In the Saddle

Winston Churchill once said, “No hour of life is lost that is spent in the saddle.” At Chatham Hall, we believe that every student should have the opportunity to experience life around horses.

The stables at Chatham Hall are open to all students, not just those enrolled in the Riding Program. Our riders build confidence and strength, both emotional and physical, through their equestrian pursuits. Yet even students who simply wander down to the barn to greet a horse can feel the quiet pull of these intuitive creatures.

In a world where girls are constantly bombarded with societal, academic, and parental pressures, the stables offer a rare sanctuary. In this place, they can step outside themselves and focus on the well-being of another living being. The intuitive nature of horses requires our students to pause, shift gears from the busyness of daily life, and be fully present in the moment. Horses sense emotions, fears, and anxieties; by their very nature, they invite mindfulness. While Chatham Hall’s program is not designed as therapeutic riding, it’s undeniable that time spent with horses has a calming, restorative effect. Ongoing research in Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy continues to affirm what our students already know in their hearts: horses are good for the soul.

Riding at Chatham Hall also embodies our mission of encouraging girls to choose courage over comfort. It takes real fortitude to show up day after day—to ride through setbacks, overcome injuries, and shoulder the endless responsibilities that come with caring for these powerful creatures. Yet our riders do just that, and the program continues to thrive.

A mentor once told me, “Sometimes you just need to go for a gallop.” And she was right. When life feels heavy, there’s something about a ride across open fields that helps a girl regain her balance and sense of peace.