“It’s really nice to take a break, go outside, and hang out with animals.”

Kiara Parker: I started riding horses at a friend’s place in November 2020, as she began teaching me simple things like mounting and steering. There are two styles of equestrian riding: English, which focuses more on technique, and Western, which is considered to be the easier style to learn. She started teaching me the English style, and I was like, ‘Wow, this is really interesting.’ Afterwards, in January, I started going to this riding barn and practicing there, and everything fell into place. I’ve been riding there once a week, and I’ve been doing great with my progress there too. It’s also very helpful to my mental health, since online school can become a bit overwhelming with a lot of work. We’re sitting in front of a computer all day long, and after that, we have to sit in front of a computer to do our homework. It’s really nice to take a break, go outside, and hang out with animals. Riding horses has definitely taught me to be patient, as I’m the type of person who gets flustered if something doesn’t go my way. With horseback riding, you’re sitting on another living being who has a mind of its own, and telling them to follow your instructions. You might want the horse to do one thing, but they might move in a completely different way. You have to work together with the horse in order to ride properly. It’s not just about riding, but I also love taking care of horses, especially because I’m such an animal lover. I’ve learned about the importance of hard work through taking care of horses and working with them.