08/10/2023
Very well written
We need to remember, activities may be possible with horses outside the realm of normal- but we need to ensure the preparation is applied and maintained for this to be done without causing long term pain and problems.
I mean- you weren’t born a weightlifter or runner, but with training and commitment you would be able to, as long as you listen to your body, prepare your muscles and maintain nutrition; while also making sure priority is given to after workout rest, massage, stretches and muscle repair care.
So listen to your horse, they will tell you if something is not right, and give them the time they need to rest and repair, put yourself in their shoes so to speak, you will never regret it 🙂
Time.
We live in a world and society that is based on instant gratification. We obsess over time, or lack thereof, and consider it a bragging point to be busy beyond measure.
We never allow time for ourselves or our horses to properly heal from injuries or recover from other stressors.
Anyone who has horses knows that when they cannot find trouble, they'll make it. Oftentimes it is in the manner of small injuries such as scrapes or a bump, but other times our horses come up lame and require a much longer recovery period.
This recovery period is where most owners fail.
We work out a schedule with our team of equine professionals and go through the steps of rehabbing our horse, however, once we see the smallest improvement that recovery plan tends to go out the window.
We get excited, lose sight of the goal and only focus on the moment of improvement. We forget that we're striving to have the horse properly sound and fully healed, not simply having a better day in their recovery.
This is the point where many owners and riders will jump the gun and throw the horse back into their regular work. Horses need a long time to heal, but they rarely get the time they need to recover.
Listen to your vets and bodyworkers, even if your horse seems perfectly OK, there is a plan for a reason. Stick to it and you will have a sounder horse for longer, and one much less prone to future injuries.
