SubscribeGift a Sub
Enable cache 100

10 Life Lessons Learned from Jumping Horses

I’m sure you’ll agree that riding teaches us more than how to stay on the back of a horse. Thanks to riding, we also learn the practical virtues of patience and the unexpected rewards of kindness. Plus, once you’ve managed to ride it out on a frisky 3-year-old, life doesn’t seem so scary anymore. Simply put, riding teaches us how to handle the challenges of life.



Since I spent most of my riding career with hunters and jumpers, I tend to view my own set of lessons from that perspective. As a new year starts, I’d like to share what I’ve learned about life from jumping horses.




Liked this list? Here are others you’ll love:
10 Good Things about Being a Pony
10 Things You Don’t Want to Hear from Your Trail Buddy

This article originally appeared in the January 2015 issue of Horse Illustrated. Click here to subscribe!

Cindy Hale

Cindy Hale’s life with horses has been filled with variety. As a child she rode western and learned to barrel race. Then she worked as a groom for a show barn, and was taught to harness and drive Welsh ponies. But once she’d taken her first lessons aboard American Saddlebreds she was hooked on English riding. Hunters and hunt seat equitation came next, and she spent decades competing in those divisions on the West Coast. Always seeking to improve her horsemanship, she rode in clinics conducted by world-class riders like George Morris, Kathy Kusner and Anne Kursinski. During that time, her family began raising Thoroughbred and warmblood sport horses, and Cindy experienced the thrills and challenges of training and showing the homebred greenies. Now retired from active competition, she’s a popular judge at local and county-rated open and hunter/jumper shows. She rides recreationally both English and western. Her Paint gelding, Wally, lives at home with her and her non-horsey husband, Ron.

View Comments

Recent Posts

Breed Portrait: Trote y Galope

While the Paso Fino—a breed well known for its smooth, animated gait—was gaining notoriety in the U.S., another closely related…

23 minutes ago

Vet Adventures: Night of Terror

I had just flopped onto my couch, remote in hand. Sunny, one of my teenage daughters, breezed through the front…

1 day ago

Is Your Saddle Making You Ride Badly?

For successful saddle fitting, it is as important to address the dynamic stability of the rider as it is the…

3 days ago

The State of Equine Nonprofits

Economically speaking, 2023 was a less than banner year for most Americans, and charitable organizations that rely on public donations…

4 days ago

ASPCA Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week: Nyssa

Welcome to Horse Illustrated’s weekly installment of the Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week, offered in partnership with the…

5 days ago

How a Horse Girl Stayed Horsey Despite Not Riding for Years

After growing up horsey, Nancy still held on to her identity as a “horse girl” even when she hadn’t ridden…

6 days ago