” Don’t simply retire from something; have something to retire to.”
~Harry Emerson Fosdick
- It’s inevitable: everything ages. Nothing escapes the effects of time–joints stiffen, eyesight weakens, your memory starts to slip, etc. While I’m NO WHERE NEAR retiring myself, every equestrian has an equine partner who, at 25 years young is elderly to a horse, will have to retire one day. Most equestrians learned to ride on an older horse: a horse who has “been there, done that”, fearless, stubborn, smart…too smart. But it’s these characteristics that point to the appropriate time to retire.
Hopefully most of us have not had to make that decision on our own. Neither have I, but one of my current partners is starting to show her age. Retirement escapes no one. While horses love to have a job to do, we all agree that after a faithful and loyal life to us, there is nothing better to seem them at their happiest in a grassy field in a herd where they can be themselves. This current partner of mine has a case of too much heart not enough body–her heart and spirit are in the right place, but her body just isn’t allowing her to do the things she loves safely. Fortunately it isn’t my choice, it’s her owner. And in this case, it is entire up to the owner of the horse what to do.
Lesson Learned: Allow a graceful aging process to happen–don’t force them to do what you wish you could do, allow them to perform to the best of their aging bodies’ ability. “Time grows old and men grow cold…but horses are a girls’ best friend”.
