Being Over 40

is fun... especially when horses are involved. I got my first horse when I was 44 and he was 22.... now I have a younger horse to grow and learn from, hopefully well into my later years... he's 4... there is a man in my neighborhood who just had his 99th birthday party on horseback... I hope I can camp and trailride when I retire... :)

woohoo to 40.... going into my 49th year in September.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Cyndi on August 15, 2009 at 9:14am

Yikes, landing on your back would be scary! Glad you were okay, and that you felt brave enough to get on another horse.

My mare has never ever bucked, but she used to spook easily and would bunnyhop to the side, take off forward a few steps, then stop. Usually it was the bunnyhop that caused me to fall off, due to my lack of balance. Through her training this past spring, she isn't nearly as spooky (thankfully!). In fact, she hasn't done her little bunnyhop thing at all since then.

Parelli is a big name in natural horse training. There are many other great trainers in that group too (John and Josh Lyons, Monty Roberts, Ed Dabney, and many whose names have left my brain just now). The 'natural' aspect to their training is that they don't beat a horse into submission to "break" it. They're all about a non-violent approach. KFH is amazing. Very natural, and he lets the horse be itself. His "thing" is to get a horse balanced and stay 'collected' on a loose rein. They are all so neat to watch and read about.

Permalink Reply by Jennifer Lamm on August 27, 2009 at 4:27pm

Good thread guys!! Sittin at work munchin on a salad, drinking a cup of java and reading about your bouncing and non bouncing stories as they may be..... been in a funk so haven't been on lately... ....I haven't ridden at all since January, the last time I got on my horse and he wouldn't move forward just wanted to nibble my jeans... that's my Oliver..... my 4 year old.... I got off and did a bunch of stuff with him.. some of it worked, some of it didn't..... but I am gonna ride bareback next.... he's really mellow with me and will let me sit on him and crawl on him.. his deal is that he stands still alot.... you know... the relationship with the horse is so important.... if there isn't a natural flow of energy and communication, there sure is a breakdown.... horses know if you want to trot and if you dont, LOL... my trainer taught me and Toby, my older horse to just trot one or two strides, slow... walk walk, trot one or two strides, slow slow and that part of the confidence is in the knowing that you can slow back down, speed control is a fun fun game.... you can do it on the ground with your horse too.. ..... it will come when you aren't blocked and you really want to trot. dontcha kinda feel like you know when to do the next thing? I like that about horses, they sorta show ya where you are going next. I'm still bonding with my Mustang..... and I'm not trailriding and camping and retiring right now anyway..... my trainer rides him all over but he and me are a work in progress.... since he gets stuck and stands so still like a statue, I practice moving his feet and getting our energy movin in a positive way and try and play games with him... he is bratty too and thinks everything is a joke so I have to stay firm patient and consistent. Anyway I'm grounded for now.... but will put up a pic of my Mustang and me and of me and Toby when we were riding more.. don't misunderstand... I took 4 years of lessons, 4 hours a week so how many hours is that... Wow, 832, LOL Right on.... now I'm managing my herd of 2, working with the Mustang, doting on the 27 year old and practicing my yoga, staying calm around my horses more and managing OLIVER.. he is so much groundwork. I must confess that I feel really safe with him, but he won't let people near me and I wouldn't want to ride around strangers yet for awhile till he's a bit more socialized.... :) Happy Trails Ya All... Jen

I'm getting my Horsenality DVD Today and I think my Toby is a Left Brain Introvert and Oliver is a L.B. Extrovert.. amongst all their other differences, LOL...

Permalink Reply by Janice Cartlidge on September 24, 2009 at 9:11pm

I just bought my 3rd horse in june of this year. I am 56. Am i crazy? i am so happy. he is 7 and had not been ridden in4 years. I have had a lot of people help me. I had not been on a horse in 15 years and i was beginning to wonder if I had mad a large mistake. It is good to hear that I am not alone getting a horse at my age. I ride him every day weather permitting . Today I fell off and was glad to get that over with. I got back on right away. He even waited for me till I got back to him. We have a ways to go but we are enjoying the journey.

Permalink Reply by Bridget H on August 29, 2009 at 9:25pm

Hello all,
This group, and thread are great. I only check this place out every once in a blue moon but I should really stop by more often. I guess I kinda feel silly commenting because I do not yet own my own horse (nor do I know if/when I will ever be able to afford one). I took one semester of riding back in college, but life got in the way (marriage/kids), and I never got back to the barn. I came back to riding and started taking lessons again at age 34 after a life altering car accident. The horses brought me back from a head injury, and they've been my passion and my sanity ever since.

The 40's are fab....don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise. The ups and downs of life help shape us into who we are, and at this point in my life - I can finally say I do like that person. ;-) At 45, I am stronger both emotionally, spiritually and physically than I've ever been. I know what I want, and am not afraid to go out and get it. I surround myself with wise, well grounded people who are passionate about life, and I feel younger than I have in years.

Cheers all!

Permalink Reply by Elizabeth Hanley on August 29, 2009 at 11:39pm

Hi guys,
Love reading all your posts! I guess around 40 there is an awakening...kind of like the one you get when you turn 13 or 18....but you get to a place at 40ish where you like who you've become and if others dont ..then TOUGH, LOL... Right now, I am embracing this all-new to me horse thing, and I just love it. I have found the courage to continue trotting, and I dont feel that "terror" that I might fall off. I mean, ya, I guess I could fall off, but the more I trot, the more I trust my horse. It's actually pretty cool. And, as a bonus, those bones kinda under my butt..dont feel so bruised any more. LOL, after the first few times it was hard to sit!!! But you know, even when I ache, I loved that ache. :)

Permalink Reply by Lisa Rowlands on September 21, 2009 at 8:15am

I got back into horses about ten years ago thanks to my daughter buying her horse Happy and him needing a buddy to hang with here,enter Jack a twenty five year old Canadian ,my amazing zen horse.Retired Jack(he's still here and going strong)along comes my current horse a fifteen yearold arab,Arabesque,who I'm starting to do dressage with.Along the way my youngest daughter Ali now has her pony Rio and is into vaulting and we've added Katura,a standard bred mare,Spec an arab mare and Folly our mule.It's wonderful being back into horses myself as well as just being a show Mum,holding your kids horses!!

Permalink Reply by Fiona Hill on September 25, 2009 at 3:29pm

OK so today I finally know what it feels like to be over 40! I'm officially old enough to be a member of this group! He he! Life begins from hereon in so I believe! :-)

Permalink Reply by Elizabeth Hanley on September 25, 2009 at 3:48pm

haha, happy birthday!

Permalink Reply by Jennifer Lamm on September 25, 2009 at 5:56pm

Happy Birthday Fiona, my Libra friend!! I'm a Libra too...... my birthday is the 29th.. but i'm alot older than you, LOL..... Have a fun day!!

Permalink Reply by Joanne M Daigle on September 25, 2009 at 7:57pm

I am also a green 48 I started a stable 8 years ago after my daughter finally won and got her first horse, at the age of 14 she hqas been riding since she was 2 lessons started at 7, I was only a spectator all that time. I't only been the last 3 years that I decided to take the plunge and now regret not starting 21 years ago with her,we are up to 12 horses, 5 boarders and 7 are ours, one mini. We
started going to the race track and began collecting the horses that were going for meat, 5 are here and 6 were placed in other homes wish I could save more some are only young, not fast enough, such a shame, beautiful horses, I need to win the lotto have my eye on a large piece of land just need the cash, but for now we did manage to save 12, one passed away two years ago, happy riding!

Permalink Reply by Jennifer Lamm on September 25, 2009 at 8:02pm

bless you for saving horses... I used to have a dynamic business and almost got carried away with rescuing.... OMG, I wouldn't be able to afford it now... I am trying to win the lottery too!!

Permalink Reply by Joanne M Daigle on September 25, 2009 at 7:58pm

welcome and Happy Birthday, life does get better with age