“Take Me Riding” Uses Technology to Introduce Kids to the World of Horses

AQHA Publicity

Now it is easier than ever to get your kids involved with horses.

Take Me Riding, the world’s most revolutionary effort to introduce children to a wonderful world of horses, is now available. Take Me Riding is an all-breeds “edutainment experience” for children ages 5 to 9 found online at www.TakeMeRiding.com.

“It’s refreshing how leaders in the horse industry have come together for the similar cause to introduce more children to the wonderful world of horses,” said Todd Branson, AQHA director of youth development. “Children can play fun, educational games; watch comprehensive videos showing kids with horses; learn more with an ultimate ‘all about horses’ encyclopedia; and find horses near their home with geolocation maps and driving directions to popular horse landmarks, events and riding centers.”

Take Me Riding is designed for the fast-paced family lifestyle, and efficiently works on mobile devices and tablets. Desktop or laptop users have an enhanced experience with more games and a customizable Riding Space where children can collect images of horses, earn badges for their online and offline horse experiences, track their progress and much more!

The primary focus of Take Me Riding is three original video seasons, each with nine episodes that follow the lives of Jack, Anna and Grace. Take Me Riding is also packed with resources for Mom and Dad, lesson plans built around the common core standards for teachers, an event calendar that offers upcoming horse events near children and a store that carries almost anything a child could ever want, except a real horse. Mom and Dad can also use the comprehensive geolocation map to find trusted trainers, instructors and locations to inquire more about a real horse experience.

Take Me Riding came to life from a comprehensive research project led by the American Quarter Horse Association and an advisory board of industry leaders from the American Youth Horse Council, Certified Horsemanship Association, Cooperative Extension Equine Specialists, the United States Pony Club, Inc. and Wagonhound Land and Livestock. This team assisted in determining where the deficiencies existed in membership and participation, how to engage with a younger audience and what new products should be considered to maximize the engagement potential.

Children who are already active in horses through 4-H, FFA or other youth development programs have new online options too. These youth now have access to OnlineStable.com – a digital record keeping system that records leadership, achievement, community service and time spent with their animals. OnlineStable.com is also an animal management tool, and users can record feeding habits, living arrangements, schedule upcoming and ongoing veterinary visits, and track expenses. OnlineStable.com is made for smartphones and tablets to allow youth to keep the record updated on their time, not in front of a desktop or laptop computer.

“These projects are truly revolutionary, and we are looking forward to a bright future where technology works with us to get more children active in horses and horseback,” Branson added. “TakeMeRiding.com and OnlineStable.com are not answers, but they are much-needed tools to support the future of the horse industry.”

Much more is planned, and these projects need your support and help. A generous gift from Wagonhound Land and Livestock and financial support from AQHA have funded the start-up costs of these projects, however these efforts are nowhere near complete.

For information about the fundraising effort, please visit www.aqha.com/foundation or call 806-378-5029.

Visit www.TakeMeRiding.com today, to learn more about horses.