-Assisted Learning Therapy, the lessons are the same. However, this kind of equine therapy focuses more on improving life skills.
The rider will also learn how to improve their self-confidence which can help them become more independent over time. Lastly, this kind of therapy promotes trust and honesty between the instructor and rider.
Is Horse Riding Right for Me?
If you are looking for a new way to enjoy the outdoors and reconnect, then horse riding is perfect for you. But here are some other reasons to think about
- You have open availability
- You need a new hobby
- You’ve recently moved and need a new social circle
- You love horses
- You lack structure
These are only some of the reasons why horse riding could be perfect for you! There are plenty of other factors to consider as well.
Why Should I Visit a Horse Farm in PA?
So the question still stands, why should I visit a horse farm in PA? Well, we’re here to answer this question and more, so keep reading!
1. You Can Get Multiple Services
Horse farms in PA offer an array of services. For example, you can host a birthday party, wedding, or any event! You can start taking horse riding lessons which are continuous and can shape you into an expert. Or if you’re just looking for a casual ride, you sign up for trail rides.
You can even sign up for boarding classes where you can learn everything about feeding and more. Overall, the best horse farms in PA will offer multiple services in one location!
2. Build Muscle
Many don’t know that horseback riding is actually a great exercise. In fact, you’ll get very sour the next day which means you are building muscle.
That’s because horseback riding does require a lot of strength and training. Not to mention, you’ll need to learn how to use certain muscle groups when riding.
You will also have to use your legs to control your horse. Therefore, you can aslo expect your legs to get very toned during riding.
3. Improve Balance and Posture
Riding a horse will require you to have the perfect posture. In fact, you will need to be upright during riding. Therefore, riding a horse will also improve your balance, posture, and improve core muscles.
Moreover, you will need to make constant muscle changes to keep up with your horse’s movements. This can be challenging since you also have to follow your instructor’s movements. And these rules only apply to the easier side of riding which is called walking along.
Once you get to advanced stages, you’ll need to adjust your muscle movements even more. And this will require an advanced level of control and balance. But don’t worry because this will only improve your posture and balance even more.
4. Improve Your Health and Lose Weight
Doing riding exercises like trotting or galloping will greatly increase your heart rate. So you can also expect to improve your cardiovascular system which is always a good thing! Improving your cardiovascular system can also lower cholesterol, prevent common heart disease, and lower your risk of a heart attack!
So riding horses is not only fun, it can greatly improve your quality of life. And of course, you can also expect to burn calories, which contributes to weight loss. So if you are looking for a fun way to lose weight and get your health back on track consider horse farms for sale in Lehigh.
5. Improve Mental Cognition and Reduce Stressors
Horse riding requires a lot of repetitive steps and memorization. Therefore, you can expect to improve mental cognition when riding. Doing so, can improve memory and increase your mood!
And aside from improving mental condition, you can also expect to better manage any stress or depression. For example, riding horses in PA requires you to have an optimal level of focus.
Therefore, by doing so, your body will naturally let go of any stressors. And depression can also decrease, when your brain becomes engaged in an activity. Lastly, horse riding can also decrease anxiety because any negative thoughts or feelings cannot be manifested during riding.
You can also disconnect with your everyday life because while you ride you cannot think about anything else but what’s in front of you. So overall, this kind of activity can help you disconnect and re-engage with yourself.
6. Make New Friends
The best riding classes in PA will offer group lessons. So you can make new some lifelong friends! You can also connect with the staff and instructions during lessons.
And once you start evolving into horse riding, you’ll start meeting more talented riders and even famous riders. So if you are wanting to expand your social circle, consider regular or miniature horse farms in PA.
7. Connect With Nature and Horses
Horses are very smart animals that can take direction and feel emotions. Therefore, you can really connect with these beautiful animals and earn their trust.
They can even recognize your smell and face just like a dog. Therefore, over time they’ll start showing you affection.
Not to mention, horses can teach you about patience, love, kindness, and friendship. So if you want to have a new friend for life, then consider horse riding in PA.
8. Good for Young Children
Children need a lot of guidance and teaching to be able to express their emotions correctly. Horse riding can also benefit children with ADHD and low confidence because it teaches them how to exude their energy in a positive light.
Not to mention, horses are naturally drawn to children which is great for building a strong connection. And you can also expect your child to learn about important life lessons along the way.
For example, how to have better communication, leadership, and teamwork skills. Overall your child will develop a strong bond with instructors and their horse which can improve their brain development.
9. Learn How a Horse Farm Operates
When you go to horse farms in PA, you’ll get to learn about how they function. And if you’re thinking of becoming a professional rider, this information will be very important.
Overall, you’ll learn about how to properly groom and maintain a horse. And how to keep a horse farm running efficiently.
10. You’ll Have a Better Appreciation for Horses and Other Animals
It’s no secret that animals are not as appreciated as they should be. Luckily, when you become friends with these beautiful creatures, you’ll grow a better understanding of animals and nature itself. And that’s something we can all benefit from, no matter how old you are.
What to Look For in a Horse Farm in PA
Now that you know the benefits of horse riding in PA, you probably want to start this process. But you might be backtracked trying to figure out the best horse farms in PA.
So take a look at some of these tips to follow when looking for the best horse farm in PA!
1. Do They Take Safety Into Account?
Safety should be a horse farm’s first priority! So when looking for the best horse farms in PA, ensure they have safety guidelines and rules.
Some may even have safety agreements that you will need to sign. But these are only further proof that they care about your safety and the safety of others.
2. Are the Instructors Experts?
This tip goes along with safety! So when looking for a safe horse farm in PA also ensure the instructors are fully trained and experienced. The best horse farms will have years of experience!
3. Are the Horses Well-kept?
Unfortunately, not all horse farms care about their horses. So when visiting a horse farm ensure the horses look healthy and are well-kept. An unhealthy horse is not only cruel, but it can also lead to a serious accident with a rider.
4. Is There a Horse Farm in PA With These Strengths?
Luckily, you won’t need to look too far because the best horse farm is right here in PA! Ridge Meadow Horse Farm has been dedicated to serving the public for years.
This amazing horse farm takes safety very seriously. And they also care about your experience. So it does not matter if you’re a beginner or novice rider, you can still benefit from Ridge Meadow.
Start Your Journey Today
Horse Farms in PA are not hard to find if you know what you’re looking for. And hopefully, now that you know the benefits of finding the best horse farm, you can begin riding.
So don’t forget to contact us today and schedule an appointment with our horse riding experts. We promise you won’t regret it!
