10/23/2026
I (Amelia) want to thank everyone for the wonderful birthday wishes and some lovely gifts.
It’s been a pleasure teaching your kids throughout the years. I genuinely love seeing them learn and grow. In an industry that is laborious and demanding, I wouldn’t do what I do if it weren’t for the many wonderful students and parents that make it worth it.
There are many late nights, schedule changes, sick or injured horses sometimes, weather challenges, and of course, the dedication and commitment it takes to want to learn such a challenging sport!
Your student (or you) is not just learning to sit on a 1200 lbs prey animal and not fall off. They’re learning how to use their body, coordinating muscles and balance. They’re learning how to convince a sensitive, large animal (that is generally unmotivated) to do random movements and patterns for seemingly no particular reason other than that we want to. They’re learning to use critical thinking to coordinate with other riders, practice safety, and learn how to do new things. They’re developing their motor skills: tying lead ropes, buckling cinches, moving items on horseback, navigating obstacles, lifting hooves, maneuvering gates…
They’re learning how to regulate their emotions. That might be anxiety or excitement. They’re learning how it affects their horse and what emotions are appropriate to express in what situations. They are learning to execute patience, sometimes horses have their own ideas and opinions about our requests. They’re learning to practice empathy and compassion for this large, but vulnerable animal that’s intelligent, intuitive, sometimes emotional like any other living being. They’re processing emotions and learning how to handle the pain of loss and grief.
As many riding instructors know, the turnover rate for students learning to ride is extremely high. Some studies have shown that 50% of riders will quit within the first year of learning to ride and 75% will quit within 2 years. It’s involved, challenging, and physically demanding. It is hard to “get good” quickly. It takes patience and perseverance to keep going when it’s hard and you don’t see improvement as quickly as you hoped. This doesn’t even take into account the students who get started at a poor facility or with an inexperienced or overly critical instructor. They’re at even more of a disadvantage to want to continue and wait for progress.
The reason I’m telling you this is because I’m so grateful for my students who have stayed with me for years. Nothing is more encouraging to what I do every day than seeing students who enjoy their time here, are willing to learn, and have stuck around through the highs and lows.
I found some old pictures of what I believe are my only students who have stuck around for multiple years. I genuinely hope that number keeps growing and they are around for many years to come. It’s been a pleasure watching you all learn and grow, both as a rider and as a person. Thank you to their parents for entrusting me with their riding journey. 🥰
That’s a great birthday gift: to know I’m making a difference and my students enjoy their time out here!
