Having a partnership with such a large and powerful animal increases self-confidence and provides a mental escape from school or work. Horses and humans in any discipline must have incredible trust in each other. Horses, prey animals by nature, trust their riders not to lead them into a dangerous situation where they could be injured or eaten by a predator. Humans, who often weigh fifteen times less than their mounts, trust that horses will willingly do their jobs as directed and not use their strength against their riders. This amount of mutual trust translates into a close bond in and out of the arena that both participants enjoy. Furthermore, riding and caring for horses is a sport that is accessible and actively enjoyed by people of all ages. If you can ride a horse, you can ride. If you can't, you can join the many people who raise horses just for comfort and companionship. No matter what you do with your horses, it's always extremely rewarding to hear them nip in greeting when you walk down the stable aisle, or run if you go to their gate.