Wide open plains, calm blue skies, and deserted trails are where freshman Selci Sirrell and sophomores Hannah Drover and Addison Resop feel most comfortable. Horseback riding is a common hobby, especially in the Midwest. Many riders compete in competitions that allow them to travel country-wide. For most, horseback riding is something generational, an activity learned and mastered young.

“My mom started riding when she was 24. I grew up on a farm, so I got to watch her. I got into it when I was younger,” Sirrell said. 

Though most horseback riders focus on racing or competitions, some just participate for the animal connection. By being around horses and absorbing their behaviors and lifestyles a greater knowledge is earned. 

“I’ve learned a lot about horses, like how they think, and how animals do things,” Drover said. 

It takes a lot of training to ride horses confidently, and even more to compete at any level. Trial and error is something that happens to all horseback riders taking up a lot of persistence. 

“It teaches me a lot of discipline and patience, and it’s just something that a lot of people do around here,” Sirrell said.

While riding can be a fun group activity and a good way to be in nature, the feeling of calmness and quiet on a lonesome trail is unmatched. Solitude can be rewarding to some, a way to destress or be alone with one’s thoughts, and by being in an area that shares that same comforting feeling, also brings a sense of serenity. 

“I enjoy just being alone when I ride,” Resop said.

Horseback riding is a fun and interactive activity that can test patience and can teach many riders about overcoming issues. Upon horseback riding, riders learn about their animals and what characteristics and traits inhabit them. Though the riders are usually the ones having to continually grasp new information about their animals, the activity itself can teach lifelong lessons and be extremely influential. 

“It teaches me a lot of tolerance and life skills,” Sirrell said.