High on Health: Wear & Tear

So, have you ever heard someone say people should have a license to own a horse? I know I have, and depending on what day of the week you ask, I might tend to agree.  Not so much from a standard of care aspect, or an animal rights perspective (that’s a whole other topic!), but from the mind-set that if you’re going to ask your horse to do something, you should have a working knowledge of what it takes and what it feels like for you to exert a similar effort.

For some strange reason I have come to enjoy training for and competing in triathlons. Can’t say I am a very good swimmer, I like the bike, and the only (limited) natural talent I seem to have is running. But, I like it, and I take the training seriously because for some reason there always seems to be an older and heavier person that beats me. That being said, I know what it is like to have aching body parts, minor injuries that affect my performance, and more often than not be just plain tired when I start out. So, from a training and veterinary stand point, I believe I have a solid appreciation for what can be done when the wear and tear sets in.

Through the eye of the horse, I think that those of us who make a living on or off the backs of horses should consider this information when we say a horse is lame, working poorly or just can’t get things done. Training does great things for people and horses and is required to make us better than we are today. However, training only produces reward when followed by rest. We become stronger mentally and physically. It is in this manner things that used to limit man or horse are replaced with new abilities that far exceed the creaks and groans that come in the first mile.

The next time you roll out of bed and cannot stand up straight until you make it to your second cup of coffee, I would suggest you give the horse the same benefit of the doubt. If we could all do what we wished we were capable of, the world would be a very different place.