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Educational Benefits
Before one can read, it is necessary to recognize the difference in shapes, sizes, and
even colors. These can be taught more easily on horseback, as part of games and
activities. There is less resistance to learning when it is part of a riding lesson.
Through the use of signs placed around the arena, letters can be taught, and reading
of individual words by word recognition can also be learned. Games involving signs for
"exit", "danger", "stop" etc., help to teach important life skills involving reading.
Remedial Math
Counting is learned by counting the horse's footsteps, objects around the arena, or
even the horse's ears and legs. Number concepts are gained as the rider compares
the number of legs on a horse to the number of his own legs. Addition and subtraction
are taught through games involving throwing numbered foam dice and adding or
subtracting the numbers. Because the concepts are taught through games, resistance
to learning is decreased.
Sequencing, patterning and motor planning
Something as simple as holding and using a pencil requires a great deal of motor
planning. Knowing which comes first in a sequence of events is an important part of
most activities. These and other similar skills are taught on horseback though the use
of obstacle courses, pole bending, drill team, and many other games and activities.
Improved eye-hand coordination
Eye hand coordination is necessary for such skills as writing. These skills are taught in
tacking the horse, as well as various activities and exercises.
Visual/spatial perception
This includes our awareness of form and space, and our understanding relationships
between forms in our environment. Included in this area are directionality (knowing
right from left); space perception, which allows us to differentiate between items close
in shape but spatially different (i.e. "h" versus "b"); form perception (i.e. differentiating
"h" and "m"); figure ground (picking out an object from the background); and visual
sequential memory (such as remembering symbols in a particular sequence or
pattern). Both reading and math concepts involve visual spatial perception. Visual
spatial perception improves as a natural result of control of the horse. Additional
exercises are done on the horse to increase ability in this area.
Differentiation
The rider learns to differentiate significant from less significant stimuli in the
environment. An improvement in this area occurs as the rider learns to attend to his
horse and those things that may influence the horse as opposed to attending the
environment in general.
