My daughter is soon to be 8 years old and she is by far the greatest joy in my life. Like most parents of young kids, I wonder about the different paths she will choose to go down in the future and I am careful about the influences I let into her life.

On several occasions, she has expressed an interest in horses and learning to ride. I have to say that when I have met kids with a focus on animals they have all seemed like super well-adjusted, well-mannered and confident kids. I think the reasons for this are pretty apparent. Animals are a huge responsibility and require a lot of focus. They are also a big confidence builder. At her first riding lesson, my 7-year-old was in control of a 1,000-pound horse and you could tell that it made her proud.

You never know with kids if you're dealing with a life-changer, or just a phase, but I truly hope she chooses to continue on this path. Now I just need to find an apartment that allows horses.

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