I am going to share the most powerful secret I have learned recently.
I was sitting on the edge of the bed, trying to put my socks on and I was STIFF. I didn't feel amazing.
When I was 5, I had invited my aunts to sit with me on the floor to play a board game, and they declined saying that they would hurt. I vowed to never let that happen to me.
Have you ever felt that twinge, that reaching for something and you think...ohhh, that didn't feel so good?
You start to have those thoughts of "I am getting older, it is normal" creeping in. You realize that you have put on a little weight, in areas that you don't want to have added weight. Your joints creek a little more than they used to.
This right here, STOPPED ME IN MY TRACKS. I remembered that vow I had made, and thought, wow, I am my aunts. I had to figure out how to get back to feeling like that kid again, physically.
I tried EVERYTHING. Keto, whole foods, paleo, intermittent fasting, more sleep, more exercise, I felt like I had tried everything, and I did feel better, a little bit, but I still didn't feel like I did when I was a kid.
I realized that riding my horses was also not feeling like it did as a kid. It was a little harder to get on, a little less balance, a little less flexibility. My hands on the reins hurt a little and I couldn't even put on my wedding ring my knuckle was so swollen.
I have a friend in her 80's still jumping and another lady running 100-mile ultra marathons and doing great. I knew I had to get it figured out. One way or another.
Do you have friends that are just like the energizer bunny and you haven't figured out what they are doing? It was really having me feel down.
Then, in January 2023, I found the SECRET. I signed up for the 11-day Jumpstart. The coach was doing the program for free and I just had to get the supplement. I had tried the supplement for a few years and loved it but it hadn't given me the results I wanted. Our amazing coach, and support group, had put together a program that changed everything. It is a lot like preloading supplements for our horses! It is also like putting the best nutrients into our bodies at the right times of day.
What would you do first if your body felt like you did as a kid? What would your horse think if you got on and your horse didn't have to compensate for you. Can you imagine, going into your golden years, feeling just like you did as a kid?
If you want to feel amazing like a kid again, click here: 11-Day Jumpstart
How often do people get hurt riding horses is such an interesting question. There is so much fear and anxiety around getting hurt riding horses, but I wonder, if the hours spent worrying are more than the hours spent actually recovering from an injury. I am just going to go with my experience and share with you.
My first pony, an unbroke 2-year-old Shetland pony stallion, that we gelded, and I trained to trail ride, when I was 5, I fell off once. I had probably an hour a day with him, for a year and a half, so let's go conservative and say 300 hours. The one time I fell off, he had just had his feet trimmed and he jumped over me to keep from stepping on me and clipped the back of my head. It was 5 stitches and no recovery time. So let's say 5 hours of injury recovery.
My second pony, also a 2-year-old unbroke, but this time, POA filly. When I was about 9, I actually had to stop counting because I had been bucked off over 480 times. Having her for 3 years, and hundreds of hours of riding, and 480 times hitting the dirt, I had no injuries, just depressed from not being able to stay on her. We even had a mountain lion attack us once and we both made it home without her bucking me off! No injuries.
I think my next 6 or 7 horses, from when I was 10 until I was 24 or 25, I didn't have any falls or accidents. I competed in hunters, equitation, worked on a ranch riding their horses, trail riding, etc. and would have added up to 1000's of hours of riding. I then had a fall in a jumper class, no injuries, got back on and competed in the next class. I had a few more falls here and there but no injuries. Then, I had my major accident which I talk about in my book. That one still didn't have any injuries other than bruising, to my physical body but it was the start of the emotional battle.
So here are my thoughts. The more time spent in the saddle, the less chance of getting injured. You get more in tune with your horse, with you, and with your reactions. So, if getting back into riding, start out slow, and build on the riding. Accidents do happen. So prepare your body the best that you can. I take care of my health. My skin was getting thin, I fixed it. My body was getting stiff and sore, I fixed it. I was gaining a little weight, I fixed it. I have a passion to ride. I want to ride. I love to ride. The thousands of hours of joy are worth the chance of getting hurt, but I also do everything in my power to eliminate the risks.
If you are intersted in hearing more about how I have improved my health, here is a link to the amazing coaching program and support group that I am part of. Would love to have you join us! Get Healthy Now!
I have heard so many people ask, what are the risks of horse riding, or isn't it risky or dangerous to ride a horse?
The answer is yes, it is risky. I think most people fear getting hurt and that is the risk that can hold them back.
When I look back at the 1000's of hours, I have spent riding, I have had a few injuries while actually riding them, a few more being around them, and thankfully, none of them, for me, were serious physically. There have been a few that impacted my anxiety and fear more than the physical injury. But then I look back at all the things I do that are risky, and not involving horses, and really, they don't bring me the joy that riding does so there are tradeoffs.
I have been kicked. I have been bitten. I have been bucked off, I quit counting at 483 because it was too depressing. I have had a mountain lion jump on the butt of my pony and we both lived to tell about it. I have been jumped out of the saddle over a 4' oxer and knocked myself out on the withers coming back down and fallen off (in front of Bill Gates!). I have had a horse run backwards and flip over on top of me. It took me a while to think of all of this, but I did want you to see that there is risk.
Now for the flipside. I have ridden to the tops of mountains for a BBQ lunch and spectacular views. I have spent countless hours, training and jumping, to compete in 100's of horse shows. I have won medals, ribbons, coolers, flowers, and an assortment of other trinkets. I have enjoyed many hours of trails and incredible sights. I swam with the horses all summer in the heat. I have learned how to have a partnership with another being. I have felt the wind in my hair (before helmets were a safety net) while galloping on any areas that were straight and flat. I have ridden in a mounted drill team. The hours of joy far outweigh any risks for me. The feeling of being one with the horse and flying over the ground are the most rewarding things ever.
As my mom would say, horses are in my blood, might as well enjoy them!
If you want to tame your anxiety, and would like some help, I wrote a book about my journey back from fear to courage that has the process I used to enjoy riding again. Just click here!
I have a small community that supports those of us wanting to conquer our fear, would love to have you join us! Free Courage Group!
Sarcoids are so frustrating, but I have had great results with all the ones I have had on my horses.
I walked into our three-sided shed one day, and there was blood everywhere. I was shocked. All three mares were standing their, quietly munching their hay and it looked like one of them had lost a leg. I searched and searched, running my hands all over them and nothing. Fresh blood and it just appeared out of thin air.
I sat down in complete frustration, not knowing if my horse was going to die or even which one. As soon as I sat down, I could see the Sarcoid, between my mares thigh and her udder, up as far as it could be. It was about the size of a golf ball and I could see where it must have burst and then clotted over. This would not be the last of the blood, or the sarcoids, but I knew I had to do something until I could get the vet there.
I called my vet friend that uses Young Living Products since I knew I had a bunch of stuff on hand and might be able to help my poor horse. Here is the protocol she recommended twice a day until the vet could get here:
First, clean really well with Thieves Cleaner - 3 capful strength in 16 ounces of water.
Dry really well.
Gently rub in this blend: (it lasted me about 5 days, twice a day)
Copaiba - 20 drops
Purification - 20 drops
Thieves - 10 drops
Longevity - 10 drops
Tea tree - 20 drops
Cover with Animal Scents ointment (I mix with a tiny bit of coconut oil to get good consistency to apply).
It took a few weeks but the sarcoid disappeared before the vet came. She had a few more pop up and he was able to see one and confirmed it was a sarcoid and was surprised that the big one had gone away.
Usually, sarcoids go away on their own but not always and it is important to have a vet look as soon as possible. The above supports the healing along with what the vet needs to do.
Mounting your horse, with the thought of "throwing" your leg over, sends you into fits of pain just thinking about it. It really could be any stiffness or pain. Think about it from your horses perspective. Horses rely on healthy, strong, horses to be their leaders. The ones that are weaker or not up to the job, get pushed to the bottom. It is the survival of a prey animal, to make sure the weak are not amongst them.
So, do you need to be fit to horse ride? No, but it helps tremendously with the trust of your horse. Also, if you are stiff and/or sore, you are not going to react to situations as fast as possible to keep yourself safe. This can compound anxiety and fear. Also, I know for me, when I am stiff, I tend to slouch and ball up. I don't have the tall, looking to where I want to ride, poise, not sure what you call it, but I don't have it when I am stiff.
Think about the amazing riders, you see dancing with their horses in the dressage ring, or the jockeys, riding the horses flying down the track. The jumper riders and cutting horse riders that have to be nimble and have reflexes that rival the best in the world. Those riders are not going to perform to their best and their horses will also be challenged if the riders aren't fit.
In a related way, fitness also gives us the energy to ride and care for our horses. It takes strength to groom, tack up and ride. It takes strength to dance with your horse as you ride and not just be a passenger. Fitness is so key in my opinion to the relationship with your horse in all of these ways.
If you would like some ideas on getting fit, get my free guide - 5 ways to feel like a kid again! Click Here!
