Ever since she’s been riding horses, Delaney Wallace of Concord Township has enjoyed the moments that 4-H has brought her.
Wallace started riding horses when she was about 8 years old at Double Deuce Farm in Painesville. After taking a hiatus, Wallace got back into riding horses at K B Farms when she was 12.
“I rode a family friend’s horse, I started leasing it and then decided to show here at 4-H because they had a 4-H club through the barn,” said Wallace at this year’s Lake County Fair. “I started showing with Muddy Boots 4-H Club about seven years ago, so I started riding here. I bought the horse myself. I then decided, at 16, I was going to buy a horse instead of a car and got another one.”
Since being in 4-H, America’s largest youth development organization, Wallace has enjoyed the memories she’s created and has made new friends, she said.
“It’s a wonderful experience,” Wallace said. “It’s good for anybody. There are so many lessons you learn for life, and riding is fun. They teach you so many things.”
For those interested in pursuing horseback riding in 4-H, Wallace said to prepare to work with the horse and to work with it as a team.
“You sometimes will think that it’s a single-person sport, but it’s not,” she said. “You’re working with your horse and your horse isn’t able to talk to you, so you’re going to have to figure it out as you’re riding. Definitely take lessons and ask questions. Come to the local shows and to the fair. People are always here to help you.”
Aside from usually cleaning her horse’s stall every day and spending about 45 minutes taking care of barn chores, Wallace works with her horse for about an hour and half every day or every other day depending on her week.
“There’s a lot of time you need to put in with your horse to really create that bond, because you want to have a good, trusting bond with your horse before coming out to the arena and just winging it,” Wallace said.
Although 4-H is a good start for new, young riders to get into the arena, learning how to go about shows and ring etiquette, Wallace said, she hopes to continue riding at some of the advanced shows.
“When you get out to bigger shows, you actually figure out how you do with your horse,” she said. “I definitely want to get to the bigger shows and maybe get a couple more horses. We’ll see.”
