Horseback riding offers a rewarding experience
| The Dispatch
Those that enjoy horseback riding say there’s nothing in the world more relaxing.
For thousands of years, horses have played an important role throughout human history all over the world, both in warfare and in peace time. Horses lived in North America but were eliminated during the Ice Age. They were brought back to North America by European explorers during their quests to inhabit the continent.
Most people relate to horses through countless movie westerns beginning in the 1920s that raced from ranch to vast flat central plains.
This story appears in the Oct. 2020 edition of Davidson Living magazine. Pick up a free copy at various locations in Davidson County. If you want to read more stories like this, subscribe to The Dispatch newspaper.
The word equestrian comes from equus, which is Latin for “horse” and includes the disciplines of riding, driving or vaulting with horses. Horses are used for practical working purposes, transportation, recreational activities, artistic or cultural exercises and competitive sport.
Horseback riding also offers physiological and physical benefits. Some people use riding for therapy to help cope with physical injuries or to help combat daily physical challenges. Above all, horses bring great joy to those that ride them.
Linda Garwood, owner of the Garwood Equestrian Center, helps to bring that joy to anyone wanting to learn to ride horses or for those wanting to hone their skills with their favorite pastime. The center has been a part of Davidson County’s history and culture for many years.
“I would say people love horse riding so much because it’s a live animal and you’ve had this nurturing love that GOD gave us for animals,” Garwood said. “It brings happiness because animals respond, unlike riding a bicycle that can’t respond to what you’re doing. The animal responds and has feelings and you get to take care of them, brush them, feel them, things like that. That’s just not something you can do with other sports.
“The joy comes from helping others relate to (riding) and help them mature in their ability to ride, handle and relate to horses. Then you see the joy they have. This is a creature that God made. This is the animal that God talks about in the Bible. We’ve had horses from the very beginning. Even Elijah was taken to heaven in a chariot pulled by horses.”
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The initial reaction to owning a horse conjures thoughts of high costs to keep such a large animal as well as a large time commitment. Garwood feels that’s not exactly true.
“In most cases, owning horses is not expensive because horses mainly live off of grass and then also hay,” Garwood said. “Unless you want to proceed toward going into a higher level, such as showing horses, it’s not that expensive. It’s a relatively affordable hobby for most people.”
Horses have been a part of Garwood’s life since growing up in Davidson County among seven brothers and three sisters. Their parents, Odell Henderson Owen and Alma Lee Cross Owen, taught them to work during their childhoods in the 1930s and 1940s.
“I’m a farmer’s daughter and we had horses when we were growing up,” Garwood said. “I just admired them so much. Like most girls, I wanted to ride horses from the very beginning.
“Most of us live on the farm that our daddy gave us. I was number 10 of 11 children and there was always a lot of work to do … so that was continual as you grew older. It was work, work, work. You never objected to it because you had a responsibility and I loved doing that. We were just taught, ‘this is part of life.’ It’s just what GOD gave us. You almost rejoice in it because work gives you a satisfaction. Work is wonderful.”
Horseback riding requires what’s called tack or items used to direct the horse and comfort to the rider, such as a halter, bridle and saddle. They are essential for control of the horse, which ensures safety and helps to illuminate injuries.
“Some people ride bareback, but I prefer to ride in a saddle. When I was a child, I didn’t have a saddle,” Garwood said. “So without a saddle, you get on the best way you can and ride. Whenever you go to competitions, even the Olympics, saddles are made to give you better riding ability. There are all kinds of saddles, just like there are all kinds of cars.”
Most people that ride feel a strong bond with their horses. What’s given in return is a very rewarding closeness that lasts for many years.
“You feel like the horses are your children,” Garwood said. “You have a responsibility to them. They are waiting on you to feed them. They are waiting on you to take care of them. You have a relationship with each one, no matter the personality.”
The union between rider and horse is deeply cherished, especially in a time when being outdoors is a tremendous gift.
Ben White is a freelance writer who lives in Salisbury.
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