My passion for horses began on my first carousel ride. From that point on, the seed was planted: “I could be riding a real, live pony.” The dream never ended, there were stuffed horses on my bedside, life evolved and other priorities stepped in.
Marta Sweeney and Libby
Finally at the age of 42, I decided to take riding lessons on a horse called Max. He was a typical schooling horse who knew every trick in the book to get you off his back. I am continually fascinated by these massive creatures who allow us to ride on their backs. They deserve a great deal of respect.
The challenge continued for three more years, until I finally purchased Libby, a four-year-old, thoroughbred mare with papers that titled her Crowned Loyally. How appropriate for her personality.
After many years with this out-of-control youngster, the connection starts evolving. Everything becomes so comfortable and complete. I become incorporated with all the muscle and power beneath; she is communicating with the navigation above. It has turned into a perfect partnership.
Libby truly is my queen. She is 15 now. Quieter. Though she was never as spirited as many other thoroughbreds. She was never on the track. A relationship with a horse gives you the faith you need to be a competent rider. It makes the challenge of your journey together so worth the commitment.
We ride together four days a week. First we do a rigorous 30-minute workout in an indoor or outdoor arena, depending on the weather. They might be 100-150’ wide by 250-300’ long. We walk, trot, canter. Maybe do a little jumping. Libby has a stifle (knee) problem that is common in older age for horses. The worst thing is not to exercise a horse. It’s all a labor of love. Then Libby and I head out to the fields, occasionally the trails through the 400-acres available to us there. On Mondays I take a lesson to keep things in check. Sharyn, the manager of the barn where Libby boards, watches me as I ride, tweaking me, telling me not to lean too far forward and to make my turn and open my shoulder.
Marta riding Tristan
All three of my daughters ride, and so does my husband who had a lot of horse experiences as a kid. Our barn has many people in their 80’s still riding, all women, except for one guy. They are very physically fit, and this gives me a good goal to aim for.
Horseback riding takes a lot of lower body strength, your legs squeezing to create pressure that gets the horse to move forward. You work your abdominal muscles, and it’s good for cardio. You have to tuck in your stomach. You can’t have your stomach loose. It has to be tightened up. Your ankles are in an awkward angle, but you get used to it. When you are in bed at night, exhausted, it’s a good feeling of tiredness that relieves a ton of stress. It’s great for mental balance, and you sleep so much better.
It’s a real workout. When my daughter Amanda rides—she is 20, in college, and only gets on a horse occasionally now—after just half an hour she says, “My legs are killing me.”
For me it’s an addiction. All very good. It’s a great way to fill your day. I play golf too, but after 4-5 holes, I am yawning with restlessness. Not when I ride. There Libby and I are a team.
Some days she wants to work and follows my commands without a problem. She stands quietly near the mounting block, so I can rise into the saddle easily. When the weather is cool, there are no bugs, and she has had a good turnout, she is happy to be with me.
Other days she “says” “No, no, no, I don’t want to work,” and steps away from the mounting block. She drags me to the center of the arena instead of staying near the sides. She pins back her ears. Horses have so many ways of telling you when they don’t want to work, beginning with just getting them out of the paddock and saddled.
Horses are pretty easy to read if you are an animal person. Read the rest of this entry »
