Zaine’s Horseback Riding Experience

horseback riding feat

It’s been a long while since I wrote about Zaine and his milestones. So here I am sharing one of his milestones that make me so proud of the little boy. A few weeks ago, the little boy went horseback riding.

A Little Background

Zaine took a while before he started to walk. He walked on his own a few months after he turned 2. And as soon as he walked, he wanted to run! Now, that kid runs fast, too! But even with him walking and running, we still continue to work on his balance as well. A few of the activities with do with him is by climbing up and down the stairs and swinging.

He used to hate swings, too. I guess the motion didn’t sit well with him. Nowadays, he loves it. And he loves it more if he is being pushed higher.

Another thing that he loves is riding carousels. He just loves it. Every time we go to the mall and he sees one, he would run to it and watch the “horses” go round and round. And he will pull me to where the ticket booth is to buy him a ticket for a ride. He enjoyed it the first time he rode one, too.

And that was his only “training” to riding horses. He knew that he had to hold on to the pole and make sure that he sits still and sits properly so he won’t fall off.

The Horseback Ride at The Fun Farm

A couple of weeks ago, my blogger friends, Que and Aubrey, and I went to The Fun Farm at Sta. Elena in Laguna. When Zaine saw the horses, he pointed to it and said, “hoise”. When asked if he wanted to ride it, he walked towards the makeshift platform to climb the horse.

horseback riding zaine
The little boy eagerly climbed up and sat on the saddle. 🙂

Zaine was all game! He did what he was told to do and never fussed. The horse handler made sure he was sitting properly, fixed Z’s hands to properly hold on to the saddle and strapped both his feet on the sides. The little boy then straightened his back as the horse started to walk.

horseback riding horse walk
Refused to wear the helmet and held on to the saddle as he was taught. Here’s the start of the ride

My momma heart was thumping so hard in my chest. My worry was that Z might suddenly let go of the handle and fall off. Or that he might start wiggling around and get thrown off the horse.

But lo and behold! Zaine rode it like a pro! He was looking around, sitting comfortably on the horse, his head held high and his back straight. He was riding like a ranch owner going around his lands, making sure that everything was alright.

horseback riding z and handler
Off they go! So thankful to the horse handler (we forgot to ask his name). He was very helpful and he indulged Z in a few more rounds.

Seeing him on the horse was definitely a proud moment for me. I mean, how many almost 5-year old kids ride a horse nowadays without anyone riding with them? This sight just made me realize that while Z may have Down syndrome, it doesn’t mean that he can’t do what others can. It may just take a bit longer for him to learn. But he will get there.

horseback riding z pro
Look at that confident little boy sitting atop the horse like he’s done this a million times before! So proud of this sweetheart!

Now, every single time Zaine sees a horse – whether in one of the shows he watches, or a photo of it – he points to the horse and, with a big smile on his face, says, “hoise.”

We definitely have to get this little boy ride a horse soon!

You may also like

21 Comments

  1. Good job, Zaine! Kakatuwa naman! Nasa bucket list ko maka horseback riding kahit minsan pero d pa nangyayari! Buti ka pa Z!

    1. Dapat kasama ako sasakay kaso sabi nung handler, kaya daw ni Zaine mag-isa. Ayaw ako pasakayin! Di ko din tuloy naexperience. LOL!

    1. I would definitely recommend Sta. Elena. There’s so much fun outdoor activities that kids can do but they can also run there all day long. 🙂

  2. We went here too and my kids enjoyed the horseback riding as well 🙂 Good job to your little boy 🙂 Looks like he really had fun.

  3. Your son is so brave! My son almost chickened out of his first horseback riding experience, buti na lang he stopped panicking after the handler convinced him that he won’t fall and the horse won’t run, lol. 🙂

    1. Ang brave nung anak ko, dere-derecho sya sa pagsakay. Ako yung nagpanic, LOL! I have to give it to their handlers. Ang tyaga nila sa mga bata.

  4. Galing naman ni Zaine. For sure nag-enjoy sya for sure.One time ko palang naexperiemce mag horseback riding sa Tagaytay pa and sobrang tagal na.Nasa bucket list ko to for Chelsea for sure matutuwa sya.

  5. Been hearing Fun Farm at Sta. Elena and I want to visit it soon. My daughter loves animals too. This is a perfect place as she haven’t tried horseback riding yet. Kudos to Zaines!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.