I didn’t really have a hobby until I discovered the joy of horseback riding. Anyone would love riding horses if they enjoy:

• Feeling the wind whistling in your ears.
• The adrenaline rushing through you.
• Being absolutely and utterly animal crazy.

Yep. I love all those things. I can’t really explain it; you kind of have to feel it to understand exactly what I mean, but when I’m riding, I’ve just got that wonderful feeling where I can’t help but think the horse I’m riding is in a way a part of me.

I do a style of riding called ‘English’. The other style is called ‘Western’. The difference that I noticed first is that the saddle is different. In western riding, the saddle is heavy and large, providing comfort and stability when riding over rough terrains. Western saddles have utility items, like the horn on the pommel of the saddle (the pommel is the front of a saddle) that was designed to hold a cowboy’s ropes. The English saddle is much lighter and smaller so that the rider could both be able to feel the horse’s movement and be more nimble.

The riding is different too. Western riding has events and tournaments all to do with barrel racing and roping, while English riding has more to do with jumping, dressage, and racing.

I can’t say I’ve ever had a ride that I was disappointed with. Just like other sports, you make mistakes and then learn from them. So far, I have fallen off a horse only once, but I’m sure if I want to make a riding career when I’m older, plenty more falls are to come. From that fall and watching others fall, I discovered something quite interesting. Between the ages of 7-12, you’ll receive lots of sympathy and soothing voices asking if you are ok. Then your instructor will come and ask you whether you would like to continue your riding lesson. If you say no, your instructor will probably nod and say he or she understands. But secretly, he or she is likely thinking, ‘what an absolute wimp.’ If you are older than twelve and you fall, you’ll probably only get sympathy from a nervous parent who is scared their child will fall as well. However, your instructor is likely to glare at you, and tell you to hurry up and get back on the horse! My advice is as long as you don’t have an injury, you should get back on the horse. It is actually not a good thing for the horse to end on a bad note.

One of my biggest goals in life is to become a famous professional horse trainer or rider. Horses are such gentle giants with their deep, soulful eyes that seem to look right inside of you and see your values, I can’t understand why anybody would ever, ever mistreat a horse.

A very important part of horse-riding is confidence and trusting yourself and the creature underneath you. Horses are sensitive beings, and when they were in herds in the wild, they looked up to a leader for support, who is normally a stallion (male horse) or the lead mare (a female horse who guides the rest of the herd to fertile grazing lands). When the horse in your hands, he will look up to you for support. If you are nervous or scared, your horse can feel it. After all, you are sitting on his back and holding reins connecting to his mouth. When your horse detects you are scared, he will think he should be scared too! Then you have a skittish and scared horse on your hands, and that’s never a good thing. So even if you are nervous, make sure to keep it together for the sake of your horse.

Horses have a funny way of showing love. They do have tails, but unlike dogs, horses most certainly do not wag them! Horses like having someone they can lean on, trust, and rely on. So their way of showing that they trust you is to place that giant head of theirs onto your shoulder and if the horse really likes you, he might even gently nibble or lick your neck, hands, and shoulders!

There’s a special way to let a horse adore you, and that’s to give him treats! Instead of feeding the horses carrots and apples, why not make a little cake for him, completely edible to horses? Here’s a good recipe which I have tried recently and the horses love them.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup diced apples
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoon corn oil

 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 177 celsius (350 fahrenheit)
2. Mix the oats, flour, salt , sugar, oil and molasses in a bowl.
3. Stir in the apples and carrots.
4. Flour your hands to stop the batter from sticking to them and form balls of batter no bigger than a golf ball with your hands.
5. Grease a cookie sheet with butter.
6. Place the balls of batter on the cookie sheet.
7. Bake for about 12 minutes or until the cookies turn gold.
8. Let cool.
9. Serve to horses with a flat hand so they can easily take it from you.

This wonderful recipe is in an excellent book I recommend, For Horse Crazy Girls Only by Christina Wilsdon.

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Images: Isla Bruce-Tong, Unsplash

This article is part of beijingkids’ Teen Correspondents program. If you or a teen you know want to write for us, email editor@beijing-kids.com.

On a ride past the greens of Shunyi’s golf fields, Beijing parents and kids can find the gates of Equuleus International Riding Club full of prancing horses. I rode horses for seven years, and I swear, I have never seen horses so sleek before.

Established in 1999, Equuleus remains the only horse-riding club in mainland China approved by the British Horse Society (BHS). The members of the club come from more than forty countries, and as a reminder to that, forty flags hang in the main indoor arena. The Club prides itself for hosting several international competitions with the support and the recognition of the Chinese Equestrian Association (CEA) as well as the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) .

The next upcoming competition is named Equuleus Jumping Open, held in the late fall and early spring, is well-known in horse show jumping circles. Equuleus Jumping Open will be held on October 14 – 16 this year.

Selena Wang, a general manager assistant and a marketing supervisor, showed us around and introduced us to the culture of horse riding in China.

Equuleus International Riding Club is focused on providing first-class services, such as show jumping and dressage training lessons (available for all levels), help with horse purchase and import, and horse healthcare. The classes they provide are based on the BHS training system, including show jumping, dressage training, as well as riding tests.  Equuleus can give young riders the Junior Progressive riding test, and adults the regular Progressive riding test, that when passed, proves the rider’s qualification and awards a certificate. Observers from the UK regularly to check the Club’s compliance to BHS standards.

The youngest students of the school are aged 4-6. Due to their young age and the shorter class length, the class fees are discounted at around RMB 240-400 per session. Beginner students start with theory classes that teach kids everything from horse body constitution to the different types of brushes. When the coach thinks the rider is mature enough, riders are allowed to care for horses as this quality time improves the relationship between horse and rider–moreover, there is no animal happier than a horse under a cool shower after work. When we were walking around the stables, I noticed a girl pouring cold water over her pony that was acting like an oversized puppy begging for a scratch on his belly.

Parents considering entering their child into the horse riding world should be prepared to invest time and money. In the beginning, all pupils can ride the Club’s horses and participate in competitions with them. If a rider wants to be more professional, they could choose to be a horse owner, which will require additional investment.

Being a member of the Equuleus International Riding Club doesn’t only mean enjoying long rides over flourishing fields, but requires hard work every day. However, sport professionals are famous for their multitasking abilities and great time-management, so all it comes down to is a choice between horseback riding or other hobbies.

Equuleus International Riding Club has many options for its clients. You can become a member in which case the the cost of a single lesson will become lower, and you can enjoy access to the club’s other facilities. They also offer a special “Happy Hour” package, which enables people who are not planning to stay in Beijing long-term to enjoy discounts on Tuesday and Friday classes. The average fee for this kind of lesson is RMB 600, with additional coaching fees depending on the level and experience of the rider. All Equuleus riding coaches are qualified by the British Horse Society (BHS).

Although the full-time coaches are Chinese, some of them can teach in English.

Equuleus International Riding Club

Tuesday-Sunday, 8am-6pm. No. 91, Shun Bai Road, Sun He Zhen, Chaoyang District. 朝阳区孙河镇顺白路91号。(equuleus@equriding.com; 400 075 0808; 135 2233 9691)

Photos: courtesy of Anastasia Levina

Harrow: Autumn Fair
Prepare to indulge in a quintessentially British affair at Harrow Beijing’s Autumn Fair. This year’s theme is All Things British and includes fun games and activities, live performances, maypole dancing, various foods, a tennis tournament, and much more. The event will raise funds for various charities identified by the parent-led Friends of Harrow. The event is free to attend and takes place on Saturday October 17, from 10am-4pm at Harrow International School Beijing (HISB).

China Open Jumping and National Young Riders Cup
After the success of the first China Open Cup in August 2015, the second edition will be held on from Thursday October 16 – Sunday October 18, from 8.30am-5.30pm. Organized by the Chinese Equestrian Association (CEA) and co-organized by the Equuleus International Riding Club. This show offers the opportunity to riders, of different levels, to run for five different classes, from ground pole to the 140-145cm. Tickets priced between RMB 399 – 1,999. The event will be held at Equuleus International Riding Club, No. 91 Shunbai Road, Sunhe Town, Chaoyang District (8459 0236, equuleus@equriding.com) www.equriding.com 北京市朝阳区孙河镇顺白路91号

Atelier: Create a Halloween Cardboard Costume
You always see those incredible, huge, original costumes made of cardboard? You always told yourself: “next year I will start earlier and make one myself”? But each time, you don’t have cardboard, enough space, and don’t want to clean everything after? This year, Atelier Art Studio in Shunyi has it all – the space, the materials, and the knowledge. Sunday October 25, from 1.30-5pm come along and make your dream costume. Suitable for parents and kids aged over 8 years. RMB 200 per person with family discount available. To book, email shunyi@atelier.cn.com

beijingkids and JingKids: 9^th Halloween Costume Party
Join in the fun on Sunday November 1, from 1-5pm at Keystone Academy. Expect to be spooked and have a whole lot of scary fun with a school-themed haunted house, on-site trick or treat, pumpkin carving, face painting, costume parade and much more. beijingkids club members RMB 150 (adults), RMB 200 (kids), non-members RMB 250 (adults), RMB 300 (kids). Group discounts 20 per cent off purchases of more than five tickets, and 40 per cent off purchases of more than 10 tickets. Get your tickets early, before they run out. Call 5934 6708 or email events@truerun.com

beijingkids Shunyi Correspondent Sally Wilson moved to Beijing in 2010 from the UK with her husband and son. Her daughter was born here in 2011 and both her kids keep her happily busy. In her spare time, Sally loves to stroll through Beijing’s hutongs and parks. She is a (most of the time) keen runner and loves reading: books, magazines, news, and celeb websites – anything really. Sally is also a bit of a foodie and loves trying out new restaurants.

Photos: Steenbergs, Anders Ruff Custom Designs (Flickr), courtesy of Equuleus

If your family hasn’t made plans for the upcoming holiday (May 1-3), take the opportunity to visit the 2014 Beijing Equestrian Festival and acquaint yourself with these beautiful and elegant animals better. An especially fitting activity in a year that’s dedicated to the horse.

Organized by Beijing Turf & Equestrian Association, the four-day interactive fair (Apr 30-May 4) is intended to promote horse culture, the art of horse performance like dressage, and the sports of horseback riding, especially among young people.

Held at the Beijing International Polo Club, the event will feature entertainment shows such as horse jumping and classical dressage, and professional tournaments. Get ready to see more than 200 horses from all over the world, and learn more about them, such as why warmblood horses are good at jumping and thoroughbreds are so fast.

Visitors will also have the chance to go horseback riding (extra fee applied) and swing a polo mallet and hit balls, with a variety of interactive games.

Young guests will enjoy the company of smaller sized ponies and alpacas, feeding them food and dressing their hair with the help of staff. They can also have their faces painted; probably like a horse?

Food and snacks (extra fee applied) will also be on offer. so your family can spend the entire day onsite.

Tickets are priced RMB 68 for each person per day, and the event is free for children below 1.2 meters. To celebrate the year of horse, people who meet any of the three requirements can get two free tickets with ID: surnamed Ma (horse in Chinese), born in the year of horse (1966/1978/1990/2002), and born between Apr 30- May 3.

9am-4pm, Apr 30-May 3. Beijing International Polo Club, 1 Zhuangyuan Xilu, Chaoyang District (8843 5718) 朝阳区庄园西路1号北京贝晶国际马球俱乐部

Photos: courtesy of Beijing Turf & Equestrian Association.