How to be a Horseless Rider

“No, we can’t afford a horse”… Those words are hard to hear as a child, and grownups even find that particular financial reality difficult to cope with. Since horses are a luxury, many horselovers are relegated to watching a horse graze in a nearby field, staring at a horse trailer out on the road hoping to catch a glimpse of its occupant or imagining a stable of Breyer horses as living, breathing steeds. But even if you are horseless, there are loads of ways you can incorporate them into your life. Here are seven options:

1. Help out at a local riding stable. Instructors, stable managers and trainers are always looking for assistance. They’ll let you groom, turn horses out, clean stalls, and if you are competent enough, they might let you ride. They may also exchange work for riding lessons.

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2. Volunteer. Options such as therapeutic riding centers and horse rescues run on volunteer power. Jobs can entail helping disabled riders mount and dismount, supporting the riders or leading the horses. Welfare organizations need workers to clean stalls and groom horses.

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3. Sign up for riding lessons. You don’t always need a horse to learn to ride; you can take lessons on a school horse. That lesson horse will be yours for an entire hour, and instructors usually encourage riders to care for the horse before and after the lesson. That’s at least two hours of pretend horse ownership!

4. Become a free horse sitter. Many owners look for people to take care of their horses while they are on vacation or during busy work periods. Post a note in your local feed store outlining your abilities and times available.

5. Get the knowledge. Make the most of your horseless status by studying. Read books, magazines and websites to learn more about health care, riding skills and horse management. You never know; there may be a horse in your life someday in the future.

6. Take a horsey holiday. Offering a wide selection of choices, riding vacations are more popular than ever with outfitters such as Cross Country International, Equitour and Hidden Trails. You can gallop on a beach in Spain, explore Native American lands on horseback in Arizona, or take riding lessons in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales of England.

7. Dust off those Breyer horses and exhibit them at a model horse show. These shows are gaining popularity with horselovers and there are many ways to show off your models. These plastic horses pose at everything real horses do in the show-ring and more. One exhibitor dropped her Breyer horse and broke its leg. So she created a surgical unit scene complete with vet dolls working to repair the horse’s leg. Visit /redirect.php?location=www.breyerhorses.com for more information on model horses.

Sharon Biggs is an American journalist currently based in England.

21 years ago

Sharon Biggs

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View Comments

Gesa says:
March 4, 2007 at 6:45 am
Thanks for the good advice. From my own experience as a horse-less horse fan, it's amazing how many people let you help care for and ride their horses because they don't have time! However, you should get the proper education first before offering to horse-sit. Make sure you know how to care for a horse, and especially, get the basic riding skills before riding someone else's horse!!!
Simone says:
June 6, 2007 at 2:03 pm
I like this article too. My parents will not let me take riding lessons, and cost is one of the many reasons. As you will see in my comment on "30 Ways to Save..." I help out at a barn, and they sometimes will let me ride horses there in order to exercise them. If you live semi-close to a barn, a good idea for free riding is to do barn chores like mucking stalls for a couple weeks, and after a while the supervisors will let you ride. But be sure to prove you are responsible and can handle taking care of the horses at the barn.
Jessica says:
June 17, 2007 at 9:02 am
i found this article very informative. i don't own a horse of my own, so i will be sure to use some of these great tips!
Mirriam says:
September 30, 2007 at 12:56 pm
Thank you so much for this article! I have always loved horses, but don't own one! I now take riding lessons, thanks to my parents, but these ideas will help me to be able to be with horses more than once a week!
Rose says:
October 12, 2007 at 8:08 pm
Good article. I've been horseless most of my life and these are all things I have done to combat that. :-)
erin says:
January 10, 2008 at 8:48 am
i think this is great becuase most horselovers cant afford horses or riding lessons so this offers ideas on how to do it for less to nothing :)
Nichole says:
February 23, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Thank you for the hope!! I have thought of these options but have never had the "courage" to go out and seriously try to find my ideal situation. I am horseless and live on equine shows, magazines, books, websites, you name it - but nothing takes the place of a living, breathing horse.
Anna says:
August 1, 2008 at 9:06 am
Thanks for the article! I am also a horseless person, but I am crazy about them! :) I took lessons for 1 summer, but now they are even more expensive, so I had to stop that too. I now volunteer for therapeautic riding in the summer and warm up or cool down the horses- I love it! I hope to own one someday. Thanks for the tips!
Cherie says:
August 30, 2008 at 12:04 pm
My horse has been sick and I can't ride her. The suggestions above are great for people like me too.:)
Minuet says:
September 17, 2008 at 10:03 am
Well i am a horseless rider.It's a bit easier than alot of people think.If you have a friend that has a horse than ask if you can practice on him/her.If your friend doesn't have a horse ask your barn ower or manger if you can practice on one of the barn horses.It may be a differnt ride but at least you get some practice.