Growing Old is Not for the Faint of Heart…

But it’s better than the alternative. An old friend used to say that. I’m understanding it more and more.

I still find it hard to believe, but a week ago I fell off my horse and broke my arm. Again.  The left arm this time. 

It was just a spook, a quick forward move that I can usually ride. And it was just a fall onto grass, a fall I have done in my home pasture many times before. It usually hurts, but I don’t usually break.  These are new times in my life with horses.

I have gotten support, advice, and help from friends and family. The most obvious advice is never to ride bareback in the spring. Or never to ride bareback, period, since I’m old, and my balance isn’t what it once was. But I’ve also heard of other riders with injuries and falls this spring. More than one of us are spending the spring healing. It’s weirdly reassuring that I’m not alone.

The support has come in many forms.  A friend helped me haul my horses to a vet appointment this week, while I pointed and advised and told her which of my look-alike fjord horses was which.  Other friends offered any help I may need. My husband and son have been waiting on me, feeding me, and feeding the horses.  My poodle, Cookie, has been keeping me company on the couch.  The cats, however, have been indifferent and aloof.

It’s been a wakeup call, that I cant ride and play like I could when I was 16. Or 26. Or even 56. Horses have been the place where I can find my inner teenager, and just goof around. Now it’s the place where I have to find my inner cautious senior citizen. Safety before fun. The saddle is my friend.

I want to get through this healing journey quickly, but it was a displaced break, and will take time. Surgery, screws, and plates were involved.  It’s hard to live in the moment, when I want to fast forward and figure out what kind of therapy I need and start exercises to get stronger. Instead I am forced to embrace the wisdom and patience of age, and breathe through the tweaks of pain. Because it’s better than the alternative.

[photo credit pexels.com]