|
You know Nick Warhol, right? Over 13,000 miles in 13 years of endurance, 30-plus 100-milers, ride manager, former AERC board member, and storyteller. Yeah, you know the guy. His talk at the 2021 AERC Convention was worth the price of admission. (You can still access all the Convention sessions through the end of March!)  Warhol began with a disclaimer: All opinions are his and could be argued by others. I reckon that’s true of anyone trying to sort out what makes a great endurance horse. We all agree on good feet, correct conformation, and all that…but Warhol’s focus went more than bone deep: His #1 most important trait for an endurance horse: its mind. Warhol listed a variety of mental attributes of a good endurance horse, noting that some are trainable, and others are not. Here’s his list:
This is about the point where Warhol began spinning stories. Those were the best part, but you simply have to hear them in his voice. I’ll just capture his practical points here.
Spooking (the phantom type, not the occasional honest spook) is problematic and even dangerous. Warhol said that, in his experience, spooky behavior is best addressed through relationship rather than training. Okay, I can’t resist. I’ll pass along one story: Warhol had a gorgeous, talented mare. She was fabulous, but he clung on as he rode her, afraid of hitting the dirt (again) on one of her dramatic spooks. A friend finally advised, “Don’t ride her like she’s gonna spook. Ride her like she’s not!”
He added that no matter what horse you buy, it’s possible her personality and mindset will change when you start doing endurance. Your unicorn could turn into a dragon at the starting line. It is, quite literally, the nature of the beast. When asked how to prevent race brain, Warhol answered like a card-carrying member of what I call the I Choose Life Club: “Go ahead and get off until they calm down. When the frenzy stops, get back on.” Cheers, Mr. Warhol.
Of all the talks during Convention, this one resonated with me the most. I’m currently searching for my next "perfect" endurance horse. No, I’m not shopping. I’m assessing a couple mares that are already in my pasture. Neither is perfect, but they both have so many strong points. Some of their weaknesses can be trained away. Some of their strengths may evaporate under the pressure of an event. Only time will tell. I’m working with the pair of them. Listening, watching, asking questions. Where do they shine? What imperfections can I live with? Are the good things about each horse good enough to make up for the bad ones? Here's the thing: Those mares are watching me, too. They're reacting to my strengths and weaknesses. The difference is that they don’t have a choice. They’re stuck with me. So I’d damn well better give them my very best. You might also like: Dr. Stephanie Seheult on How Your Body Works with your Horse Dr. Langdon Fielding on Electrolyte Problems in Endurance Horses Dr. Melissa Ribley on Riding in Different Conditions Have you subscribed yet? More conference notes are on the way! Subscribe to receive email notifications when new posts are published. Just fill out the mini-form in the right-hand sidebar. 
2 Comments
I always enjoy presentations by Melissa Ribley, DVM. Her talk at the AERC Unconventional Convention on March 6, 2021, was especially effective in sharing her passion for traveling to endurance rides all across the country. My notes capture the highlights, but there's no substitute for the full video, now available from AERC through the end of the month.  Dr. Ribley is an extremely experienced endurance vet and rider. Not only does her AERC record span well over 20,000 miles, it also reflects her love of traveling with her horses. Competing in different regions means implementing good hauling practices and being prepared for all types of climate and terrain. Dr. Ribley shared tips on all counts. Five Reasons to Ride Out-of-RegionDr. Ribley started by sharing some enticing reasons to explore endurance rides in other regions:
I've only made it to one out-of-region ride in the past, and it really was fun for all the reasons above. Dr. Ribley got me thinking about doing more, but I'm not sure how I can pull it off on a practical level. My vacation time doesn't go as far as I want to! Maybe in retirement. Stay tuned. Tips for Traveling with Your HorseDr. Ribley provided excellent advice that can reduce stress for both horses and humans on cross-country treks with the trailer:
Tips for Riding in Diverse TerrainOnce you get to your destination and give your horse some rest, it’s time to ride! Dr. Ribley offered thoughts to bear in mind when riding in different types of terrain:
Tips for Riding in Diverse Climate ConditionsAs both a vet and a rider, Dr. Ribley is well acquainted with the impact of climate on horses’ ability to perform. She shared some excellent advice for keeping our equine partners safe in all conditions:
Dr. Ribley took some extra time to focus on hyperthermia. Horses whose temperatures exceed 103 degrees Fahrenheit are in danger!
Do you ride out of region or in diverse conditions? Are there tips you'd add to Dr. Ribley's list? Share them in the comments. You might also like: Dr. Stephanie Seheult on How Your Body Works with your Horse Dr. Langdon Fielding on Electrolyte Problems in Endurance Horses More conference notes are on the way! You can subscribe to receive email notifications when new posts are published. Just fill out the mini-form in the right-hand sidebar.
2021 AERC Convention Notes: Dr. Langdon Fielding on Electrolyte Problems in Endurance Horses3/9/2021 I love seminar notes. Rarely can I take the time to go back and watch an entire presentation, but I do re-read my scribbles for a refresher on the key points. I hope that sharing them here will be helpful to you as well. Of course, I can’t possibly share all the details from this stellar session by Langdon Fielding, DVM, MBA, DAVECC, DACVSMR, and self-proclaimed electrolyte fanatic. To really take advantage of his generosity, register with AERC to access the 2021 Unconventional Convention content, which will be available through the end of March 2021. Sodium in Endurance HorsesDr. Fielding began by sharing a typical lab panel taken from an “Ain’t Doin’ Right” horse at an endurance ride. The panel showed higher than normal sodium and lower than normal potassium, chloride, and calcium. He posed the question: Is the problem here too much sodium or too little water?
Because sodium is all about the balance between electrolytes and water, identifying which side of the equation (sodium or water) got the level out of whack is key to preventing a repeat performance. Potassium in the Endurance HorseMoving on to potassium, Dr. Fielding said so much of this electrolyte is lost in sweat that low levels are common on lab panels taken during endurance events. Some horses tolerate low potassium better than others, and it’s not always problematic. However, low potassium is common in horses that are struggling or require treatment. Dr. Fielding added that although weakness is a classic symptom of low potassium, this can be hard to differentiate from normal fatigue in an endurance horse. Calcium and Thumps in the Endurance HorseDr. Fielding noted that although calcium is clearly tied to muscle and heart function, it is less consistently associated with endurance horses that are having trouble. Low calcium, typically in addition to loss of potassium, chloride, and sodium (in Dr. Fielding’s words, "lots of electrolyte abnormalities colliding"), can contribute to synchronous diaphragmatic flutter, or thumps. Interestingly, thumps may be observed in a horse that is otherwise fine, as well as in a horse that is exhausted. Dr. Fielding noted that feeing a horse alfalfa (which is high in calcium) can help thumps resolve within an hour or two, but cautioned that giving electrolytes to the horse could be risky if the horse is dehydrated. He said a vet would generally treat thumps with IV fluids including calcium.
It is possible – though this has not been rigorously tested – that feeding a low calcium diet during conditioning, then offering alfalfa just before the ride, can help prevent thumps. Dr. Fielding cautioned against doing the reverse; that is, eliminating alfalfa at a ride if a horse is accustomed to consuming it. Final WordsDr. Fielding wrapped up his presentation with a reminder that problems in endurance horses aren't always about electrolytes…and when they are, the answer isn’t always about changing products or administering more.
Did you get a chance to listen to Dr. Fielding's talk? What did you find most interesting? You might also like: Dr. Stephanie Seheult on How Your Body Works with your Horse More conference notes are on the way! You can subscribe to receive email notifications when new posts are published. Just fill out the mini-form in the right-hand sidebar.  Was anybody else thrilled to see that both days of AERC’s 2021 Unconventional Convention start with a focus on rider fitness? It seems to me that interest in this topic has increased recently. Maybe it’s not my imagination! Dr. Stephanie Seheult kicked things off with a session entitled “How Your Body Works with Your Horse." Dr. Seheult is a Doctor of Physical Therapy with a Bachelors in Health Science, as well as an active equestrian. Most of her clients at Advanced Physio are also riders.
Dr. Seheult described two, common causes of pelvic imbalance:
Dr. Seheult also emphasized the importance of the gluteus medius muscle for lateral stability in the saddle. She said one side is usually stronger than the other. On the weak side, your hip flexor must compensate for your inactive gluteus medius, forcing you to use your hamstring to lift your heel to get your leg on the horse. Whew! My favorite part of the presentation was the self-evaluation exercises. Dr. Seheult encouraged us to try a few tests in real life as she talked:
Anyway... Dr. Sehult had one more test:
After the self-evaluation exercises, Dr. Seheult was joined by Jeanette Henry, owner of Positively Pilates. The two of them work together on Ride Advanced with Positively Pilates. I won’t even attempt to recite the nuances of the gentle pilates session Ms. Henry talked us through. It focused on the neutral spine and a rider’s ability to keep the pelvis centered while rotating the legs outward. I found the pilates exercises easy and pleasant, and can definitely see the benefit of looking more into pilates as a way to further strengthen and balance my core. Access to the videos is closed during the duration of the convention (March 6-7, 2021), but my understanding is that AERC will reopen registration next week. If you didn't get a chance to catch this session the first time around, I highly recommend taking the time to watch the video and try the exercises.
It always seems so much more productive to run, spin, lift, ride, or write. But I know that's short-sighted. Like strength work, mobility work is key to athletic longevity. How about you? Did you watch Dr. Seheult's session? What did you get out of it? You might also like:
Sixteen inches of snow fell on my farm over the weekend. They turned my regular farm chores into a sweaty affair involving trudging through drifts with armloads of hay, swapping out horse blankets bedazzled with icicles, and digging out the truck in case of veterinary emergency.  In this weather, everything is harder and takes longer. Chore time winches up from ten minutes to half an hour. Eventually, I stomp back into the mudroom, dragging my coat and brushing damp hair back under my beanie… and go change into my workout gear. Why? What is it that compels me to maintain official workouts even when daily life offers exercise aplenty? What, in my nerdy little brain, separates "workouts" from "general activity?"
For me, this is different from general activity. Now, general activity can certainly confer the benefits of physical exercise. It’s arguably the most natural way to stay fit. Just doing stuff – trudging up hills, pushing wheelbarrows, carrying posts, digging holes, heaving feed bags – it all makes me stretch and strengthen, bumps up my heart rate from time to time. What’s not to love? I’ve certainly dragged inside after some exhausting days of building fence. I’ve enjoyed putting my feet up after riding a tough 50. At these times, I may consider myself to have gotten plenty of physical activity, but I don’t credit myself with a workout.
Splitting hairs? Probably. But I find value in the distinction. On a related note, as beneficial as general activity is, very few of us do enough of it. I often hear riders claim they don’t need to work out because they get their exercise taking care of their horses. After all, just feeding and grooming and paddock scooping earns them more steps than your average Joanne! I’ll grant you that. But is Average Joanne the right benchmark? “Average” these days is pre-diabetic with chronic back pain and mood swings. I don’t want to be average. I could probably maintain reasonable health on farm chores and a decent diet. I could certainly still ride long distances. People do it all the time! But I wouldn’t get any better. You know what Henry Ford said: Do what you’ve always done, and you’ll get what you’ve always got. I want more. So, for me, general activity – even when it gets an extra boost from snowfall or unexpected groundwork with a frisky pony – is only a baseline. I’ll spin and run and lift my way up from there. All the best riders I know make their own fitness a priority. Can you be a distance rider without working out? Yes. You can be a knowledgeable horseman and get your horse fit and make it through 50 or 75 or 100 miles. But will you be the best rider you can be?
What do you think? What is a workout? Is there a different definition that works better for you? You might also like:
Despite its challenges, nothing could have been better for my personal fitness than this pandemic. Working from home saves me about 90 minutes of commuting. By the time I add that to my usual workout allotment, I can put in over 2 hours of gym time most days ~ especially while winter keeps her thumb on my riding opportunies. Since our new treadmill arrived in early December, I've found myself on an unusually cardio-heavy binge. Don't get me wrong: I still believe that strength training is queen, especially as we age. Nevertheless, I have really been digging the cardio.  The great thing about having extra time is that I've allowed my usually-overzealous mind to settle into a very gradual building phase, particularly in the running department. I've been a casual runner since undergrad: did a half-marathon once, incorporated hill sprints for HIIT, enjoyed some trail runs. Over the last year, though, I've battled foot pain courtesy of bunions, flat feet, and (my podiatrist informed me in a frustrated tone) longish toes. Seriously? Yeah. Apparently, my toes are long enough to place extra burden on my already-taxed forefeet. Awesome. Anyway, orthotics are helping. I've spent the past two months reintroducing running to my repertoire...veeeeeery gradually. By "gradually, I mean that I started with one-minute jog, one-minute walk intervals and took 8 whole weeks working up to 40 minutes at a 12-minute mile pace. Not fast. Not impressive. But right where I needed to be.
As I walked and jogged, day after day, Tommy talked about systems and structures. Our systems are things like respiration and circulation; our structures are our muscles, tendons, and bones. Both need to be brought along slowly enough that we don't injure our weaker bits because the rest of our components feel strong.
You know what? It feels fantastic. I love the exhilaration of stepping with confidence onto a foundation that was built slowly enough to be solid. Feeling my lungs and muscles burn with effort, not with pain. Layering capacity on those systems, those structures, one tough workout at a time. Of course, I never complete a single run ~ nope, not a single one ~ without the horses on my mind. Their turn is coming. Spring lies just beneath the four inches of snow that fell last night. I can feel it. I've been spending time with my new mare lately, touching up her feet and lunging her a bit in the round corral. She has the foamy sweat of a seasonal pasture potato, but the energy of a spring wind. It would be so easy to climb astride and ride too fast, too far, too soon. I'm grateful to have the benefits of long, slow distance freshly drilled into my brain. In the coming weeks, all the hard workouts will be for me. My mare will get the easy ones, week by week, until what once seemed hard is nothing at all, and what once seemed impossible is only a stretch away.
It’s February already! How are your 2021 goals coming along? We all know how common it is for early enthusiasm to wane in the face of everyday life. Ambitions bow to apathy, and soon we find ourselves saying, Well, I’ll start on that next Monday. Or next month. Or next year. And yet, some people manage to do great things. Whatever “great” means. They lose 50 pounds, ride 100s, raise kids on their own, finish triathlons, write books, recover from illness, step away from the rat race, master public speaking. “Great things” are the things that matter to us, as individuals. Are we making them happen? Today, are we doing something to make them happen?
Like Rivs, I’m a big fan of process goals. Want to get that challenging filly trained? Spend some time with her every day – even if you can’t ride, at least get out there and pick up her feet an whisper in her ear. Want to run a 10k? Lace up your shoes and go outside – any pace, any distance – just get out there. Everything counts. Want to lose bodyfat? Choose to cook salmon instead of ordering takeout tonight. Not for the rest of your life, but just tonight. If you’ve fallen off the wagon on some of your 2021 goals, so what? Hop back on. Zoom in from the end goal to the process. Doing something hard doesn’t mean every step needs to hurt.
Today is the day to replace inertia with momentum: Just do something. Then, keep doing that. The only key is consistency.
I paid less than $400 for Aaruba. His breeder wanted quiet Arabians and Pintabians, and Aaruba wasn't. No, Aaruba was the plain gray, high-headed, wide-eyed, last straw that sent his sire to the vet for gelding. I first saw him on the kind of windy, muddy day that whipped his mind to wildness. Still a leggy four-year-old, he flashed about the makeshift corral as if the storm were inside him. He offered no buck but plenty of air, a whirl flat knees, good hooves, and that indefinable something that trumpets, "I'm the one!"
Nearly three years later, I can sometimes offer a bit of the captaincy to him. Yesterday, fresh from two weeks of bad weather and little work, he seemed nevertheless in a mental state to chart our course. And so, I settled into my saddle and handed him the wheel. He ran. For most of sixteen miles, he ran, and a winter storm gave chase. A frozen landscape streamed past, pulled tears from my eyes and sweat from his neck. We cantered free as water, free as wind, our bodies long and loose as the reins between us. I scarcely touched his face or sides but listened instead to his language pure as breathing. Our path looped wide, spun at last on a gust toward home. Winter nipped his flying heels. Naked tree limbs shuddered and the bellies of the clouds grew pregnant with snow. And I? I clung astride that plain gray, high-headed, wild-eyed, will-o-the-wisp whose size and strength far outstripped my own, a creature more emotion than logic, more motion than matter, more worth than gold, and I was not afraid. Originally published in The Barb Wire, December 2008
A couple months ago, I asked around on the interwebs about where to get covers to go over caged endurance stirrups -- you know, to keep my feet warm while riding in winter chill, rain, and wind. You know what I heard back? Crickets.
I definitely needed a better solution. Enter my friend Simone. Simone Mauhl is an endurance rider in the northwest region. Conveniently for my winter riding dilemma, she also makes tack - much of it custom, and much of it for packing. (We have a lot of hunters out here in Idaho.) So, when Simone mentioned that she could make me a pair of stirrup covers designed for caged endurance stirrups, I was all over it! We put our heads together and she came up with this design: Well! That's much prettier than my redneck version, don't you think?
Anyway, back to the stirrup covers. The photos above feature them on a 2008-ish era Easycare E-Z Ride stirrup that Simone borrowed from Mr. Sweaty's saddle for a model. However, she made sure to make the velcro loops adjustable for all sizes of endurance stirrups, with or without cages. My own favorite stirrups are a battered pair that came with a used Bob Marshall. If I knew what brand they were, I would buy more, but alas, they are unmarked. They're a bit smaller than the E-Z Rides. I tried out the covers on them the first time we got a snowy day with decent footing.
The product is too new to be posted in an online store yet, so just look up Simone Mauhl on Facebook. If you aren't on Facebook, ping me at tamara@thesweatyequestrian.com and I'll hook you up. Happy toasty riding! You might also like:
Happy New Year! We made it. I still say 2021 won't magically change anything, so hop on over and join the challenge if you haven't. Then come back, because I want to tell you how excited I am to be embarking on a new year. It feels like an adventure. A happy one. And I haven't felt this way in a long, long time. I started last year as a pile of emotional rubble, having spent the previous six months under a wrecking ball. I had just enough energy to hope for a decent ride year after several disappointing ones...and we all know how that turned out. Still -- call me a fool -- I find myself ready to hope again. I hope to get fitter than I've ever been, get my new mare legged up to multi-days, solidify the foundation on my challenging filly, and make something useful to you out of this website. I'm a little scared to take it all on, actually. It means the world to have you all riding alongside.  Some of you are undertaking physical challenges: weight loss, 10K runs, obstacle course races. Some are cutting back on alcohol, giving up smoking, or decluttering their homes. Some are facing fear of riding, making dietary changes, building muscle. Some are focused on a first LD, others on Tevis. Some are building blogs, recovering from surgery, tackling horse training challenges. Others are embarking on a year of rest and recovery, of letting go and letting the current carry them. I know from my 2020 exactly how hard that can be. All are wondering how we'll fit it all in and whether we can do it.
So keep on riding, gently or full gallop, as suits you on this sunrise road. You are finding your way. Here's to you and whatever lies ahead. You might also like:
I loved reading your brainstorms! Your ranged from riding daily (in Wisconsin!) to finishing Tevis, running a 10K, showing a horse, eating better, drinking less, quitting smoking, gaining strength, and losing pounds. Awesome! If you missed yesterday's post, you're not too late. Just hop over here and chime in! Some of us - myself included - brain-barfed up a bunch of ideas and now need to whittle our lists down to something clear and specific. OrganizeAs you can see below, my brainstorm list is way too long to be effective. If I put equal weight on all those things, my head (and calendar) would explode. So, I’ve rolled them up into three, main categories: fitness, horses, and community.  CategorizeYou'll notice that my list includes some overlap between categories. It also includes a bunch of non-specific, half-baked ideas. Some of them are more the means to an end than the end itself. To better get my head around what my targets should be, I reviewed Goal Types 101. You'll probably recognize these three types of goals: Outcome Goals: These are the “end result” goals. Finish Tevis. Win a 10K. Run an obstacle course race. Performance Goals: These goals represent the components necessary to support our desired outcomes. If I want to do a Spartan Sprint, I need to be able to run 5 miles, do sets of 30 burpees, and climb a rope. Process Goals: These are the daily action goals that move us toward the level of performance that enables us to achieve our desired outcomes. I need to do a 30-minute run/walk workout today so eventually I'll be able to run 5 miles and complete my Spartan race. I went through my list and identified what type of goal each of my ideas might represent:  Well, that was illuminating. As I did this, I noticed a few problems: 1. Some of my ideas are too small for Do Something Hard goals, and it makes more sense to roll them up into something larger. (Improve posture? Sure, I'll do it, but it doesn't need to be on this list.) 2. Some of my ideas aren't linked to specific outcomes. They are processes without a clear purpose. For example, I had the idea of publishing two blog posts per week. But why? What outcome would I be driving toward? Must ponder. 3. Some of my ideas are way too general. What the heck does "lean out" mean, anyway? CrystalizeTo crystalize my goals, I need to flesh out some ideas and weed out others. Allow me to refer back to the challenge rules: 1. Each goal has to be challenging but realistic. 2. Each goal has to be specific and measurable. Let's take the outcome goal of finishing a Spartan Sprint. Several of my performance goals can be targeted at that outcome.  Note that I increased the specificity of the performance goals: "Get back into running" is now specific and measurable. It's also challenging, for a lousy runner such as myself. "Increase strength" now means working up to 3 sets of 5 reps of backsquats with 125 lbs (my own bodyweight) on the bar. I also added and deleted some ideas: "Lean out" is gone because it's difficult to measure accurately when you're already on the lean side and not trying to actually lose pounds. It's also not critical to completing a Spartan race, plus it should happen automatically if I train and fuel properly. I added the burpee performance goal because it's a great way to ensure I focus on metabolic conditioning. Besides, I'm bound to have to do some during the race per Spartan rules. As you can see, I haven't drilled down into my process goals yet. That's a post for another day. Here's Your HomeworkTake a moment to ponder what kinds of goals (outcome, performance, or process) are represented in your brainstormed list. Do you have a process goal that isn't hitched to an outcome? If so, what might the relevant outcome goal be? Do you need to be more specific about what, exactly, you're asking yourself to accomplish? Drop your thoughts in the comments. I'll add mine, too, as I work on my horse-related goals.
Do you get the feeling that society at large has thrown in the towel? People keep talking about the end of 2020 as though everything will magically be better when the clock strikes midnight on January 1.
Some of this will be out of our control. But how we respond to whatever comes (to wax a bit Viktor Frankl) is up to each of us. The calendar isn’t going to make 2021 different. You are. You’ve seen this meme, right?  I love that. Sure, change is going to hurt. But staying the same is worse. Consider: What makes you feel better when you’re feeling down? There's the old "me time" recommendation. And sure, a little “self care” in the form of a hot bath or takeout dinner is nice. But in my experience, it fails to offer lasting change. I wake up the next day feeling exactly the same (or, in the case of General Tso's and egg rolls, worse). Real relief isn't found in taking a break from reality, but in taking control of it.
Think about your life right now. What’s going on with your body? Your time? Your emotions? Your space? Your mind? What bothers you about the way things are? Most of us carry around some level of dissatisfaction. Often, the burden is so familiar that we forget it’s there. That old resentment. That extra jiggle in your arms. That soda habit. That colt's bucking tendency you’ve been working around instead of working through. It’s like wearing sunglasses in a dim room. You’re always squinting, trying to see, but putting up with it because that’s “just the way it is.” Well…what if you took the sunglasses off? What if, instead of just resting from 2020, you took on 2021 with purpose? What if you stood up one more time and took control? Don’t just lay there all wrung out! Do something hard. I’ll do it with you. Here are the rules:1. It has to be challenging but realistic. Think tough, but possible. (As much as I’d like to set a goal of riding Tevis, I don’t have a 100-mile horse right now, so that idea isn’t really in the cards.) Choose something that you think you can do, but you're not 100% sure. Something that scares you a little. 2. It has to be specific and measurable. You need to be able to objectively identify progress toward a specific goal. That's how you'll know when you succeed. That's it! The sky's the limit. It's all about you. Here's how to join:1. Drop some personal goal ideas in the comments. There's no need to get it exactly right or make your final choice at this point. In upcoming posts, we’ll dig into some ways to analyze, prioritize, and strategize. For now, let’s just brainstorm. I'll go first. Here’s my list: 2. Follow The Sweaty Equestrian on Facebook. This is totally optional. However, if you do the Facebook thing, it’s a good place to build community around your goal, find frequent encouragement, and make sure you don't miss upcoming posts. Ready? Let's win 2021.
Mr. Sweaty and I make dinner together most nights. It's a form of entertainment for us, and we keep it interesting by trying lots of new recipes. Only the best make it into the Recipe Roundup. Our December menus featured protein, as we're both trying to increase our daily intake to help us lean out while supporting our increased aerobic workload. And, of course, we threw in some holiday splurges. Here are the month's winners: Vietnamese-Style Meatballs with Chili Sauce These were so good! As meatballs go, they're on the easy side because all the cooking is done in the oven -- no messy stovetop sautéing. We made the recipe exactly as written. Don't skip the peanuts unless you're allergic to them; they make a perfect finishing touch. Kefi Lamb Gyro Have you ever made your own gyro -- as in the meat terrine itself, not just assembling the sandwich? We hadn't either. We gave it a try as a little project for a winter day, and the result was quite tasty. If you're taking it easy on carbs or bread, you can always skip the pita and just enjoy the fillings with tzatziki and a side of Greek salad. Peruvian-Style Roast Chicken with Green Sauce This dish was a vibrant change from the usual (boring) chicken meal. We used bone-in, skin-on chicken quarters (leg & thigh) instead of a whole chicken. The green sauce had quite a kick because I left the seeds in two out of the three jalapeños. Next time I'll cut that back a touch. Crash Hot Potatoes Call me late to the party, but I had never heard of these before! Who wouldn't like crispy, buttery bites of smashed baby potatoes? They're super easy to make; just finish them off in the oven while your steaks are on the grill. We tried these a couple different ways. The first time, I used the recipe linked above and substituted grass-fed butter for the olive oil. Delicious! The second time, I added a sprinkle of parmesan a' la The Pioneer Woman. Shockingly, I actually liked the first way better. Arugula & Fennel Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette This salad made for a light, zingy, springy side to balance out all that heavier winter fare. If you're looking to move beyond your usual veggie repertoire, this is a good place to start. Super quick and just different enough to be interesting. Slow-Cooked Green Beans with Harissa and Cumin Speaking of moving beyond the usual, here's a take on green beans that I'd never seen before. Fortunately, it's pretty easy to find fresh green beans around the holidays. The harissa paste, on the other hand, arrived courtesy of the interwebs. If you like some heat, you've got to try it for a new flavor twist! The final dish was simple and delicious; however, I'd recommend cutting back the oil by at least half. Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart Need I say more?? We served this as our Christmas Eve dessert, and it was a huge hit. I didn't have a tart pan with a removable bottom, so I followed the advice to use a springform instead. I also put the crust on the bottom only, rather than up the sides. Also, I couldn't find the Nabisco Chocolate Wafers, so I used chocolate graham crackers instead. Perhaps that's why my crust turned out too dry and crumbly, as though it could have used an extra stick of butter to hold it together. I'll take that into account next time I make this recipe, which probably won't be for quite a while! That's it for December! I project that January's roundup will look a little lower on carbs. Stay tuned.
I rode Consolation yesterday. It was her first outing since I laid her off at the beginning of last summer due to her undiagnosed, but obvious, discomfort under saddle. We jogged six miles in the sunshine. She felt good. Content. But not like an endurance horse. Never one of my most driven mounts, she felt distinctly disinterested in speed and distance. I doubt I'll attempt to condition her this season. Or ever. She gave me 875 endurance miles, plus countless more in training. That will have to be enough.
If a career path fizzles before I reach the corner office, was my experience wasted? If a relationship crumbles after three years, or five, or ten, have I thrown away that time? Yes, I am older now. Yes, it takes effort to update my resume, go out and date, start a young horse, shoulder the effort and face the fear of starting over, starting new. But see the good times had, the completions earned, the accolades received, the scars that strengthen! They don't vanish because the path on which I found them ends in a cliff. A journey abbreviated is not a journey obliterated. The treasures I claim are mine to keep. Don't waste the litter of your past. It gathers about your feet like shale tumbled down a hillside. Step up on it. Feel it shift beneath your soles, and climb. The last stanza of my favorite poem reads thus: Nor doom the irrevocable past ~ As wholly wasted, wholly vain ~ If rising on its wrecks at last ~ To something nobler we attain. [H.W. Longfellow] Squint against your tears, my friends. See the shining? Reach out. Take hold. Climb. Originally published in The Barb Wire, February 2013
Laid bare to the elements, I felt every insult more keenly than I should. My old resilience was beaten down. Hypervigilant, I suffered from blows that I only guessed would fall. I tried to find myself among my horses, but they, too, sensed my absence. My body may have been in the saddle, but my mind attended a courtroom of the soul. It spent hours in that lonely chamber, making my case against what shouldn’t have happened, but did. They say being angry is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to die. It’s true, of course. I knew that. I felt that. I fought that. I did all the things: exercised, ate well, journaled, practiced yoga. I sat with my meditation app and tried to be present.
It was a podcast that broke me loose. A podcast by a gentle friend who doesn’t know me, but whose work I have followed for many years. I met her in the fitness and nutrition space. The podcast wasn’t about that, though. It was called “Hypothangry.” She talked about her habit of imagining confrontations. Entire scenes of conflict – involving a stranger in the coffee line, perhaps, or else her ex-husband – played out in her mind. These events that never happened left her fighting mad. Her boyfriend dubbed it being hypothangry, which is to say, hypothetically angry. She’d been fighting battles that didn’t actually exist. And she chose to stop doing it. I listened to that podcast on yet another long walk on yet another tormented day. It was summer then, and as I listened, I began to feel the sun. The world brightened as if months of fog had burned away at once.
Meditation transformed from a fifteen minute practice to a gentle hand on my shoulder throughout the day, an arm around my waist at night. Instead of trying to center on my senses and my breath, I simply noticed when my thoughts spun toward the blades. I became aware of the turning point that waits just before cortisol takes hold and drags me into the ring. In that moment, instead of stepping through the gate, I whisper, hypothangry. A reminder: Don’t be hypothangry. Or hypoth-anxious. Or hypoth-sad. Be, instead, just here. When the water tanks were full, I trudged through the snow to drain the hose. Slowly, thoroughly, because it will be cold tonight. Already the temperature was dropping as the snowclouds rose, pulling away their blanket of fog and exposing icy stars. Like anyone with a farm in colder climes, I felt the respite of full and heated tanks. Storms may come, pipes may freeze, de-icers may fail, but my precious animals have all they need today. I stayed with the horses for a while, stroking under their manes as they cleaned up their hay. The brimming tanks glistened black against the snow. A farm cat stretched upon hind legs to taste. Tomorrow, chickadees will line the rim, bobbing their cheerful heads. I will watch from indoors as the horses wander over and drink. Presence, I’ve learned, is neither seated meditation nor flight from reality. It is simply a pool that rests under the storm. It doesn’t resist growing shallow and prone; it holds nothing back for fear of freezing. It quietly sustains because that is its nature, because it is here and this is now. Presence, my friends, is water in winter. You might also like:
My goal, whether standing or riding, is to be able to draw a straight line down through my ear, shoulder, hip, and ankle. The overall picture should be balanced and relaxed, not forced. This will minimize strain on my muscles, joints, and connective tissue. Not only will it look good, but it will minimize injury risk and fatigue both today and over the long haul. The problem is that my lifestyle bears the hallmarks of modernity. I work at a desk, commute 45 minutes each way, lounge on a sofa, and spend way too much time staring down at a laptop or phone. Posture Impacts Our Health and Our HorsesUnfortunately for me, the research is clear: Poor posture has a detrimental impact on health. The unnatural strain that slouching puts on our spines can lead to chronic back pain and even degenerative disc disease. Lopsided musculature throws joint alignment out of whack, as well as leading to inflexibility and lousy balance. Slouching even interferes with digestion and breathing! If that isn't enough motivation, consider what dressage rider and coach Gina Allen says about how rider posture impacts our horses: "The hunched or rounded upper back, known as “kyphosis”, is a common postural problem. It can inhibit breathing, interfere with digestion, and cause tremendous stress to the discs between the vertebral segments of the thoracic spine. All this offers little support to your equine partner and often results in pushing him onto the forehand. Stretching through the front (anterior) chest muscles and strengthening the mid-upper back muscles can help correct this problem as long as the kyphosis is not too advanced.
Exercises to Correct Posture for Riding and LifeWhen I got the wake-up call from Mr. Sweaty's photo, my initial inclination was to hitch back my shoulders and stand up straight...and somehow remember to keep doing that day after day. I quickly realized, however, that there must be a better way. So, I did some reading. It didn't take much googling on the subject to remind me of the highly-relevant fact that our muscle groups are designed to work in pairs: Quadriceps along the front of the leg balance hamstrings along the back of the leg, biceps work in opposition to triceps, and so on.
Fixing this takes both stretching out the shortened muscles on the strong side and strengthening the muscles on the opposing weak side. Here's the plan I've selected to target my own weaknesses: upper back slouch, forward-thrust neck, and lower back pain:
It's not as much as it sounds like, because several of those moves are already built into my regular workouts and yoga. However, getting all the stretching and strengthening in does take some extra intentionality. This is a good time to remember not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Even if you just pick one stretch and one strengthening exercise to target your problem area, you'll be miles ahead of where you'd end up if you took no action at all. Building Habits to Improve Your Posture Building new habits tends to work best when we hitch the new habits to existing ones. This can take the form of adding the new habit to something you already do: Every time you brush your teeth, do a stretch and a strength exercise. Or, take this opportunity to replace a less desirable habit: Every time you get the urge to check social media, do chin tucks instead. (I actually do this. It works.) I also use a plain old timer system during the work day: Every 55 minutes, my phone alarm goes off. That's my cue to spend five minutes greasing the groove (get your mind out of the gutter, people -- it's pullups, chinups, and pushups) or doing a few stretches and exercises to target my posture. As your physique gets more balanced, all you have to do is remember to apply it in the saddle. Again, try tying the habit to something you do anyway: Every time you see a ribbon or change diagonals, check in with your posture. Your health, and your horse, will thank you. You might also like:
 If happiness is a skill, then sadness is, too. Perhaps through all those years at school, or perhaps through other terrors, we are taught to ignore sadness, to stuff it down into our satchels and pretend it isn’t there. As adults, we often have to learn to hear the clarity of its call. That is wintering. It is the active acceptance of sadness. It is the practice of allowing ourselves to feel it as a need. It is the courage to stare down the worst parts of our experience and to commit to healing them the best we can. Wintering is a moment of intuition, our true needs felt keenly as a knife. ~ Katherine May ~ Wintering: How I Learned to Flourish When Life Became Frozen You might also like:
In last week's post about Building Muscle after 40, I mentioned that I need to pay more attention to protein intake. I had the feeling that it's been lower than optimal -- which is apparently the case for the majority of us looking to gain muscle and lose fat.
4 Reasons to Consume Optimal (not just adequate) ProteinProtein is satiating. Not only is protein essential for human life, it is also deeply satisfying. Eating additional protein keeps us feeling full, automatically pushing out lower-value foods like starches and sugars and reducing the urge to snack.
Increased protein consumption combined with resistance training is the optimal formula, but even dietary protein alone helps minimize sarcopenia (muscle loss) as we age. What horse doesn't want a leaner, stronger rider? Protein stabilizes blood sugar. Protein doesn't rapidly drive up insulin or lead to a sugar crash like carbohydrates notoriously do. Instead, it can have a hormonal effect that actually reduces anxiety. This means that it offers not only sustained energy, but also improved focus and mood: just what we need to pilot our horses over many miles of trail. No more getting hangry on the third loop! Protein promotes recovery. Injury recovery, I mean. Next time we take a fall or get our feet stepped on, we'd be wise to ramp up our dietary protein to supply extra building blocks for rapid tissue repair. Protein is good for injury prevention, too, contributing to stronger bones, connective tissue, and even immune response. How Much Protein is Optimal?This is not an easy question to answer. A bit of googling will find suggestions all over the map. After much reading (both lately and over the past decade), I've landed on two, solid recommendations: One gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. This is an extremely common recommendation in the athletic realm. It is sometimes modified to refer to one gram of protein per pound of lean bodyweight (a calculation for which you need to know your bodyfat percentage in order to subtract out the corresponding pounds) or one gram of protein per pound of ideal bodyweight (useful particularly for those who are very overweight). Since I'm pretty lean, but would like to get leaner while also building muscle, the plain-Jane version is a good baseline for me. I weigh 125 pounds, so that puts my target protein intake at 125 grams per day.
How to Eat More ProteinNow that I have the math out of the way, it's time to actually put something on my plate. For all its benefits, protein isn't the most convenient macronutrient to consume. I'll need to be intentional about getting enough. Here's my plan: Don't skip breakfast. Because protein is so satiating, it's hard to pack adequate consumption into less than a full day. I find that if I don't start with a high protein breakfast, I won't be able to make up for it later. Don't skip lunch. Protein really does keep my energy level steady. As a result, it's all too easy to motor along after high protein breakfast, completely forgetting to get more grams in at lunchtime. Once again, though, skipping a meal means I don't hit my target for the day. Eat protein first. If protein is a priority, it makes sense to give it first dibs on stomach space. Doing so has the bonus effect of curbing any tendency to overeat because our brains have time to register that we're full before we pack in those starchy sides or sugary desserts. Plan ahead. This one is huge. I have to make sure I buy enough proteins during my weekly grocery trip, pre-cook some of them for later convenience, and have protein-centric recipes in mind to keep me interested. Choose appealing foods. Speaking of planning, there's the obvious question of what proteins to eat. The basics are obvious: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, and some plants (kind of). Naturally, everyone is going to prefer some sources over others. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of eggs and although I do okay on dairy, I suspect it isn't the ideal source of protein for the majority of people. (Lactose intolerance is common, and the hormonal response dairy provokes can promote bodyfat gain.) Here are some ideas I'm trying out:
I'm keeping my eyes open for new, high-protein recipes. With any luck, some of them will appear in my next Recipe Roundup. Got suggestions? Drop them in the comments! You might also like:
Mr. Sweaty and I have been talking about the X22i treadmill for over a year. We have its bicycle cousin, and between us, we spin its little magnetic-resistance wheel dizzy. Both the bike and the treadmill are those NordicTrack machines with the iFit membership capability -- you know, where they have virtual trainers to take you on runs or rides all over the world (or in studios). It sounds corny, but I do work harder with the app than I would on my own. Mr. Sweaty especially likes having indoor options for working out on our hottest, coldest, wettest, and windiest days. Hence, yesterday's delivery of a very big box: NordicTrack isn't offering assembly right now, due to COVID. It took the two of us (and let me tell you, it does take two!) about two hours to unwrap and piece together our new toy. That's not bad, considering I had to move the entire contents of our gym out of the way and back again. Now, there's nothing left to do but run! I've been an off-and-on runner since I was 20. Trail running is my favorite, but I did a street half-marathon in about 2002. Mr. Sweaty, meanwhile, has run a bunch of halfs and one full marathon, and is faster than me to boot. He puts in a lot more miles than I ever will. Cardio is not my strong suit. I consider myself more of a strength athlete. The truth is, while 23andMe claims my muscles produce a certain protein that makes me better at power than endurance, I'm not exactly destined for the Olympics in either category. But, I have a goal for 2021: I want to do a Spartan race. That means I have to run. At a minimum, I should be able to do 5 miles at a decent clip in order to be prepared for race day. I've no idea when that will be, but as running is a weak point, I want to start training now. (First I need to get some foot pain dealt with, but that's a post for another day.)
Hey, a girl can dream. Anyway, our garage gym is re-assembled and ready for use. Zoom zoom!  How about you? What are you doing to stay fit during this COVID winter? You might also like:
Nobody rides for the awards, but everyone appreciates them. Coming up with the right idea at the right price is an ongoing challenge. I plumbed years' worth of discussions on social media to learn about riders' favorites. Here are 91 ideas, from old standbys to the downright bizarre, to get your juices flowing. Ride-Branded Stuff These days, it's easier than ever to have your ride logo embroidered, engraved, or printed on just about anything. Riders love a "branded" award that keeps the happy memories alive. For bonus points, include the date and location -- bearing in mind, of course, that doing so could limit carryover of extras to next year. Riders cited these items among their favorites:
In reviewing years' worth of comments on the subject, I reached the [decidedly unscientific] conclusion that more riders give tees the thumbs-up than the thumbs-down. Variations on the theme get extra appreciation. Tank tops, long-sleeved shirts, and UPF fabrics are especially popular. Sweatshirts take it up another level entirely! Practical Items Many riders report that practical items -- the things they keep in their cars or barns or living rooms and keep using for years -- are their favorites.
"Award-y" Awards Some riders really like traditional awards that carry emotional significance. Ride photos are always a hit. Some managers get especially creative in making unique trophies, buckles, plaques, or certificates to commemorate riders' accomplishments. Distance Riders of Manitoba president Darice Whyte spent the year snapping photos of riders, then had the best ones printed on metal for the club's division winners. They turned out gorgeous! Here are a few more examples: Crafts by Local Artists Some ride managers excel at sniffing out local talent, and artists can be amazingly generous when it comes to handcrafted awards. From potholders to pottery, horseshoe art to painted rocks, artisan soaps to quilts, you can't go wrong with something this special.
Just for Juniors Who doesn't enjoy seeing juniors get some extra love at the end of a ride? Many rides offer extras for our youngest riders. Some reported favorites include:
Former junior rider Kelly William Stehman now sponsors juniors herself. She suggests awarding "things that would be good for juniors to add to their saddle bags or something that would help them become better riders. Things like scoops, sponges, stethoscopes, quality multi use tools. Maybe some sort of GPS unit to help them learn pacing or some hoof boots as a big award."
You might also like:
Mr. Sweaty and I make dinner together most nights. It's a form of entertainment for us, and we keep it interesting by trying lots of new recipes. Only the best make it into the Recipe Roundup. Here are our November winners: Apple, Dried Cherry, and Walnut Salad with Maple Dressing We tried this salad out on company (live dangerously, I say!) and it was a hit, even with the teenager. We've made it at least three times since. It's excellent exactly as written. If you share my distaste for soybean oil mayo, Primal Kitchen's avocado oil version is a great option. Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad Mr. Sweaty was suspicious of this one, but he's glad I prevailed. Even if you aren't a Brussels sprout fan -- or a kale fan -- you should give it a try. No mushy, boiled veggies here. The sprouts are served raw, sliced thinly and treated like crisp micro greens. I added a handful of dried cranberries to really take the salad over the top. Grilled Red Pepper Dip I assigned this dip to my mom, who hates to cook, for a Thanksgiving appetizer. She used jarred roasted red peppers instead of grilling fresh ones, and it still turned out delicious. We microwaved the dip to soften it up before serving. Hint: melt leftover dip into scrambled eggs for a savory breakfast. Yum. Chicken Piccata The prep on this takes a bit of time, so pour a glass of wine and enjoy the process. It's hardly egregious, just more effort than I think the average home cook spends on a weekday evening. Trust me, the silky, tangy, buttery sauce is worth it. Sweet and Sour Chicken Ah-ha! Finally, a make-at-home sweet and sour chicken that tastes like good Chinese takeout! The recipe I linked to served as our starting place, but I mixed and matched from several other recipes to invent my own sauce. Here's how to make the dish the Sweaty Equestrian way: Eliminate the sauce ingredients (the last 6, sugar through garlic) from the original recipe. Make the rest of the recipe as instructed, but use this sauce instead: 3 Tbs soy sauce 1 cup pineapple juice (actually, a touch less than 1 cup) saved from the canned pineapple chunks 3/4 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup rice vinegar 3 Tbs ketchup 1 Tbs sambal oelek 1 1/2 Tbs cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbs water (aka cornstarch slurry) Combine the pineapple juice and soy sauce to equal 1 cup of liquid. Combine the pineapple-soy mixture with the next four ingredients (brown sugar through sambal oelek) in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add the cornstarch slurry and simmer, stirring, until sauce reaches desired thickness. Three Cities of Spain Cheesecake Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new house cheesecake! (That makes two.) I served this on Thanksgiving to rave reviews. A few notes: 1. The recipe mysteriously fails to specify pan size. I used a 9-inch springform. 2. I used my own graham cracker crust recipe. It's just crumbs and butter, pressed into the bottom of the springform pan only (not up the sides), baked at 350 degrees for about 7 minutes, and cooled before pouring in the cheesecake batter. 3. I baked the cake in a water bath with great success, thanks to this silicone pan protector, which may represent the best $20 I have ever spent. 4. In a nod to Thanksgiving tradition, I topped the cheesecake with Homemade Salted Caramel and toasted pecans. The caramel was delicious, but I'm more of a cheesecake purist, so I'll skip it next time. That's it for November! Be sure to follow The Sweaty Equestrian on Facebook to get a heads-up on next month's roundup. You might also like:
My body and I are having a disagreement: It is forty-two and thinks that's an excuse to not be in its thirties. I beg to disagree. A lot of good that's doing me. Here's the thing: I have been "the fitness type" for a very long time. Having maintained the basics with casual running since college, I got serious about strength training in about 2006. I started with bodyweight work. Within a year, I'd added a home gym complete with barbell, dumbells, pull-up bar, and bench. Within 3 years, I had kettlebells, a weighted vest, a wellness library, and some pretty respectable muscle mass. Fast forward to now: My home gym is further tricked out with a power cage, second barbell, box jump, spin bike, and yoga mat. I use them all pretty religiously. Between late December 2019 and mid-July 2020, I worked out every single day. For something like 186 days. And yet...and yet. My muscle mass isn't what it used to be. I can tell that I'm not as strong, both when I do "real things," and when I look in the mirror. Part of me says that's a normal part of aging. Everyone has a harder time holding onto muscle (let alone gaining) as they get older. Sarcopenia is a thing. I'm lucky to have a solid fitness base that keeps me motoring along pretty well. I'm even luckier to have a partner who doesn't labor under the delusion that a woman's value rests upon her appearance. However. Another part of me won't give up that easily.
It turns out that I wasn't imagining things. There are good reasons that what worked well for me a decade ago just isn't ideal anymore. There's a lot of overlap, of course. Most of the tried-and-true principles still apply. But, I can do quite a few things differently to maximize my muscle gains in (gasp!) middle age: 1. Increase Muscular Effort while Decreasing Injury Risk With age come nagging injuries that persist longer than they did when we were young. I'm almost always tiptoeing around a touchy elbow, wrist, sacroiliac joint, or knee. If I waited for everything to feel perfect before embarking on a muscle-gain effort, I'd never get off the sofa. That said, max lift attempts aren't as appealing as they used to be. Traditionally, most athletes build muscle by incrementally increasing the amount of weight they're lifting. Working out while avoiding injury means challenging muscles in other ways. The word on on the street is that these methods are as effective -- or nearly as effective -- as stacking on the plates.
2. Commit to Consistency Back before COVID, I was at a backyard party chatting with a guy who was mid-50s, lean, and ripped. He commented that the biggest factor in staying fit as he got older was consistency. Unlike in his younger years, he couldn't expect to miss workouts without losing ground. Even in my early 40s, I can attest that not only is it harder to build muscle than it used to be, but I lose it more quickly when I step off the wagon. As I overhaul my workout schedule to focus more on muscle growth, I'll be making sure that each muscle group gets worked 2-3 times per week. 3. Eat More Protein Across many years and many sources, I have consistently been reminded of the importance of protein for muscle growth, especially with increasing age. Recommendations generally range from 1 gram of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day to 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. The latter is hard to pull off, but it's what I'm shooting for. This will take some planning! 4. Emphasize Mobility Oh yeah. I know. We all know. Our tissues lose elasticity, old injuries form mental and physical scars, and we lose range of motion as we age. This makes us more prone to injury, which impacts our workout consistency, which invites sarcopenia in for a beer. I'll admit that mobility work isn't my strong suit. It always feels less productive than doing a solid workout, and it takes a lot of time. But, if I want to see gains, I'm going to have to commit to more intentional mobility work and better warmups. Knowing may be half the battle, but it's only half. I know what I need to do. Now, it's time to put it into action. I'm going to spend some time this week overhauling my workout calendar and menu planning for extra protein. How about you? Do you ever get the feeling that whatever you've been doing just isn't working anymore? Maybe it's time to make some changes...and make some change. You might also like:
Is it just me, or do some people get harder to shop for with every passing year? Here are fifteen ideas to help you surprise your favorite endurance rider this Christmas: Custom Gold Foil Map These gorgeous maps can be customized to showcase any special location, especially if it has an intricate shoreline or trail system. I purchased one in copper on black. It's stunning in a black wood frame, and the seller was a pleasure to work with. Charlie Mackesy Book or Print If you haven't seen this guy's art, you must take a look! Mackesy's work embodies the kindness and gentle humor I associate with Winnie the Pooh, but with horses and without the cheesy illustrations. (Sorry, Pooh.) High Quality Layers It seems like distance riders are always asking each other, "What do you wear to stay warm and dry on stormy rides?" My suggestion is to look for gear brands instead of equestrian-specific brands, because the technology used for skiing, cycling, and other outdoor adventure sports is so much more advanced. Some of my favorites are Outdoor Research, Rab, Patagonia, Marmot, and Mammut. Every serious rider needs a good down "puffy" coat and a 3-layer, waterproof, breathable rain shell with taped seams. Personal Logo Does your rider have a farm name? Ride with a team? Manage an event? Surprise them with the perfect logo -- no design skills needed. You can create your own with support from an app like Weebly Logo Maker or commission an artist on Fiverr. The logo itself is a great last-minute gift, as you can usually get one in three days or less. Pay a few extra bucks for the vector file, and you'll be all set to customize anything: window decals for the truck, completion awards, a metal sign for the driveway, whatever! Silicone Ring Riders can keep both their diamonds and their fingers safer by trading out gold rings for silicone ones during barn time. As a bonus, they're comfortable and stocking-stuffer cheap. Vendors like Qalo and Enso Rings have options that go beyond basic gray.
Feel free to pad your gift with a few emergency supplies, like energy gels, some bandaids, sunscreen, and pain meds to make the walk out more tolerable. Satellite Communication Device This is a great gift if you have a healthy budget. I like the Garmin inReach, which fits nicely in a front pocket of my running vest. Its interface is easy to use and can even be operated through a smartphone app, which gives the user a proper keyboard instead of just the integrated grid. Your rider will be able to drop "breadcrumbs" when exploring new territory and send unlimited free pre-typed texts/emails. They'll also have have two-way, real-time communication capability -- no internet or cell service required. And, of course, there's the SOS button if shit really goes down. Bear in mind that you'll need to pay a subscription service (about $15/month) to keep the device active. Sleep Mask Riders doing longer distances often go to bed well before dark. I like a good sleep mask to help block out the world. This one from Sleep Master is my favorite for comfort (very silky, highly adjustable, stays in place) and effectiveness (larger surface area blocks all light). While you're at it, these Acoustic Sheep SleepPhones are a nice alternative to earplugs for muffling the clatter of ride camp. They're nice at home, too, for listening to music or a sleep meditation without bothering your partner. Horse ID Every rider's nightmare is to lose a horse in the wilderness. Equine ID collars can be worn in camp or while riding to help bring a missing horse home. These I.C.E. clips make good stocking stuffers. I'd like to have one on every saddle! Spirit Horses Merri Melde -- aka The Equestrian Vagabond -- makes adorable equine pins and magnets (and other things too) sure to bring any rider luck. Custom Stuffed Horse Speaking of adorable! These are pricy as plushies go, but this Etsy vendor will put your horse's markings on a stuffed toy for the cutest keepsake ever. Ride Photos Most distance events have a race photographer. You can usually find out who took photos at any given ride by checking the event website or Facebook page. Frame a great shot or have it printed on glass, canvas, or metal. You could also make a collage honoring one special horse, or perhaps all the different horses your rider has competed with over the years. Experiences How about paying for a clinic, ride entry, or private lesson with an expert in your area? A session with an equine massage therapist or chiropractor wouldn't go amiss. Also, it's AERC membership renewal season... Local Crafts For a truly unique gift, look for a craftsman in your own backyard. A couple years ago, my dad worked with Forgiven Fabrication (they are on Etsy now!) to turn a photo of me and my first endurance horse into a steel silhouette.
Cowhide and Sheepskin Nothing beats coming back to a cozy home after a winter ride. Cowhides and sheepskins are perfect for adding warmth and flair to just about any style of decor. Even better, they hold up beautifully to pet hair, blood, and barf. Trust me on this. I've had good experiences with Cowhides International (get the Brazilian ones, they're higher quality) and Sheepskin Shop. What are you hoping Santa brings this year? Add your ideas to the comments, and happy gifting! You might also like:
Autumn. The skies have rained and blown for weeks. Blankets have been on and off the horses. Salted mashes consumed. Saddles nestled in the tack room, waiting. And then, yesterday! Dawn broke still and the farm floated alone in a heavy cloak of fog. Mist froze on branches, wire, hay, and manes. I warmed a saddle pad and bit indoors, waited until afternoon to mount.  As I rode, the cloud melted. Sunshine – jewel-bright, scarcely remembered – glittered the frosty trail. No people were out. No cows. No foxes. Few birds. Sometimes, my mare and I stopped just to listen to the silence. I’ve done a lot of listening this year. A lot of waiting. A lot of accepting. Back in February, I dared to hope that this would be the year my endurance stars would realign. After years of roadblocks, I would have horses fit. Be injury-free. Not be crushed by work. Make it to rides at last! And then, COVID. But I had a horse ready for the third… …until a normal dose of bute crashed her kidneys without warning. She spent most of a week – not to mention a large pile of cash – in the hospital. We saved her life, but not her career. Horses with compromised kidneys shouldn’t be put at risk of dehydration. She can do almost anything now. But not endurance. So, I got my old campaigner out of semi-retirement. He was a rock star before headshaking syndrome put him out of the game. But he’d been looking better for several months. No reason not to give him a shot; we could always reverse course if he wasn't happy. He was happy. So, so happy! It was all I could do to keep his inner monster from eating too much trail, too fast, at Top o’ the World. We finished our first 50 together in several years. We really were on top of the world. But at the next ride, he colicked near the finish. We treated. He’s fine. But I gave him the rest of the season off. Next year may be on the table for him, or it may not. We’ll have to take it as it comes. I’ve been doing a lot of that. Not just with endurance, but with work, and with the intrusion of a housing development they want to build in the field next door. It’s so easy to get angry, isn’t it? When all you want is a break? Just some clear sailing, please, for once? But we don’t learn much on smooth seas. When the waves are high and the fog closes in, and we are chilled to the bone just trying to find our way…that is where the answers are. We must get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Learn to rest in uncertainty. If we can find peace in that place, we can find it anywhere. There’s an interesting book, if you’re struggling, called Life is in the Transitions. It tells stories of people who have suffered much more than I. Its point is that – contrary to our cultural undercurrent of expectation that life is “supposed to” always move us onward and upward – our lived experience rarely follows that trajectory. We should expect to be in the midst of transition (often the uncomfortable variety) for about 40% of our lives. Might as well get good at it, eh?
Trail riding can be nice, I’ve discovered. Just walking. Getting to know a new horse, without focusing on hills and heart rates and speed. Exploring new trails or visiting old ones. Quietly watching the sun soak through the freezing fog...melt the resistance...and shine not on the way things should be, but on how they actually are. It’s bright again today. I’ll saddle two horses – the one with damaged kidneys and the one that colicked – and embrace this fleeting moment that holds them both. You might also like:
Years ago (twelve? fourteen? too many!) I visited a middle school with a robust physical education program. Gesturing toward a whiteboard on which students' athletic stats were tracked, the gym teacher asked, "How many pullups can you do?" Erm... I was there for work interests, not personal ones, but apparently my reputation as a "fitness type" had preceded me. The teacher's face was expectant. Of course I could do pullups. Except, I couldn't. I could, however, artfully dodge the question. It stuck with me, though, and that very afternoon, I set out to correct my deficiency. I can't remember now how long it took me to get my first dead-hang pullup, but I can tell you this: I vowed then and there that I would never not be able to do pullups again. There's something undeniably empowering about them -- especially for women. (Here's a great video if you want to learn how.) I've kept that vow for over a decade. I've gone through phases of doing exactly zero pullups for months at a time, but I've never lost the ability. Those dry stretches take a toll on capacity, though. Take now, for instance. Since riding couple 50's at Top o' the World this summer, I've really slacked off my formal workouts. I'm feeling pretty wimpy. Ugh. Time to get my pull-up count back up! To do it, I'm dragging out an old technique that I've used off and on over the years: Greasing the Groove. Greasing the Groove is a term coined by Pavel -- you know, the guy who popularized kettlebells in the West -- in his book Power to the People. Basically, it involves repeating a movement frequently, but at a weight and number of repetitions that fall well short of your maximum capacity. The idea is to strengthen neural pathways, essentially training the body to perform the movement efficiently. GtG is usually used for bodyweight work like pullups and pushups, not least because it isn't terribly convenient to get yourself to a barbell several times a day. The simplest version is to simply do the exercise periodically throughout the day, but only at 40-50% of your max number of reps. The goal is to build neuro-muscular connections, remember, not muscle per se. Some people do their reps every hour, on the hour. Back before the house fire, I had a pullup bar in my main bathroom doorway (ah, the benefits of living alone) and did a few pullups every time I went pee. This time, I'm going to try a new routine that builds GtG into my work-from-home weekdays. It's minimal, as GtG goes, but it's manageable. (In my world, not realistic = not done, so this will have to do!) Here's the plan: I generally work at my desk for 50 minutes, then take a 10 minute break. Each of my first three breaks will begin with GtG. My schedule makes sure I do each movement at least 3x per day, 3x per week. Day 1: Pullups and pushups Day 2: Pullups and chinups Day 3: Chinups and pushups Day 4: Pullups and pushups Day 5: Chinups and pushups What about max sets? Those are important too, but I'm handing them separately from GtG. They're a whole different concept that I'll work into my overall workout schedule. The plan goes into action today. Wish me luck! You might also like:
|
WelcomeThanks for dropping by! I'm an endurance rider in the northwest region of the United States. I believe that how I eat and move impacts not only how I ride, but how I think and feel. This blog is about the practice of being my best self for my horse. I hope you'll come along for the ride. ~ Tamara 
Aboard Jammer on our way to 100 miles at Oregon 100.
Photo by Darlene Merlich
Read More
All
Follow Along
|
