Why horses are GREAT for kids
Better character, better student, better health… and FUN!
By Jennifer Forsberg Meyer |
courtesy of ELCR.org
Riding offers much more than equestrian know-how. Here’s why horses can be a life-enhancing choice for your child.
Margaret Coon learned a lot about first aid and crisis management during her time with the United States Pony Clubs. So much so, in fact, that when she grew up and was dealing with her own child’s bump on the head, someone from her pediatrician’s office mistook her for an RN.
“No, I’m not,” explained Margaret, who’d wowed the staff by having her baby’s pulse, res-piration, and pupil size available for the doctor. “This is just what you do before you call the veterinarian.”
That degree of composure under pressure is common among Pony Club kids. Margaret’s mother, Ruth Harvie, says the incident is but one of many involving her children, all raised with horses.
Is 2025 the year you…join a mounted patrol?
One great way for equestrians to serve communities is participation in mounted patrol units. There is a variety of groups eager to recruit and train volunteers. Not only does mounted patrol provide a service, it also promotes horses as endearing community assets to residents that may not otherwise experience them.
The Year of the Volunteer
By Mark Flint / courtesy of ELCR.org
Many hands make light work, and if you have a project that could benefit from many hands, a well-run volunteer program can provide a low-cost solution that has the added benefit of building community among groups of people who might not otherwise interact.
GETTING ORGANIZED
Are you considering starting an advocacy or action group? What will your first steps be?
Seven Steps for Horsetowns
These keys open doors to equine-inclusive communities
By Danielle Bolte / courtesy elcr.org
Horses bring many benefits to our local communities — including economic, ecological, and aesthetic — and they enhance our general health and well-being. Plus, horses can be local economic drivers; according to the American Horse Council 2005 National Economic Impact of the U.S. Horse Industry Study, the equine industry accounted for 460,000 full-time jobs with an annual impact of $39 billion annually to our economy, generating $1.9 billion in taxes.
Getting the Scoop
Educating users on trail manure aids communities
By LYNDALL ERB, PHD. / courtesy of ELCR.org
Horses have been a critical part of human progress from the early days of our history. They have carried men and supplies in times of war and peace, pulled the plows of farmers’ fields and were the main source of transportation during the settlement of the American west. Horses were the backbone of farms, the transportation to town for supplies and social activities, and a family necessity. Historically, many trails were created by horses ridden by people who needed to get from point A to point B. Today those trails are a critical part of recreation in open spaces and parks.
Ease into easements
How trail easements support equestrian access
By LAUREL A. FLORIO / Courtesy ELCR.org
So many aspects of equine activities, such as sport horse training, ranching, or recreational riding, rely on large areas of land — be it for grazing, riding arenas, turn-out or, to a smaller degree, trail access.
Sometimes land-locked areas provide fabulous multi-use opportunities for riders to enjoy the trails. However, access often is restricted to trailer parking gateways, so the need for trail access over privately-owned land is essential to equine use. The lack of this access can minimize trail availability.
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