Rosie has been asking for the last two years to ride a horse. We took her once in North Carolina but that did not appease her. She kept asking. We saw horses at the ranch, wasn't enough. She wanted to ride one...by herself. So for her 6th birthday this year we got her horseback riding lessons. Now she loves it! Why not dance, rec soccer, even gymnastics...no she loves horseback riding. Not the easiest or most convenient and dare I say cheapest sport. But I couldn't say no.
Sometimes I feel the hardest part of being a parent is saying no! I would love to give my kids everything they wanted, but of course I know that a good dose of "no" puts them in check with reality and also I know that all their requests are not necessarily safe or healthy. As adults we know (at least most of us) that the world does not hand over your every desire. Saying "no" to kids is a good lesson but sometimes I feel like a broken record. Can I have this toy-No, Can I watch this movie-No, Can I have this treat-No, can I have this super processed food that has no nutritional value what-so-ever-NO and on and on. The worst is shopping, every store strategically places candy and small trinkets at eye level for kids to see and grab. It's a conspiracy. But enough about that-back to Rosie.
She loves riding horses and is pretty good for a six year old.
On the bright side it is a great sport for teaching responsibility. She has to get the horse ready to ride, brush it, check it's hooves for rocks, saddle it up and then when she is finished she has to cool it down, let it graze, put all the gear away, etc. Not to mention all the things she needs to know about handling a big animal: she has to pay attention to the horse, her surroundings and her teacher's instructions. In the long run I think this is going to be great!
Now all I need to do is get a job to pay for it.
