Riding toward better math: executive functions mediate the link between horseback activities and children’s mathematical achievement

Research directly examining the cognitive and academic correlates of horseback-riding in childhood remains limited. This study examined the relationships among monthly horseback-riding hours, executive function (EF), and mathematics achievement in children aged 7–9 years. A sample of 262 participants from Saudi Arabia was assessed using parent interviews and official educational records, with data collected from sports clubs and horse stables. EF was modeled as a latent construct—including organization and planning, working memory, emotion regulation, self-control, and motivation—`using structural equation modeling in R (lavaan 0.6–12). Model fit was excellent (CFI ≥ 0.98, TLI ≥ 0.98, RMSEA ≤ 0.05, SRMR ≤ 0.03), and multivariate normality was supported by nonsignificant Mardia’s coefficients. In the direct-effects model, horseback-riding hours (β = 0.175, p = 0.004) and age (β = 0.156, p = 0.011) significantly predicted mathematics scores. When EF was introduced as a mediator, both predictors significantly predicted EF—which, in turn, strongly predicted mathematics achievement (β = 0.958, p < 0.001); however, the direct effects became nonsignificant. The strongest EF loadings were observed for organization and planning (≈ 0.88) and self-control (≈ 0.85). In the final full-mediation model, horseback-riding hours (β = 0.170, p = 0.007) and age (β = 0.151, p = 0.017) influenced mathematics exclusively through EF (β = 0.971, p < 0.001). The results show that EF statistically mediates the association between horseback-riding hours and mathematics achievement in the present model, highlighting the potential relevance of cognitively rich physical activities for academic outcomes.