Hi friends, and thanks for stopping by to read What Horses Have Taught Me About Growing Older.
There was a time when I never thought about getting older when I was around my horses.
I was simply riding. Going to the barn. Getting dirty. Climbing on a horse. Spending hours outside. Worrying about whether my horse was sound, whether I had remembered everything, and whether we were going to have a good ride.
Somewhere along the way, though, I realized that my horses were getting older.
And so was I.
Anyway, let’s take a look at what it’s really like growing older with horses.
You learn that mounting a horse from the ground isn’t nearly as graceful as it used to be. And if there’s a mounting block nearby, you suddenly become very enthusiastic about using it.
You learn that getting off the horse is sometimes harder than getting on.
You become much less interested in proving you can do something stupid.
You figure out that safety comes first, and getting right back up on that horse may not be a wise decision.
You stop thinking every ride has to accomplish something. Sometimes a good ride is simply wandering along, enjoying the scenery and coming home without drama.
You realize that sometimes the best riding decision is not to ride. A long walk beside your horse can be just as satisfying.
You appreciate a horse who doesn’t require you to gallop everywhere.
You become very appreciative of a horse who has good brakes. At this stage of life, “Whoa” is a feature you really want to know works.
You learn that “slow” isn’t necessarily boring.
You learn to listen to your body, which has become considerably more opinionated.
You become better at saying, “Nope. Not today.”
You discover that your horse doesn’t care about your age, your wrinkles, your hair or whether your riding clothes are fashionable.
You become very good at conserving energy for the things that actually matter.
You don’t bounce like you used to. This is useful information. Experience eventually replaces some of the courage you had when you were younger and apparently had no sense.
You learn that experience is a wonderful substitute for youthful confidence. When you’re young, you think, “I can do that!” Later, you think, “I could do that. But why?”
You realize that spending an hour doing absolutely nothing but standing beside a horse can be a very good use of your time.
And, perhaps most importantly, horses have taught me that getting older doesn’t mean the adventure is over.
It just means the ride may look a little different.
And I’m perfectly happy to keep on riding.
Happy Cowgirl Monday!
Published by Cheryl @ The Lifestyle Digs on September 28, 2026.
