10 Unexpected Perks of Horseback Riding

Sure, you may be able to muck 30 stalls before breakfast or jump a gymnastic line with your eyes closed…but what about some of the lesser-known perks of riding?

Top image: Flickr/nikoretro/CC

Even if you can only ride occasionally, horsey habits have a way of encroaching upon all aspects of your life. Such as:

Wearing stretchy pants. All the time.

Hipsters are jealous of our excellent fashion sense.
Source: Etsy

Unlimited supply of excuses not to do stuff you don’t want to do.

Wikimedia Commons/Barbarossa/CC

Your barn buddies will never judge you for eating immediately after riding or doing stalls…without washing your hands.

Or for flooding their newsfeed with selfies of you and your BFF.

Instagram: horsesofinstagram

You develop the ability to stay calm in a crisis, because the alternative is usually certain death.

Your cats, dogs, and family members now respond when you cluck at them.

Um…you rang?

You know how to clean and condition your leather couch.

You never know what you’ll find in there.

The utter chaos in your car/mobile tack trunk has weeded out which people are willing to drive with you, and thus, who is truly worthy of your friendship.

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Your legs are so strong you could probably crush someone’s internal organs if they tried to give you a piggyback ride.

Look, turn on the forehand!

You have learned valuable lessons about how to train animals, including your children and/or significant other.

Flickr: Jenny Lee Silver/CC

Go Riding!