THE BACK FORTY 1. Avoid Getting Hurt!
How simple this sounds. Now is when we’re really looking for the good-minded horse. Depending on our sport, we’re not above riding a teenager, or older. Though there are many young horses who are quieter or better schooled than their older counterparts, it takes a certain amount of living to have seen it all. The more a horse has coped with in his lifetime, the less he will feel the need to react. The maintenance needed to keep a solid, high-mileage horse going is generally worth any extra trouble and money.
The Long ‘n’ Winding Trail… Life is a marathon, not a race. Here are some tips for maintaining your time with horses.
2. Get Fit.
Not ‘size two jeans fit,’ but as strong, flexible and lean as we can be. We can start working out a little, both in walking exercise and strength training. If sore hips are an issue, we might pay particular attention to stretching our hip flexors. We’ll grow more mindful these days about posture and breathing. When we work with our bodies from a health and healing standpoint, it’s easier to stick it out, than when we’re just trying to climb into smaller jeans. Getting enough sleep seems to be more challenging as we age. What a difference sleep makes, in coping with pain and also just about everything else.
By Lee McLean, Photos by
Twisted Tree Photography
3. What Not to Wear…
There comes a day, for most of us, when our foot struggles to reach the stirrup. Maybe our heart is trying not to see the end of the road, the place where we will have to make some hard choices. Maybe our hips are hurting so badly after every ride that we can barely swing out of the saddle. Maybe we’re alone now and the chores and physicality of maintaining horses is getting to be too much. More and more often, we’re talking to riders who are secretly facing these realities. Our minds are still willing but our bodies may be slowing us down. Now, this advice isn’t needed by every aging or unwell rider! But if you’re feeling it –that niggle of doubt for the first time, the joints that are voicing complaints – this one’s for you.
There’s a stigma of shame involved with getting older, or struggling with recovery from illness or injury. Riding is no exception. Our culture celebrates beauty and athleticism, we love the prize winners, above all. Sometimes we need to recognize this, to talk openly and make a few tweaks to keep riding safely a part of our plans.
Some of the fads that are ‘in’ are not necessarily what our bodies need right now. Those of us who grew up wearing leather-soled boots may still prefer them, rather than riding in those with crepe soles. These can be sticky when dismounting, especially if we’re not as limber as we used to be. Too many fashion jeans, even if long enough to ‘stack,’ will twist or ride up. If our inseams are rubbing our knees, we can’t ride well. Jeans specifically designed and meant for riding are worth every penny. If we’re feeling nervous, we might consider a helmet, even if we’ve gone eons without. As far as underthings go, this is not a time for shyness. No-bounce bras come in all sorts of configurations, including ones specially designed for riding and running. Few women talk about the fact that if we’re riding long enough, hard enough, the elastic in undies
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