Movement & my horse

As I inch toward higher end of the septuagenarian box, the aging of my physical body has become more apparent. My joints ache, arthritis has crept into my feet and my balance is pitiful! I sound like the old people I grew up around! I used to call their complaints an “organ recital.”

My generation were lovers of high impact sports. We are now indulging in “bone recitals”, replacing worn out joints and gulping supplements.

It is challenging to ignore the invectives from all directions to “move it or lose it.” It is easy to feel ‘less than’ when we are inundated with advertisements showing white haired, smiling people jauntily hiking in the great outdoors after ingesting the drug company’s pill.

When moving becomes difficult, it’s easy to give up and become sedentary. Rather than continue to judge myself for moving at a snail’s pace, a friend asked me what I actually do when I spend four hours each time I go to the barn.

So here is what it entails. This story is primarily for me so I can see that,

A) I am not sedentary and, B) why I often need to rest when I return home.

The day begins with walking from the paddocks to the main barn – in the heat or snow.

Often a mud encrusted horse greets me. For a horse, there is nothing more satisfying than a spine-massaging roll.

The grooming begins. Lots of upper body workout.

Hoof care: Very important. As the old ranchers used to say “No hoof. No horse.” It’s true.

Bending and weightlifting.

Tacking: Bridle, saddle pad, saddle, ear bonnet, and martingale. Weightlifting: raising and gently placing the pad and saddle correctly on the topline.

The actual riding. Body awareness, balance, leg strength, spine flexibility. Isolation of movement between hips & upper body & arms, while following the horse’s movement. Not unlike trying to walk and chew gum!

(This is why we hire a trainer.)

Aftercare: In winter, wrapping them in sweat absorbing blankets until they dry. Then groom. In summer we groom, then rinse the sweat, apply skin care followed by fly spray, fly masks, and fly boots. More standing, massaging and bending.

(Luna is the one under the crooked, sunflower mask. She HATES it and does her best to rub it off!)

Followed by a good graze as their reward for working hard. More standing in the heat!

Once my horse is secured in her paddock, it’s time to clean the tack.

After four hours, I head for home, hot, sweaty and happier than a duck in a puddle!

Primarily I wrote this story for me in order to remind myself, I may go about my horse care very slowly, but I am moving. Thank you to all my horse friends who modeled and do everything I described and so much more. …………………….and thank you to my non-horse friend readers.

All comments are very welcome.

I do understand how blessed I am to have a horse and to be able to connect with and love such a beautiful being. She has given me so much already. I treasure her.

Graced by a horse.