4-H'ers share passion for horses

At a summer camp in the fifth grade, Mallory Wilson was first introduced to horses.

Now nearly five years later, the 14-year-old senior 4-H member of the Pine Nut Riders shared her passion for horses with students from Fremont Elementary School's outdoor club.

"There's so much about it I love," she said. "It's not just a hobby, it's a lifestyle."

Wilson joined fellow 4-H'ers from the Pine Nut Riders and the High Sierra Riders in introducing students to horses in an arena at the home of Erin Lehman on Thursday.

"It's nice to give the kids that experience when they might not have it otherwise," Lehman said.

The 4-H'ers then took students on rides around the arena.

"I love horseback riding," said Delaney Jones, 8, as Brynn Lehman led her around on Little Black. "You get to interact with animals, and I like animals."

The communication with the horse is one of the things Avery Hudak, 15, enjoys most.

"It's amazing to me that me, being a rider, and him, being a horse, he'll listen and do what I say," she said.

Fremont Elementary School's outdoor club is open to third- through fifth-graders and their siblings. Each week, members are exposed to different outdoor activities ranging from hiking to rock climbing, kayaking and horseback riding.

"We live in an area that has every outdoor activity there is," said adviser Mary Berge in an earlier interview. "I want them outside being healthy."

Hudak and Rachel Anderson showed the students the basics of how to control and command a horse, and emphasized matters of safety like wearing a helmet and not walking behind a horse.

Kay Glick, 11, said it took some time to get used to the movement of the horse.

"I felt like I was going to fall off sometimes," she said.

But Rachel Soukup, 11, said she was scared the first time she rode a horse but found her stride this time.

"It's been pretty easy," she said.

Charles Moser, 9, enjoyed the view from the saddle.

"I like it because when you look around you can see the countryside," he said.