I had the chance to do something fun this past week—I watched kids and adults take their first horse rides. I was visiting at Asbury College Equine center, where they were hosting day camps.

The kids took everything very seriously. They started in an indoor arena, where they learned the basics of balance and control. As they started to “get it,” they “couldn’t not” smile, sitting up straight and proud wearing their helmets. Then they graduated to going on a trail ride, with instructors riding along, of course.

As much fun as it was to watch them ride, I had an even better time watching them tend their horses after the ride. They had an air of confidence and a spring in their step as they groomed the horses they’d ridden. One child told me that I shouldn’t stand in the doorway of the stall, since she would be going in and out with her grooming tools (the horse was securely tied in the stall). She was the official groom. The kids were proud of themselves, and well they should have been.

In the evening, five adults took their third lesson. They switched horses every eight minutes (sainted horses, I might add). Of course, that meant getting on and off, adjusting stirrups, getting used to the feel of a different horse, figuring out how this new horse steered, and so forth. There were the inevitable giggles as one lady mounted a horse (albeit from a mounting block) just a little taller than the one she’d previously ridden. And another couldn’t believe how wide the Percheron-cross mare was, compared to the Tennessee Walker she’d just been on. At the end of the ride, they were just as excited as the little kids had been.

If you’re used to being around horses and horse people, you might have forgotten the wonder of a first ride. I’d encourage you to find a way to watch total beginners with a good instructor, or at least a patient, competent friend. It will charge your batteries, and remind you of the wonder of it all. And watch how the horses obey any reasonable facsimile of a rein aid or leg cue. You might fall in love all over again.