Self-Care is Horse-Care

Yesterday I wrote about all the ways we are working to support Tiger and Stanley so they can perform at their best. There’s something else I have been working hard on that many people overlook.

So many people think taking care of themselves is on the back burner…that the animals come first. I’m guilty of that. What people often fail to realize is that if we are lacking in care we cannot adequately care for our horses.

I have begun to take hold of my health for myself and for Stanley. I’m doing four main things to change: lose weight, exercise, see a chiropractor, and work with a physical therapist.

I have been on a never-ending mission to lose weight, for my own health but also for Stanley. I struggle A LOT. I have tried nearly everything, but intermittent fasting seems to be helping me a lot. I was worried about my moods when I got hungry and my blood sugar being pre-diabetic. As it happens, I’ve taken off 20 pounds and my moods have never been better. I’m more stable throughout the day. I enjoy the hungry feeling because I also feel healthier. Before IF I started getting nibbly and overate all the time. Mindlessly eating. At least now when I eat too much there’s still a time limit. I eat within 8 hours during the day…no restrictions (yet).

I didn’t do well with “moderation.” Being up for so many hours in the day even small snacks added up to way too much food.

I don’t do well with eliminating certain foods. I will eventually need to cut back as I plateau and that’s ok…but I can defeat cravings knowing that I can have certain things if I only wait x minutes/hours, etc. Knowing I can but not right this second has helped me…many times I no longer have the craving once I’m allowed!

During my fasting hours, I enjoy water, black coffee, and unsweetened tea.

I never stopped exercise, but it’s important self-care that I can’t ignore. I haven’t been nearly as good about it lately with my busy schedule, but I’ve been active. I love spinning, interval training, yoga, etc. I often go on my break at work. At work I also developed a routine of doing pushups or squats anytime I arrive at my desk (from bathroom, coming in for the day, returning from the cafe, etc). It usually gets me an extra 100 squats each day. Sometimes I just walk a lot when I’m at clinics, horse shows. Being active at home is more functional as I clean stalls, lift and move wooden jumps.

I stopped seeing my chiropractor last year due to my injury. Since then, I have found a new chiropractor closer to home and finally began my visits again. With our horses working hard to carry us it’s crazy to think that I shouldn’t try to be as balanced as possible. I know I have imbalances from the injury and from natural deformities. It’s not as uncommon as you may think.

In addition to addressing these imbalances my chiropractic care helps all of the systems in my body work better. He restores communication of my nervous system to improve my circulation, my digestion, my sleep, stress, moods. They are all connected and benefit from this care.

I also began working with a friend who is developing a program catered to horse people. She is an incredible physical therapist with her own private practice but is working toward developing this program to help riders become more comfortable, balanced, and effective.

At our first visit, Audrey assessed my current strength, balance, and range of motion in a variety of movements. I was surprised at the level of difficulty with many of them since I feel pretty great all things considered. As it happens, I was compensating a lot more than I realized.

I was sent home with several exercises to perform to regain my mobility and balance. I was surprised at how difficult to perform these exercises while following the precise instructions given.

Our horses make up for a lot of our shortcomings. It’s our responsibility to set them up for success as best as we can. Crooked riders make crooked horses. A heavy rider who is imbalanced does more harm. By helping ourselves we are actually helping our horses.

It’s easy and common for us horse folk to ignore our health because we get busy and we put everyone else before ourselves. If it’s easier to think of it, remember that selfcare is actually horse care.