June 2009

Riding Older, Riding Smarter

As we age, our horses tend to get shorter and our mounting blocks taller.

By Margaret Freeman

The adages that contrast experience vs. youth apply to horsemen as they do to life in general—"You’re not getting older, you’re getting better"; "Age doesn’t matter unless it matters to you"; "50 is the new 30"—but they also contain a whiff of desperation, as if we have to convince ourselves we’re not slowing down.

We like this one better: "Work smarter, not harder." Accept that you develop

Handwalking is beneficial for riders of all ages and their horses.

physical limitations as you get older while you access a lifetime of knowledge and apply leverage to tasks instead of strength so you can keep working in the barn and riding long after your civilian friends have given up golf and tennis. …