3 Reasons Why Riders look forward to weekends with their horse

Horse riders love to ride. More importantly, though, they love spending time with their horses: hanging out, sharing their space and energy, and making sure they have everything they need. So the three reasons they most look forward to the weekend might surprise a non-horse person, but perhaps they'll resonate with you.

1. They look forward to setting the alarm.

Yes, you read that right. They look forward to early starts because it's a choice. Those early weekend alarm calls represent freedom because riders are making the choice to get up and go — even if their horses are hitting the snooze button.

2. Riders look forward to working long hours at the weekend.

Their place of work is quite naturally the stables or barn, where they somehow manage to enter a bubble of time and space centred around the needs of their horse. Cleaning, organising and catching up on chores, their stamina can surpass that of any endurance athlete. Their weekend supervisors continue to eat and snooze, perhaps flicking an approving ear from time to time.

3. Riders sign up for regular tough challenges.

These challenges test physical, mental and emotional fitness and come with strict and variable dress codes. For riders who work during the week, the weekend brings opportunities to compete in a wide variety of disciplines.

Competitions also present logistical challenges that are not for the faint-hearted, as equipment for horse and rider needs to be checked and packed. Horses have enough equipment to fill their tour bus (horsebox) and a requirements list to rival any rockstar.

Still, the only thing a horse rider looks forward to as much as a weekend with horses is perhaps the opportunity to talk to other horse riders about their weekend.

What do weekends look like for you and your horse? Let me know!

Alison