The first person that can figure out where that quote comes from gets a free Ready to Wear suit.
I now have a Percheron in my mothers barn named "Tank" (Thanks to Chris and Porsche). And that he is. Yesterday I threw a saddle on him and had my mother ride him. We went up back in the woods (I, on my Thoroughbred, Magnum). With the exception of her knee hurting a bit, she did fantastic. She is almost 67.
I am discussing this topic because a little over a month ago, she was in absolute agony. She had a horrible pain in her pelvic area and was completely convinced it was her Sciatic nerve. I had my massage therapist, Cami, work on her and she was convinced it was muscular, which, I will say I already knew that, and she confirmed. But my darling mother would not hear that. So she goes to the doctor, he takes some tests, and everything comes back negative. Guess what he does? Suggests physical therapy.................ah, yessssss..............now you must understand that my mother cleans 5 horse stalls every day. She has a HUGE piece of property that she keeps impecably perfect with flower and vegetable gardens. If she breaks down she is ......f----ed.
She has been going to the gym with me three days a week for the past 5 weeks, and she not only is feeling better but got up on that Percheron and rode him with no HIP pain, just a little knee pain, which will be fixed in no time with continued resistance training.
I hear all the time from people that ride horses that this is the only workout they need. Listen, I am the first person to admit I am NOT a horse snob. I just get on and ride. But I will tell you this, I have never been injured on a horse. I have had some pretty freaky accidents but have never been injured.
The one thing I notice on almost all serious horse riders is their quadriceps are always unevenly developed. The vastus medialis is always overdeveloped (teardrop shaped if you are looking at your thigh). And also, the flexor hallucis longus muscle just above and in from the outside of your ankle gets cranked from the pressure in the stirrup. Without writing a book................I am only touching on this because ONCE AGAIN....I must be righteous about resistance training.
YES, it is reduntant. But so is brushing your teeth, taking a shower, pissing and shitting. But you do it because it is the hygienic part of life. If you can just get past the whole vanity, ego, gawd I have to get into these jeans thought for why you should work out. And for the morons that use the excuse that they don't want to look muscular (excuse my while I gag), so they don't want to pump iron. You just keep thinking that way......Lets see how you are doing in a decade. It is just as hygenic as anything else you do to keep yourself clean and functioning.
Back to the horses, my husband Dave and I were riding this weekend and came face to face with a black bear. He looked at us for a bit as we walked closer, stood up on his hind legs, and did the ol "UH, I think I'll go this way" and he plodded into the brush. It is amazing how much harmony goes on in a natural environment where there is food and space for every creature great and small. I am sure some day this too will all be gone. I only hope it is not in my lifetime...........