Horses and Human Health: Time For an Overhaul

In writing this blog it is my strong preference to focus on objective truths and to keep subjectivity to a minimum. But sometimes subjective posts and topics are of tremendous value for others out there who might share the same subjective condition.

That is why I am going to be adding some personal updates over the next year as to what is going on with my health and what I am doing about it.

Nothing dramatic here--no cancer--nothing directly terminal--but like so many Americans my health is the biggest threat to being able to accomplish the things that need to be done before the game is over.

Twenty two years of insufficient sleep, forty years of heavy duty stress, and thirty years of being over weight are beginning to wreak havoc on my body. Bottom line--I need more muscle, less fat, more peace and, somehow, more sleep if I am going to live the number of years that I figure I will need to get the horse lot and the program where I would like to have it. Our program has reached a break out point. Big things are happening. It would be very disappointing  to wake up dead one morning before I ever carried the ball across the finish line.

I began riding hard a few weeks ago. We are having an in house endurance race this March. Having a goal to train for makes training easier. Most importantly, with Elise and Jen at the Little House doing the several hours of care for the horses and other animals that I was doing every day, I will have time to dedicate to intense riding and exercise.

Of course, there will be tremendous changes in what I eat but the key lifestyle changes will be on playing more music, writing more, exercising steadily, but most importantly riding very much more and at a higher level. If by late spring I am cantering, trotting or gaiting seventy five miles each week my health will radically improve.

Just over the last few weeks of harder riding I have lost a few pounds but have dropped a notch or two in my belt. Throw in some cross training with weight lifting, heavy bag punching, and kettle bell sessions and things will start falling together.

As the need arises I will post updates on how all of this is working out--I hope that it ends up spreading some health information that could help a lot of people out there.

And now off to pummel a heavy bag.