BY Piper Benjamin, LCSW
In my previous article, “Thrown off Course: Social Media’s Influence on the Equestrian World”, I explored how social media has negatively impacted young people in our sport.
Jonathan Haidt, a leading voice in the “no phone” movement, has proposed strategies to help distance kids from their screens, including school-wide phone policies and encouraging outdoor play. This got me thinking—how do horses and time at the barn influence mental health? As it turns out, the effects are profoundly positive.
Why Nature Restores Our Brains
Nature has long been recognized as a powerful regulator of human emotions. According to Kaplan and Kaplan’s book The Experience of Nature: A Psychological Perspective, humans are hardwired to respond positively to natural environments. They developed the Attention Restoration Theory (ART), which suggests that spending time in nature helps restore our ability to focus—especially after long periods of “directed attention” tasks like answering emails, taking notes in class, commuting, and of course, scrolling on our phones. These activities demand constant concentration and can leave us feeling mentally depleted.
In contrast, nature offers what Kaplan and Kaplan call “soft fascination”—an effortless kind of engagement that allows our brains to relax and recharge. ART outlines four key components of a restorative environment: Being Away, Extent, Fascination, and Compatibility.
The Four Elements of a Restorative Barn Environment
● Being Away: A mental or physical escape from daily demands. The barn naturally provides this, whether it’s hacking your horse on a quiet afternoon or simply enjoying the slower pace of farm life. Many barns are also physically removed from the bustle of town, offering that much-needed geographical distance from the “real world.”
● Extent: An immersive environment rich enough to engage the mind. Even routine barn activities, like brushing your horse, tacking up, or letting them graze, draw us into a world that feels vast and engaging without overwhelming us.
● Fascination: The effortless pull of our attention. Horse lovers know this feeling well. We lose track of time while grazing horses, chatting with barn friends, or simply watching them roam in their paddocks. This gentle captivation allows our minds to wander and reset.
● Compatibility: Alignment with our values and purpose. For equestrians, this comes naturally. A deep love for horses creates an environment that feels not just restorative, but essential.
Horses Offer More Than Just a Ride
But it’s not just the environment that matters. The animals themselves offer unique psychological benefits. Horses are highly attuned to human emotions, which can help children develop empathy and an awareness of how their actions affect others. Working with horses also builds confidence. Mistakes at the barn are low-stakes and often met with forgiveness, teaching kids resilience and the value of learning from errors.
For children who are shy or hesitant to open up to adults, horses can become safe, nonjudgmental companions. A bond with a horse allows kids to practice vulnerability, build self-esteem, and develop problem-solving and social skills—all without saying a single word.
Helping Kids Disconnect—and Reconnect
So, how can we help kids (and adults!) step away from screens and reconnect with the natural world?
Summer is the perfect season to embrace the benefits of farm life. Consider implementing “phone-free barn days” to encourage kids to fully engage with their surroundings. Barn owners could create mini “pony club” programs with fun tasks and games designed to strengthen horsemanship and foster a sense of community.
Bring Back the Joy of Unstructured Barn Time
I often think back to my childhood spending entire days at the barn, completely immersed in the rhythm of horses and farm life. We played outside for hours with the animals and our fellow barn mates. Our trainers came up with creative games that also improved our riding skills, likeholding a pool noodle behind our backs for better posture, balancing a cup of water while we rode to practice steadiness, or keeping a dollar bill under our leg to perfect our seat. We would lose track of time, explore every corner of the farm, and return home sun-kissed, happy, and exhausted.
Prioritize unstructured time at the barn. Many children today lead highly scheduled lives, leaving little room for wandering or quiet reflection. While lessons and showing have their place, unscripted days such as riding bareback, cleaning tack, or helping with chores can do wonders for mental health. Better yet, parents can join in too, modeling the value of slowing down and savoring time outdoors.
The Power of Barn Friendships
Finally, nurture barn friendships. Encouraging kids and teens to bond over their shared love for horses strengthens their social connections and creates positive associations with time spent outside. These relationships make barn life more enjoyable and support emotional resilience and a sense of belonging.
A Place Where Kids Can Truly Belong
As equestrians, we have a unique opportunity—and in my opinion, a responsibility—to create spaces where kids can unplug and reconnect with themselves, each other, and their horses.
The barn is more than just a place to ride; it’s a refuge where time slows down, and the simple rhythm of caring for another being takes precedence.
Here, children can discover confidence, patience, and joy.ot in likes or followers, but in quiet moments brushing a horse or laughing with barn friends on a summer evening. These are the experiences that linger long after the ride is over.
So maybe the antidote to social media overload isn’t a new app or stricter parental controls. Maybe it’s simpler than that. Maybe it’s waiting for us just down the driveway, past the pasture, in the soft nickers of horses who have been teaching kids about life all along.
Piper Benjamin, LCSW, is a lifelong equestrian and the co-founder of Lake Shore Therapy Group, a Chicago based mental health private practice. She leads a team of five therapists specializing in areas such as sports performance, anxiety, depression, life transitions, perinatal mental health, eating disorders, and more. Learn more at www.lakeshoretherapygroup.com or follow our instagram @lakeshoretherapygroup for resources.
