Lessons of self care via horseback.
A few evenings ago, my wife and I enjoyed a short trail ride horseback with ice cold margaritas and a beautiful AZ sunset to cap it all off. I would fully recommend this outing called the Margarita Sunset Ride at the Koli Equestrian Center. Apart from the great experience of the offering, I was reminded of a few life lessons while in the saddle of my horse Tom that night.
Lesson one: No matter the size of bit in a horses mouth and nor the strength of the “cowboy” aboard, if a horse wants eat the weeds on the trail they will. I would say the same goes for people saddled to some serious misinformation these days. No matter what proven healthy facts you might give them, if they want to consume the trash served up, that’s exactly what they will do. It doesn’t matter how much you know it will hurt them (going against the bit if you will) they will do it anyway. Do what you can but don’t lose any sleep over it. Like I told Tom on the trail, you can eat those nasty weeds along the path but some delicious hay was waiting for him at the barn when we returned.
Lesson two: Riding atop a horse unwilling to listen to reason is tiresome and can cause unwanted pain. I awoke from my evening of riding the next morning and my body was reminding me of the struggle of managing Tom the night before. My backside, my knees and even my arms were sore and tired from just a short trail ride. I have in the past been on a 15 mile trail ride working cows in the Black Hills of South Dakota but I was much younger then and my body more forgiving. One thing about a much older body is that it is better at reminding us to take things at a more sustainable rate. Same goes for dealing with peoples attitudes in these tumultuous times. Take them a little at a time, if that means taking a break from social media then do it. Your mind and emotions will thank you! If it means stepping away from some relationships that are toxic then do that too.
In conclusion, if the horse you are riding is a constant pain in your backside, hop off and enjoy a margarita by sunset.
