Let Them Carry the Saddle.

At Splendacrest, we don’t just teach kids to ride horses. We teach them to be riders. And yes,

that means carrying their own saddle. It means grooming their horse, mucking the yard, picking hooves, and tightening the girth. It means showing up in the heat, the rain, the early mornings and the long days. Because this isn’t a theme park. This is horsemanship.

Parents, I know it’s hard to watch your child struggle. Your instinct is to help, to smooth the path, lift the load, make things easier. But here’s the truth: Every time you rush in to help, you steal a little bit of strength they were about to build.

A saddle isn’t just tack. It’s a test. Can they carry it? Not easily. Not at first. But with repetition, effort, and your restraint, they’ll get there. And when they do, they’ll know that they earned it. Not because you stepped in. But because you didn’t.

We do not raise riders by doing the hard parts for them. We raise riders by letting them do hard things, over and over, until it becomes second nature. This is where confidence is born, not from praise, not from medals, but from mastery.

Let your child get tired. Let them get dirty. Let them be frustrated. Because in the saddle, and in life, these are the moments that build character. We aren’t here to make them feel special. We’re here to show them that they are capable, and then expect them to prove it.

So don’t be the cushion.

Be the wall they lean against as they grow stronger.

Let them struggle.

Let them learn.

Let them ride.