Girl Scout Troop #1975 has fun earning Horseback Riding badge

It’s the rare little girl who doesn’t love horses and dream of the chance to go riding. Recently the girls in Troop #1975 got to do just that at Riding with Rhythm.

Troop leader Jessica Vincent contacted the stable’s owner Shirley Dubay about completing the Horseback Riding badge there.

Dubay, an approved provider for the Girl Scouts, said, “In the write up in the badge [book] they have ‘or’ between the requirements. I told the leader I don’t do ‘or;’ we are doing the entire badge. She was thrilled.”

Earning the badge required multiple trips to the stable. Dubay says the first visit laid the groundwork; on the second and third visits the girls got to ride.

The first day, she gave the girls a tour of the paddock and stables, teaching as they went.

The girls learned about the types of shelters for the horses and visited the tack room to learn about the differences between English and western saddles and bridles and other equipment.

In the arena, Dubay talked about horses’ vision and how it plays a part in the predator-prey relationship. The girls learned about grooming, how to catch a horse, and halter skills were explained.

Then the real fun began.

The girls paired up and went out to catch a horse or pony. First they groomed the horses, including picking out their hooves. Next there was a lesson on saddling and bridling.

Finally, the moment came when they got to ride. Using the mounting block they each climbed aboard and rode at a walk. Some of the more adventurous tried trotting.

Dubay is passionate about horse rescue operations and when scouts visit her stable she asks the girls to donate $5 each for the Colorado Horse Rescue in Longmont, Colorado. So far she has sent $155 to the ranch.

Dubay, who has had lots of experience working as an instructor at other stables, opened Riding with Rhythm on July 4, 2017. “I’d always worked for everybody else, and it was time to work for myself.”

She modeled her large riding arena on an Amish-built facility where she worked in Portland, Oregon. The airy, open-sided arena allows for riding no matter the weather.