Kids

Average Age of Horse Riders?

Average Age of Horse Riders?
Wow, I was shocked.  I could not have guessed that the average age for riders is over 40.  There are so many reasons for this but still, it shocked me.

When I was growing up, there were 20 or 30 kids to every adult at the barns I rode at.  Actually, I only knew a couple of adults that even rode at all.  It was all of us crazy horse kids.  

The classes at the shows for the juniors were 20 - 50 per class, which were usually grouped in 1 or 2 years per group.  For the adults, it was 18 - 35 and 35 and over and they only had a maximum of 20 in their classes for the huge age range.

Why are kids not riding any more?  I would love to hear your thoughts and if there things we can do.

Here are my thoughts:
1. The kids these days are really into the electronics.  Our granddaughters were here and mostly played on youtube and creating their own videos (which is amazing!).  I had one that wanted to come feed but really didn't want to spend a lot of time with the horses.  I would have spent every minute with the horses when I was her age.
2. Horses cost more these days then they did when I was a kid.  I worked to save up and bought my first pony when I was 5 and I was able to work to take care of some of the bills.  I worked and worked to pay for the horses.  I am not sure kids these days will make it happen like I did.
3. There are so many organized sports that take up a lot of time and they don't have the time to just enjoy horses.

Are there things we can do to engage the kids more?  What if a bunch of us created a facebook group, to encourage kids to have those horse crazy pony dreams again?  What if we partnered with local youth centers?  

I don't know the answers but I know I was shocked at the average age being so high.

What do you guys think?  I would love to hear your thoughts if you would like to reply.


Hey there! I’m Elise Hittinger—Fear Slayer, Confidence Creator, and your go-to Courage Coach.

 
Once upon a time, I was that fearless kid riding deep into Angeles National Forest without a second thought. Then bam—life threw me a plot twist. A horse flipped on me, pinning me beneath it, and fear crept in like an uninvited guest who wouldn’t leave.

That moment tested everything. But here’s the wild part—I walked away with only bruises and a divine reminder that I wasn’t done yet. Fear may have stolen my joy for a while, but it did not get the final say.

Fast forward to a move to Kentucky, where the trails were calling my name. I had two choices: let fear keep the reins or take them back. Spoiler alert—I took them back. Now, I help other riders (and, honestly, anyone sick of fear running their life) do the same.

I make fear pack its little bags and GTFO. Whether it’s through hypnotherapy, NLP, or a little well-placed humor, I help people trade anxiety for confidence, doubt for courage, and overthinking for action.

So, if you’re ready to kick fear to the curb and rediscover the joy you deserve—I’m here for it. Let’s do this.

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