The therapeutic value of the beach
The beach is good for you! It’s a fact. Did you know that in the US, the state of Hawaii has enjoyed six years as the happiest in the country? And pretty much everyone there’s a mere stone’s throw away from a stunning beach. The same can be said about other countries. In Japan, researchers found that if you have a view of the ocean, you experience lower levels of stress than those who don’t. Even in the UK, people who live by the coast are reported to be healthier in body and mind.
The calming energy of the sea
The seaside is a special place. You can feel the magic and power of the sea when you spend time on the beach. The meeting of the baby blue sky with the turquoise water in Canoa will fill you with feelings of calm and peace.
Psychologists tell us that the ocean is capable of inducing a meditative state akin to hypnotism and it can change the frequency of brain waves. The sound of the waves crashing, and ebbing activates our parasympathetic nervous system which helps us to relax and de-stress.
Combine the restorative benefits of the beach and ocean with the therapeutic benefits of horse riding. There is nothing like horse riding on the beach and horse riding in Ecuador is something that you need to try. You can feel the warm rays of the sun on your face and smell the fresh ocean air.
Spend time in the sun
We need to spend time in the sun for our health. The human skin can create Vitamin D when it is exposed to sunshine. This vitamin is essential for our skeletal health and can help to lower blood pressure, boost the immune system and calm the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
Sunlight is also a trigger for serotonin; the “feel-good” chemical that your nerves create and that increases when we are exposed to sunlight. Serotonin helps us to deal with emotional states like stress because it is a natural mood stabilizer.
It intensifies our feelings of happiness, reduces depression and anxiety and even helps with wound healing and skeletal health. Improved serotonin production is one of the reasons that we feel better and more relaxed with spending time in the sun.
The colour blue
Spending time gazing at the ocean is relaxing. In Canoa, the sea is usually a beautiful blue, with a range of colours from almost sky blue through to a dark and brooding navy.
Wellington in New Zealand is a large city, but it is surrounded by the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean. It is also a very green zone with lots of forests and trees. In a survey that noted whether citizens had a view of the sea, blue space, or the forest, green space, the results consistently showed a statistically significant difference in those with a view of blue expanses.
People in this lucky group had healthier mental states and lower psychological stress levels. You might be thinking that this could be due to living in more affluent neighborhoods, but the difference was still significant when accounting for differences in age, sex, and wealth.
Time in the saddle at the beach
Horses have been used for therapy in settings from prisons to hospitals. Their energy and willingness to cooperate with humans make them ideal candidates for soothing the mind and body. Horseback riding can strengthen your body, improve your balance and calm your mind. Horses are much larger than we are and working with them helps you to hone your concentration and coordination. When we combine the therapeutic benefits of spending time on the beach with those of horse riding, it makes for an incredibly rewarding experience.
Horse riding on the beach can be at times relaxing and at others exhilarating. Watching the Pacific Ocean ebb and flow from the back of your horse will relax you and calm your mind. Enjoying the thundering hooves as you gallop down the sand on Canoa beach is exciting and freeing.
Everyone can enjoy horseback riding on the beach
Cabalgatas Canoa has wonderful, experienced horses that are used to helping even inexperienced riders take their first canter or gallop on the beach in Canoa. Don’t worry if you have never ridden a horse before, we can find you the ideal mount, and if you prefer to take it slowly, that’s fine by us. You can enjoy your time on horse riding on the beach watching the ocean and soaking up the sun no matter what level of horseback riding experience you have.
As the only professional horse riding operator on the coast of Ecuador, British owned Cabalgatas Canoa will make sure that you have the perfect horse to suit you and we use only the best equipment for your comfort and safety.
If you have always wanted to ride a horse on the beach, then Ecuador is the place to do it. Our beach in Canoa is the longest in the country with 17 kilometers of golden sand to ride down. Cabalgatas Canoa would love you to join us, give us a call and let’s go horse riding!