From Senior Horsemanship to Seniors with Horses: A Community of Shared Wisdom
1. Introduction
The challenge many of us face isn’t just staying in the saddle – it’s staying healthy enough to enjoy our horses through our 60s, 70s, and beyond. How do we extend not just our lifespan, but our ‘horsespan’?That’s the question at the heart of our evolution from Senior Horsemanship to Seniors with Horses. We’re creating a community where we can share practical solutions for aging wisely, staying strong, and making the most of every moment with our equine partners.
2. From Senior Horsemanship to Seniors with Horses: A Community of Shared Wisdom
Have you ever wondered how many of us are trying to figure out how to stay healthy enough to enjoy our horses as we age? I think about this question every time I watch an older rider at a clinic or see someone in their seventies confidently tacking up their horse at the barn. We’re all in this together—experiencing aging with horses for the first time.None of us are experts at this journey. The rider who competed well into her eighties didn’t follow a magic formula. The trail rider who still takes weekend camping trips with his horse at seventy-five isn’t working from a special handbook. We’re all learning as we go, making adjustments, and sometimes struggling to keep up with the physical demands of horsemanship.When I searched for guidance about staying active with horses as I aged, I found plenty of information about proper horse care, feeding senior horses, and adapting riding techniques. But there wasn’t much about maintaining our own bodies and minds specifically to keep riding. There were fitness programs for seniors, sure, but not many resources addressing the unique needs of older equestrians—the specific strength, balance, and flexibility that riding requires.That’s why we’re transitioning from Senior Horsemanship to Seniors with Horses. Our new website creates a space where we can share our personal experiences about aging with horses. Think about what you’ve learned through your own challenges with aging. Maybe you’ve modified your mounting routine to protect your knees. Perhaps you’ve developed a stretching program that keeps your back from stiffening after a ride. You might have found ways to work around arthritis when grooming or discovered exercises that improve your balance in the saddle.These experiences matter. Your solutions and adaptations could help another rider who’s facing similar challenges. When you share what works for you—and even what doesn’t—you contribute to a knowledge base that simply doesn’t exist anywhere else. Each of us has valuable wisdom gained through trial and error, success and setback.The Seniors with Horses website will include sections for discussions about extending our “horsespan”—practical tips for staying strong, flexible, and balanced. We’ll talk about nutrition that supports active aging, exercises that target riding muscles, and ways to modify activities when our bodies need accommodation. We’ll share resources about cognitive health too, because mental sharpness is just as important as physical ability when working with horses.Aging wisely with horses means learning from each other about both horsemanship and our own health maintenance. It means acknowledging the changes in our bodies without letting those changes define the limits of our relationship with horses. Sometimes it means adapting how we ride—maybe switching to a more comfortable saddle or a quieter horse. Other times it means strengthening ourselves through targeted exercise or improving our nutrition to support more active days at the barn.What does “aging wisely with horses” actually mean in practice? It means creating a community where our collective wisdom helps us all stay in the saddle longer. It means sharing the small victories—like the day you found a mounting block that finally made getting on your tall horse comfortable again. It means talking openly about challenges—like dealing with reduced stamina or managing fear that might not have troubled you when you were younger.Together, we can learn how to adapt our riding, care routines, and health practices as we navigate our 60s, 70s, and beyond with our horses. We can discuss how to select the right equine partner for this stage of life, or how to modify your relationship with a long-term horse companion as both of you age. We can share strategies for preventing injury and maintaining the strength needed for safe handling and riding.I believe that the years ahead with our horses can be some of the most rewarding. With less pressure to compete or achieve specific goals, many of us find a deeper appreciation for simple moments—the quiet morning greeting at feeding time, the peaceful trail ride through familiar paths, the satisfaction of seeing your horse respond to your subtle cues.The wisdom we’ve gained through decades of horsemanship doesn’t disappear as we age. Instead, it can deepen, becoming more intuitive and thoughtful. Our physical capabilities may change, but our understanding of horses—their needs, their communication, their spirit—continues to grow. By sharing our experiences with each other, we create a resource that honors both the challenges and joys of aging with horses. We make space for honest conversation about adaptations that keep us engaged with the animals we love, for as long as possible.
3. Conclusion
Your story matters. When you share how you modified your tack to accommodate a stiff shoulder or the exercises that improved your balance in the saddle, you help another rider find their way forward. These personal experiences form the building blocks of our shared knowledge about aging with horses.I invite you to join us at SeniorswithHorses.com where we’ll learn from each other and support one another in extending our years of active horsemanship. Bring your questions, your solutions, and your wisdom.Together, we’ll create a resource that helps us all enjoy more healthy, happy years with our equine partners—because every moment with our horses is precious.