Riding Smarter As You Get Older

When I received my August issue of Endurance News the first thing I noticed was Stagg Newman and Jayel Super gracing the cover. Jayel, at age 19, placed 6th at the Old Dominion this year and Stagg is a 5 time winner of the OD.  Right next to the photo was the title of the article I wanted to read to first. “Riding Smarter as You Get Older”.  I don’t know how old Stagg is, but I’m pretty sure he’s older than me.  He’s one of the country’s top distance riders…..and he continues to ride strong.  As for me, I was turning a VERY big number in October and I was not one bit happy about it.

Julie Suhr began the section with her “The Three S Horse”.  Safe. Short. Smooth.  There is much to be said for “Safe” at any age, but more so as you get older and you don’t bounce the way you did when you were young.  Falling hard is just not an option I want to entertain. So, my choice of an unbroke 4 year old a year and half ago was not really very prudent. However, Reilly has exceeded all my expectations and is surprisingly safe for a 5 year old and I expect he is only going to get better. So, I gave myself partial credit on the first “S”.

As for “Short” – he’s already taller than my solidly 15.1 hand mare, but I suspect he’s stopped getting taller.  I don’t like mounting from the ground. I had my worst horse accident while mounting that way….and it has stayed clearly in my mind. Nor do I think it’s good for your horse’s back or your saddle. So, one of the very first things I taught Reilly was to stand next to practically anything and wait quietly for me to get on.  Tree stumps, large rocks, tailgates, fence rails…… and I must say that at 5 I’m pretty proud him on this count.

We’re okay on the Smooth issue.  Although it took me a while to get used to his trot since I’d only ridden Rianon for the past 14 years, I now I’m very comfortable riding Reilly’s light airy trot and absolutely love his rocking horse canter (which we’re still working on).

Reading on, I had to laugh at the comments of many other “older” riders, most in their 60’s, concerning things they appreciate now that they thought quite differently about when they were younger.  Let’s face it – we all slow down a bit when we age. It’s not as though you notice it all at once. Rather it’s a gradual realization colored with surprise. I used to be able to go on a long training ride and then go for a long hike or run when I got home. After that I still had energy to take care of the barn, garden and house work. I now find myself spacing out those activities! Many said they no longer cared as much if they were leading the pack at a competition. They were much more concerned with caring for their horses and enjoying the company of good friends while taking in the scenery. Many no longer felt they needed to do 50’s and 100’s. Rather the 25 and 30 mile CTR’s looked appealing as did multi day rides. Others loved their sheepskin seat “cozies”. Many found time for yoga class or at least daily stretching.

All riders talked about various aches and pains and the value of Advil, a hot soak in a tub, acupuncture and chiropractic care. Arthritis comes with use and abuse but it’s not about to keep us from doing what we love to do!

What came though clearly in all the comments was an attitude that the years were not about to stop them from riding or competing. With age sometimes does come wisdom and I find myself able to take a bit more time without berating myself for being a slacker or lazy.  I find myself stopping in the morning to appreciate the sunrise over the mountains as I toss hay. I walk out into the pasture for no other reason but to hang out with my horses and smell their musky scent. A short early morning fall ride through the downed cornfields behind my house can be the best medicine I can take. I finally do understand that every single day with my horses is a gift not to be taken for granted. I space my competitions wisely. I may even come home early from a training ride to spend more time with my human partner.

My son jokingly asked me when I was going to consider myself “old”, pointing out that I can no longer call myself middle aged unless I intend to live to 120. He reminds me that in a previous century my expiration date would have been up years ago. Secretly he loves when I send him photos of my latest ride and tell him of my adventures with Reilly.  I find that the true beauty of being young is not in the skin, hair, shining eyes and tight bodies. It’s in their utter and complete disbelief that they will ever ever be old themselves. I believe that staying young is keeping that disbelief alive forever. When I walk tall and ride with confidence I feel young and strong. None of my aches and pains matter. And…. If I ride fast enough maybe from behind you won’t even be able to tell how old I really am!

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