If you have ever wanted to experience horseback riding in a safe environment, Sweet Rock Stables is a certified Maryland Horse Board Industry Horse Discovery Center; we will prove to be the ideal destination. We offer riding lessons for beginners as well as lessons for experienced riders.
You are invited to try horseback riding with us. We genuinely just want you to try it because we know you are going to enjoy yourself and then, hopefully, you will tell your friends about your experience with us.
Riding lessons offer an excellent opportunity for those who want to pursue horse riding as a hobby and for those who wish to pursue horseback riding as a sport. English and Western riding and driving lessons are offered in our riding lesson programs.
Horseback riding is great outdoor exercise with a purpose. Don’t believe us? Come visit us and try it for yourself! We offer an introductory lesson every Saturday at 1:30 pm to 2;30pm. All that is required are jeans, hard-soled shoes with closed toes and a sense of humor!
An Introductory Lesson includes:
- How to groom a horse including his/her mane and tail
- How to pick (clean) a horse’s hooves correctly
- How to safely and properly lead and control a horse on the ground.
Please note: You will not ride for this introductory lesson.
Interested? Here’s how it works…
- Riders MUST be 5 years of age or older to participate. No exceptions.
- $30 FEE per person.
We accept cash, checks and PayPal - You must be preregistered for this lesson. Please email us at Roxy@SweetRockStables.com
- Please arrive by 1:15 PM to register. We will respectfully ask you to come back another Saturday if you arrive after 1:00 pm. No exceptions…thank you!
- Please wear long pants and closed-toed shoes for your safety and comfort. We will provide SEI certified Safety Helmets.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF HORSE RIDING
Horse riding is a great exercise and offers a number of health and fitness benefits. Some of these benefits are:
- Developing leg muscles
- Improved balance and posture
- Improved mental concentration
- Developing the arm muscles, and increasing agility of the hands
- Refreshes and clears the mind of daily distractions
MORE HEALTH BENEFITS OF HORSE RIDING
Horse riding is a great form of exercise which has both cardiovascular and muscle conditioning benefits. Although it may seem at first sight as though the rider is not engaging in any major physical exercise, an hour’s activity can burn similar calories to that of a 30-minute jog or cycle ride! Therefore, all the health benefits associated with engaging in regular cardiovascular exercise are gained.
After your first ride, you may feel muscles that you never knew you had. This is due to the movement of the horse and its effect on the rider during the ride. As the rider reacts to the horse’s movements to avoid becoming off balance, the deep postural muscles of the trunk and pelvis and the adductor muscles of the thighs are continuously being conditioned.
PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF HORSE RIDING
Horse riding is recognized as having excellent therapeutic qualities. The psychological benefits can be of equal importance to riders as the physical benefits.
Simply being out and about and enjoying the great outdoors will boost your general well being and act as a great stress buster. There is a real sense of exhalation and freedom when you ride. Furthermore, developing a relationship and sense of trust between yourself and your horse is highly rewarding. Learning to control and care for an animal much larger than yourself can have a profound affect on your confidence.