It might somewhat be difficult to imagine teachers having hobbies outside of school. Some students believe that teachers live in their classrooms. However, in the case of English teacher Sandy Riley, her hobby outside school is horseback riding. As she develops her love of animals from a young age, Riley continues to spend her time out of school bonding with three horses of her own. 

“I had horses growing up and I had to let go of it for a while when I went to college,” Riley said. “Then, shortly after college, my goal was to buy a small farm, which is what I did. I keep my horses at home, and I’ve been there ever since. Now, I have 3 horses and two Mares (female horses).”  

How does one acquire such a desire for a horse? For Riley, it was love at first sight, and given the opportunity to be around horses, she took it. 

“I always loved horses and my grandparents lived on a farm, so I spent a lot of my summers there,” Riley said. “I used to ride those horses all over the country. I felt so free, and so I wanted my own horse. I think a lot of the times when people are young, and they get involved with horses they kind of get disinterested and realize how much work it is or whatever and find other things. When I was 12 my dad bought me my own horse, and she was awesome. It felt like something special, and that was the first time I had my very own horse.” 

While Riley reflects on her hobby, she continues to influence others to have hobbies of their own, as they are a way for people to relax and free themselves from the stress of their daily lives. Meanwhile, horseback riding does just that for Riley. 

“I find it to be relaxing and it helps me to reduce the stress that I have,” Riley said. “It’s tough to schedule and take care of things. I like peace and quiet, except for in the classroom, I like my students to talk a lot. But it is a nice balance for me.” 

Humans need an escape from life when the stress becomes too heavy. Their escape allows them to find balance and peace in their lives, which would only improve their performance and reflect on their happiness, mood, and overall confidence level. 

“You know we all have stress, and I think everyone should have something,” Riley said. “A hobby that helps you, whether it’s a sport, hanging out, or you like to do art. Whatever you do, I think that everyone needs to have some kind of release for that stress and do something they truly enjoy.”