Today is the day to decide to do the best thing that you can for yourself, your horse and for horses in general. A key to reducing the number of horses who are slaughtered is to increase the number of people who ride. Novices need not only to know that they can learn to ride at any age, but that horse ownership can be affordable and life changing.
But we need data to support these claims.
Here is how you can help. Now clear your mind and focus a minute.
Make 2016 the year that you and our horse achieve maximum health benefits by working hard together. Get your annual physical this month, including blood work. Now, set a goal of miles to be ridden in 2016 and achieve that goal.
Keep very accurate records. My personal goal for the year is one thousand miles. For others 500 miles or even 250 miles might be more reasonable.
But in an event--ride, and ride, and ride. You can ride in the rain. You can ride in snow. You can ride in heat. Ride and watch your health improve, physically and mentally. Note the weight loss, muscle increase, reduction in blood pressure, and better sleeping, Note the improvement in your horse's health.
Keep records--and tell the world. Brag and publicize what your horse is doing for your health.
There is nothing that you can do better for horses or people than to get more of them together.
As long as I was riding, I did not have any back problems. (My life situation does not allow for a horse now.) Even when I began seeing chiropractors, they were amazed at my back, saying that they had never seen such a healthy back in a person my age.
ReplyDeleteOne of the clients at a stable where I worked years ago was a woman with arthritis whose doctor had recommended that she take up riding. He knew that the family had horses, so it was just a matter of her learning to ride. I doubt that many doctors would recommend that a client buy a horse because of the expense. Ironically, the expense of not buying a horse could be more than the expense of buying one.