Discover more about Ellen’s sport of choice – horse riding!
Hello, hello! My name is Ellen, I am twenty years old, and I live in Kent. I’m currently studying Accountancy in Reading – just outside London.
My sport is horse riding! I first got into the sport via my godmother whom at the time owned a gorgeous but cheeky horse called Marmite. I would visit him frequently with her and on my fourth birthday, she bought me my very first riding lesson. If I remember correctly the first pony I ever rode was a little white one called Fred (solid name I think). From that very first lesson I was hooked!
For most children there is endless opportunities to participate in sport and exercise. But due to a condition I was born with that affects the mobility of my feet, that wasn’t the case for me. I found horse riding was the one sport where I could ‘be like everyone else’, I wasn’t any ‘different’ to my peers… This sport is 100% a level playing field.
Horse riding has so many physical and mental benefits. It is a great way to improve your cardiovascular health, core strength and balance. It also improves decision making and, most of all, it is a great method of relaxation. Riding can be both a social and non-social sport. When I was riding at a busy stable, I used to love heading there early before my lesson to meet with friends and help in the stables. When I was younger, horse riding gave me an immense amount of freedom, a great way to exercise, lots of friends, heaps confidence and an amazing way to relax.
I know a lot of girls growing up want less pressure or competitiveness within sports – I certainly did. Sometimes school is high pressure enough and, to put a competitive sport on top of that, can be a lot. In my latter years of riding, it was my time away from people, to relax with a horse and to take it at my own pace. I never once had pressure to compete, however if you have got a bit of a competitive streak in your body then competitions are ever so accessible. From the few that I have done, they are SO fun!!
I have faced a few challenges riding. Like a lot of sports, there is an element of danger. Building a partnership with another living creature isn’t always easy, and when things don’t go to plan it can really knock your confidence. I have had a few falls in my time and shed a few tears, but like the famous saying goes you’ve got to just ‘get straight back onto the horse’. From the bottom of my heart, that is the best way to carry on. If you love a sport so much, challenges you face should be seen as lessons, not as scary deterrents to stop you doing what you love.
Another challenge that I know a lot of people face with riding is that it can be quite expensive. But there are plenty of ways around this. For example, I used to go and help at my stables on a Saturday for a few hours and in return I used to either get a free lesson or one at a reduced rate, as a thank for you for all the work I put in around the stables. Things like riding clubs at school might also be a great way to start.
So, I am nearly at the end…. I hope you have found this interesting and a nice alternative sport to the traditional ball sports and dance. If you are looking at starting horse riding, first things first... get yourself down to your local stable and just give it a go, you don’t need a helmet, they will provide it, all you need is some wellies, or a small, heeled boot, some leggings and a little sprinkle of confidence. And just remember, everyone starts out somewhere. No one is born sitting on a horse, everyone must learn from the ground up, so don’t be disheartened if it doesn’t feel right the first time, or you felt a little uneasy… it is a BIZARRE feeling at first but once you start to find your feet (or stirrups... sorry) I promise you, the progress you will see will be stratospheric!
Now after sixteen years of riding, I am using my skills and trying out a new and slightly more competitive sport called Polo (horse riding at speed, hitting a small ball around a massive field with a wooden stick, trying to aim for a goal… easy right?). I can safely say that it is pushing me yet again out of my comfort zone, but it is such a fun and new challenge. So far, I am loving it!
I really hope to have inspired a few of you to give riding a go!
Good luck!
Ellen 😊
Find out more about getting involved in horse riding:
Start your journey
Ready to get started? Take a look at how Big Sister can help you navigate your journey through exercise and puberty with free resources and information on activities in your area.