Riding brings back the one-ness with nature that riding evokes.
There is also show jumping and dressage, which are Olympic equestrian events. For those wanting more horseback riding than an hours or so, a dude ranch is an option. There's many of them around, and they can give you an immersion program into the day to day life of a cowboy. If either the horse or rider falls, the pair is eliminated. The sport evolved in the late 18th century from the sport of fox hunting.