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Any good horse person always tries to do what's best for his horse's health, but often, we
tend to forget to take care of ourselves too. It's a shame that we often neglect ourselves
because, the better shape and health we're in, the easier it is, not only on us, but on our
horses.I have long been interested in my health because of the fact that I have a pacemaker.
Having a heart problem will do that to you. Although being interested in my health, I hadn't
always done what I should to make myself healthier or get in better shape. The past year or
so, a lot has happened to make me consider this subject a lot more seriously. I had a serious
heart related scare, and my mother-in-law, friend Jackie, and my Dad, all had strokes this
year. All these health problems, so close to home, will get a person to thinking.....
tend to forget to take care of ourselves too. It's a shame that we often neglect ourselves
because, the better shape and health we're in, the easier it is, not only on us, but on our
horses.I have long been interested in my health because of the fact that I have a pacemaker.
Having a heart problem will do that to you. Although being interested in my health, I hadn't
always done what I should to make myself healthier or get in better shape. The past year or
so, a lot has happened to make me consider this subject a lot more seriously. I had a serious
heart related scare, and my mother-in-law, friend Jackie, and my Dad, all had strokes this
year. All these health problems, so close to home, will get a person to thinking.....
All the same things we do for our horse's health,
we should do for our health too. When you
schedule your horse's yearly veterinarian
appointment, schedule a doctor's appointment
for yourself at the same time. Your horse needs
to have his Coggin's test, yearly vaccinations,
and possibly his teeth checked. At the very
least, you should get blood tests that include
checking your cholesterol, have your blood
pressure tested, and talk to your doctor about
whether or not you need a tetanus shot.
If you have some kind of health issue, like
asthma or diabetes, see to it that you and your
doctor keep it under control so you can enjoy
the adventures you run into out on the trail.
we should do for our health too. When you
schedule your horse's yearly veterinarian
appointment, schedule a doctor's appointment
for yourself at the same time. Your horse needs
to have his Coggin's test, yearly vaccinations,
and possibly his teeth checked. At the very
least, you should get blood tests that include
checking your cholesterol, have your blood
pressure tested, and talk to your doctor about
whether or not you need a tetanus shot.
If you have some kind of health issue, like
asthma or diabetes, see to it that you and your
doctor keep it under control so you can enjoy
the adventures you run into out on the trail.
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| Basic Rider Health Tips By Laura Vonk |
At the beginning of riding season, if your horse has had the winter off, you need to condition
him slowly for all the trail riding ahead of you. As you plan a conditioning schedule for him,
think of one for yourself. If you're like I have been in the past, you think that as long as you
could get on your horse somehow that you had nothing to worry about. There was no
reason to worry about getting in good shape. The problem with that way of thinking is that if
you're not in good shape, (and I never wanted to admit this to myself) it's harder for your
horse to carry you efficiently. Not just because of your weight, but because of other factors
too, like lack of flexibility and balance. As we gain weight and age, we loose both of those
and that can make it harder on our horse. If our flexibility is bad and we have to turn to look
behind us, we could possibly knock our horses slightly off balance or strain one side or the
other of his back. Just as sitting unbalanced can cause us to fall easier and create back
problems in our horse, no longer having good balance makes it's easier for us to strain or
pull on our horse's body and muscles if we start to fall and grab awkwardly at him to save
ourselves. Lastly, if you find yourself on foot for any reason, regardless if you fell off or
your horse is hurt and you have to lead him back to the trailhead, you'll be grateful you were
in shape because most trails that are excellent horseback riding trails could be a killer to
have to hike. This is something that I am working on myself. My plan is, at first, to try and
walk as much as I ride, trading off much like the Calvary soldiers had to do. I intend to
research more into how the Calvary worked their horses and soldiers and to check out how
people who compete in ride and tie events train. Then slowly work toward a goal of good
fitness. Other side benefits to this could be less knee & back pain and more endurance
myself so I'm not dead tired after 6 or 8 hours in the saddle. Some strength and weight
training could be beneficial for easier mounting of your horse. I have to always make sure to
park Majic near something tall or put him down in a ditch to mount him. I've never had a
problem doing that, but it does affect what I do and how I ride. I don't drink as much as I
should to stay well hydrated, all because I know that if I have to get off because I have to
go to the bathroom, I have to worry about having to get back on again. I also don't get to
get down and explore something I want to if I can't find something nearby to remount on.
I've always had the excuse that I have a pacemaker in my left shoulder, so my left side is
weaker, and that is true, but that doesn't mean that if I lost some weight and built up the
muscles on my left side, arms and legs, that I couldn't compensate for that and mount from
the ground.I have many times in the past, had friends who hike or ride mountain bikes,
suggest to me to go on a hike or bike ride with them. I remember being horrified at the
thought. I mean sheesh...... I have a horse, why in the world would I want to do that? But
a recent circumstance made me realize that taking a hike once in a while might be a really
good idea. Not just for my sake, but for my horse's sake too. One day this spring, Hank
and I were out driving around, working on information to update my book. We stopped in
Paddy Creek Wilderness and I had the bright idea of hiking in so I could take a picture of
the Indian Head Rock that I'm always telling people about. We both had ridden the trail
before, and I didn't think it was very far down the trail. It's funny how mileage seems totally
different on foot that it does on horseback..... Anyway, we walked, and walked, and
walked, and although I was getting a bit nervous that it seemed to be further than I thought,
I didn't want to stop and turn around because I just knew that it was just around the next
bend in the trail..... So we walked some more. I finally got tired and stopped for a break
while Hank scouted out the trail ahead to see if we were close at all. Luckily, by that time,
it really was just around the next bend. We got there, took pictures and just enjoyed
ourselves for a little while, rested, then started back. We hadn't gotten very far before I
started getting tired again and started to panic, thinking about how much farther we had to
go. You know, when you're comfortable with your horse, you have the confidence that you
can handle anything. If something menaces you, your horse is fast enough to get away from
it. If your horse is in good shape, 4 legs are better than two and your horse can handle the
terrain easier than you. If you're tired, you know that even if your horse is tired, if you turn
him back toward the trailer, he'll get you back safely. And lastly, if something happens and
you get stuck out on the trail overnight, you won't be alone, your horse will be with you. But
if you're not used to hiking, you can lose all of that confidence. They say if you get
separated from your horse, or you find yourself lost, the most important thing to do is not
panic. Well, I'm here to tell you, that's not nearly as easy done as said. You know, I'm not a
city slicker who had never been in the woods before, we weren't lost and I had my husband
with me, but here I was having trouble controlling the rising panic I was feeling. What if I
had an asthma attack? What if I sprained an ankle? What if I got too tired to go on and had
to spend the night out there? What if we ran into a wild hog, or God forbid, what if I had a
heart attack or something?..... Luckily, this time, I overcame the panic by focusing on the
ground and putting one foot in front of the other, as fast as I could. Hank couldn't figure out
where I got the second wind from. All I could think of as we continued is, "I gotta get out of
here, I gotta get out of here." We made it, and after that we went on a few more hikes,
helping me gain confidence in myself with each one. I highly recommend doing some hiking
if you don't already. Your health and safety, and the health and safety of your horse, might
depend on you having the physical and mental strength to hike back to the trailhead if
needed. It's all the more crucial if you're riding a trail with a lot of mileage or difficult, rocky
terrain.
him slowly for all the trail riding ahead of you. As you plan a conditioning schedule for him,
think of one for yourself. If you're like I have been in the past, you think that as long as you
could get on your horse somehow that you had nothing to worry about. There was no
reason to worry about getting in good shape. The problem with that way of thinking is that if
you're not in good shape, (and I never wanted to admit this to myself) it's harder for your
horse to carry you efficiently. Not just because of your weight, but because of other factors
too, like lack of flexibility and balance. As we gain weight and age, we loose both of those
and that can make it harder on our horse. If our flexibility is bad and we have to turn to look
behind us, we could possibly knock our horses slightly off balance or strain one side or the
other of his back. Just as sitting unbalanced can cause us to fall easier and create back
problems in our horse, no longer having good balance makes it's easier for us to strain or
pull on our horse's body and muscles if we start to fall and grab awkwardly at him to save
ourselves. Lastly, if you find yourself on foot for any reason, regardless if you fell off or
your horse is hurt and you have to lead him back to the trailhead, you'll be grateful you were
in shape because most trails that are excellent horseback riding trails could be a killer to
have to hike. This is something that I am working on myself. My plan is, at first, to try and
walk as much as I ride, trading off much like the Calvary soldiers had to do. I intend to
research more into how the Calvary worked their horses and soldiers and to check out how
people who compete in ride and tie events train. Then slowly work toward a goal of good
fitness. Other side benefits to this could be less knee & back pain and more endurance
myself so I'm not dead tired after 6 or 8 hours in the saddle. Some strength and weight
training could be beneficial for easier mounting of your horse. I have to always make sure to
park Majic near something tall or put him down in a ditch to mount him. I've never had a
problem doing that, but it does affect what I do and how I ride. I don't drink as much as I
should to stay well hydrated, all because I know that if I have to get off because I have to
go to the bathroom, I have to worry about having to get back on again. I also don't get to
get down and explore something I want to if I can't find something nearby to remount on.
I've always had the excuse that I have a pacemaker in my left shoulder, so my left side is
weaker, and that is true, but that doesn't mean that if I lost some weight and built up the
muscles on my left side, arms and legs, that I couldn't compensate for that and mount from
the ground.I have many times in the past, had friends who hike or ride mountain bikes,
suggest to me to go on a hike or bike ride with them. I remember being horrified at the
thought. I mean sheesh...... I have a horse, why in the world would I want to do that? But
a recent circumstance made me realize that taking a hike once in a while might be a really
good idea. Not just for my sake, but for my horse's sake too. One day this spring, Hank
and I were out driving around, working on information to update my book. We stopped in
Paddy Creek Wilderness and I had the bright idea of hiking in so I could take a picture of
the Indian Head Rock that I'm always telling people about. We both had ridden the trail
before, and I didn't think it was very far down the trail. It's funny how mileage seems totally
different on foot that it does on horseback..... Anyway, we walked, and walked, and
walked, and although I was getting a bit nervous that it seemed to be further than I thought,
I didn't want to stop and turn around because I just knew that it was just around the next
bend in the trail..... So we walked some more. I finally got tired and stopped for a break
while Hank scouted out the trail ahead to see if we were close at all. Luckily, by that time,
it really was just around the next bend. We got there, took pictures and just enjoyed
ourselves for a little while, rested, then started back. We hadn't gotten very far before I
started getting tired again and started to panic, thinking about how much farther we had to
go. You know, when you're comfortable with your horse, you have the confidence that you
can handle anything. If something menaces you, your horse is fast enough to get away from
it. If your horse is in good shape, 4 legs are better than two and your horse can handle the
terrain easier than you. If you're tired, you know that even if your horse is tired, if you turn
him back toward the trailer, he'll get you back safely. And lastly, if something happens and
you get stuck out on the trail overnight, you won't be alone, your horse will be with you. But
if you're not used to hiking, you can lose all of that confidence. They say if you get
separated from your horse, or you find yourself lost, the most important thing to do is not
panic. Well, I'm here to tell you, that's not nearly as easy done as said. You know, I'm not a
city slicker who had never been in the woods before, we weren't lost and I had my husband
with me, but here I was having trouble controlling the rising panic I was feeling. What if I
had an asthma attack? What if I sprained an ankle? What if I got too tired to go on and had
to spend the night out there? What if we ran into a wild hog, or God forbid, what if I had a
heart attack or something?..... Luckily, this time, I overcame the panic by focusing on the
ground and putting one foot in front of the other, as fast as I could. Hank couldn't figure out
where I got the second wind from. All I could think of as we continued is, "I gotta get out of
here, I gotta get out of here." We made it, and after that we went on a few more hikes,
helping me gain confidence in myself with each one. I highly recommend doing some hiking
if you don't already. Your health and safety, and the health and safety of your horse, might
depend on you having the physical and mental strength to hike back to the trailhead if
needed. It's all the more crucial if you're riding a trail with a lot of mileage or difficult, rocky
terrain.