“See past the physical and find the loving essence inside.”

—A senior horse on aging appearances

This is what any senior horse might say if humans sat quietly and took the time to listen to them. So many of us fear aging, in ourselves or with our animals. We are scared of getting sick and moving closer to death. We try to cover up gray hair or sagging body parts. Yet if we look closely at a senior horse, there is no judgment of their gray muzzle or swaying back.

There is so much value put in youth and being athletic, especially in the equestrian world. Yet that doesn’t immediately equate to happiness. In fact, if you ever watch retired senior horses who have friends, great forage, and space to move around, they are quite content.

They don’t seem to regard their aging bodies with as much distaste as humans. What if we could learn to love our own bodies just by watching how horses enjoy being in theirs?

Of course, care costs can go up with a senior horse for blankets in the winter or extra supplements or feed to keep weight on. It’s the same with all animals, humans included; we may need some extra support in our later years.

In fact, learning about what an aging horse needs nutritionally, fitness-wise, and even emotionally can also serve as a reminder to do that work for ourselves so we stay balanced and healthy as we age.

One of the best things about horses is their non-judgmental nature. They embrace the now moment and what is: full acceptance. We can learn from their way of being and their environment. We would never judge an older tree or want a branch to be skinnier. Why do we do it to ourselves?

Horses can be way-showers for us on how to accept the aging process and how our body changes and adjusts. They would remind us that physical looks are not what truly matters, but that our energy, lifeforce, and loving presence have a much bigger ripple effect.

The next time you go to judge your gray hairs, remember how you find it adorable on a senior horse and apply that compassion and kindness to yourself. Confidence will grow from there!

“We are more than what we do, we are here to be.”

—A senior horse on work and retirement

We attach so much meaning, identity, and purpose to being able to work. So often horses are abandoned because of their age, supposedly not “earning their keep”—a saying that drives me and my horse-loving community a bit bonkers. 

However, our purpose is not connected to just our work in the world. Our purpose is to love and be loved. A senior horse is the perfect teacher of this concept, one that will take us far when practiced.

We have to ask ourselves what our horses truly need and deserve after they have been a part of our lives for so long and provided entertainment, sport, work, and companionship. I personally believe they deserve to be treated like royalty and pampered after so much dedication. Yet many discard them, and they can end up in precarious situations.

Tucker’d Out Ranch Rescue, based in the front range of Colorado, takes in many of these horses. Another is Saffyre Sanctuary in Los Angeles, Calif. I’ve been blessed to work with horses from both facilities in my equine-partnered life coaching practice and helped them with fundraising or animal communication and healing services when needed.

Rescues that specialize in senior horses are incredible at providing a safe haven for their last chapter and making sure a horse that isn’t ready to pass gets to live and end his life on a great note. It can be harder to take these types of horses in if they have extensive medical needs, and because their time is limited, getting emotionally attached to them can create an added difficulty.

At both of the rescues mentioned above, the horses are cared for by the humans who love them, and while they are providing a service to the animals, the horses also provide a service back. They comfort the volunteers who come to clean, they participate in community and educational events, or they are rehabilitated and adopted out to forever homes to become new companions.

I’ve watched both of these rescues completely turn senior horses around even though they once seemed hopeless and helpless. With good food, friends, and care, they became young at heart again.

“All of life matters and is precious; be there for those in need and you will feel blessed.”

—A senior horse on service

One of the ways senior horses are partnering with humans is in the equine-assisted psychotherapy/equine-assisted learning (EAP/EAL) space. They do groundwork exercises to help all types of people with mental health, emotional intelligence, leadership, and more.

Hooves & Heroes, a non-profit based near Seattle, Wash., has predominantly senior horses in their program. They specialize in supporting veterans and first responders.

Led by Sonia Jorgensen, she finds great joy in how her older horses support those coming for stress reduction. Jorgensen spent her career working in healthcare and finally made the leap to leave corporate life and go full-time into her service-based business.

She has found that her horses enjoy having more time with her now and love to work alongside her. They find that the veterans who come need support and to see a model of collaboration that her herd demonstrates.

Her seniors show the participants how beneficial staying calm and grounded can be and the reminder that wellness begins within. Her horses are happy to be working, and seem fulfilled serving the local community.

“Breathe and be with us, dip into the silence and remember that time is an illusion and all that matters is now.”

—A senior horse on wisdom and grace

Older horses have seen and been through a lot. They have often witnessed multiple homes, humans and living conditions, as well as many other horses and training styles.

They have silently observed humans and have a lot to share. They exude a presence of confidence and clarity based on a life fully lived. If only humans were willing to slow down and breathe with them, they can receive from this field of wisdom, which in some ways is like talking to a grandparent who has lived much more of life.

This is the work I most enjoy doing through the human-horse-heart connection in the EAL space. I create mindfulness containers for healing, coaching, and intuitive guidance to surface just by meditating with horses, brushing, watching them or journaling.

I have been blessed to have been given two senior off-track Thoroughbreds that were once performance athletes, later passed around because they weren’t ridable anymore. I’ve watched them blossom with a new “career” as a partner in equine coaching and become so enamored with teaching and helping humans that they often leave their food just to be with clients. They are proof that a good forever home that sees them as sentient beings and doesn’t need them to be ridden can still help realize their potential.

There is simply an energy of grace to watching these seniors work, whether it’s how they nuzzle a human’s cheek when they need it or intentionally move around a chair as a person surrenders to receiving from them. It’s an incredibly moving experience for both myself as the facilitator and the clients as they sit in awe and wonder that wise, older horses want to make a meaningful contribution to their lives before they pass.

Their remarkable selfless service and lives are significant, and they deserve to be honored, remembered, and immortalized.

This article about lessons learned from senior horses appeared in the October 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Every time we visit the barn, sit atop a horse, or even just comb a mane and tail, the noble equine is teaching us silent lessons. Some of their teachings are funny and some are more heartfelt, but they’re all worthwhile if we’re willing to pay attention.

Here are just a few priceless ways horses have enlightened me over the years; surely some of these life lessons will resonate with other equine enthusiasts as well.

Treats really do make everything better.

Who appreciates a treat more than a horse? Horses are so big, they work so hard, and yet a little peppermint or tiny sugar cube seems to make their day. 

Perhaps that scoop of ice cream after a long day at work is just what you need to perk yourself up. Go ahead and add some sprinkles. Enjoy!

Daily grooming makes a huge difference.

Regular conditioning treatments and brushings are necessary to maintain a horse’s healthy coat, mane, and tail. Taking the time to indulge in some grooming sessions for ourselves isn’t such a bad idea either. Getting our nails done now and then, our hair trimmed, or our sore back massaged adds up and makes a big difference in how we feel about ourselves. 

The takeaway? Buy the coconut-scented bubble bath. Get that hot pink pedicure. Heed this lesson horses teach and take care of yourself and feel your best.

Like a fine wine and a good horse, humans get better with age. 

Sure, that handsome bay gelding may have a few less teeth as he gets up in years, and we might have a couple of extra silver strands scattered in our hair and a few more wrinkles—I mean laugh lines—spread across our face as we age, but there are benefits to getting along in years, too.

The oldest horse in the barn is often the favorite. He’s the one we trust with our littlest or newest riders. He’s the one who deserves some extra attention after the work he’s put in over the years. 

Maybe getting older isn’t so bad when we gain friends and wisdom along the way. As we age, let’s try to be as kind to ourselves as we are to our sweet senior horses.

Being part of a herd is comforting.

Who’s in your herd? There’s nothing like the comforting feeling of being part of a like-minded pack who has your back. 

If you’re scratching your head, pondering if your circle of friends has your best interests at heart, it might be a cue that it’s time to expand your horizons. Try another pasture. Maybe there’s someone else in the neighboring field who will make you feel at home no matter where you are. 

Horses feel secure and at ease with trusted companions. We should take this lesson horses teach us to heart. We deserve it.

Treat others how you want to be treated.

How many times since childhood have we heard this old adage? Horses remind us of this bit of wisdom every day without saying a word. A gentle nudge is often more effective—and much kinder—than an aggressive kick. 

A nice pat on the neck for good behavior goes a long way to reward that pony of yours. She lives for that pat. Making time to be kind and gentle to others is a truism for horses and people. Be good, feel good, and get good back.

Nobody’s perfect.

Virtually every rider in the history of time has been humbled by a horse. We can be proud and confident, absolutely certain we have mastered a particular maneuver with a sprightly young gelding, only to take a tumble when he spooks at the blue bucket someone dared to leave in the arena. Or maybe we still cringe thinking about the time we were dead last in a horse show when all our non-horsey friends finally came to watch. Or perhaps we simply can’t convince our horse to do the exact thing that we really want her to do, like pick up the correct lead, no matter how many times we try. 

Horses remind us that we’re, well, human. We make mistakes. We’re far from perfect. In fact, they seem to take pleasure in being the first ones to point that out.

Perhaps we can all be more like the horses we know and love with a dollop of deep conditioner here, a sprinkle of humility there, and a chocolate chip cookie thrown in the mix. We mere mortals can strive to keep on trotting and to live in the moment, no matter how red in the face we may be, how many gray strands are sprouting on our head, or how challenging it can be to find our herd. 

Let us never stop listening to our horse’s quiet lessons. Life is short. Let’s enjoy the ride.

This article about the lessons horses teach us appeared in the May 2020 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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“Well, I’ll never do that again.”

You’ve probably uttered that sentence more than once. I certainly have, and I’m not embarrassed to admit it. While I’ve flirted with disaster on numerous occasions, and appeared a fool on others, I’ve at least learned not to repeat the misbegotten scenario. I’ll give you a few examples.

Lessons From Horses – Nighttime Knockout

First, there’s the time that I suffered a concussion and extensive facial bruising due to a lackadaisical approach while wrapping the legs of my mare Barbie. It happened midway through a multi-day show.

It was well after dark when I got Barbie back to her stall, and we were both exhausted. I even lacked the energy to remove my boots and helmet. Bleary-eyed, I allowed Barbie to dig into her dinner while I crouched down beside her, the bottle of liniment and pile of wraps by my feet.

Her front legs were neatly massaged and bundled up when I shifted to her hind legs. Barbie’s rhythmic munching, combined with my methodical rubbing of her tendons, lulled me into complacency. I plopped down on my butt, sitting like a lump in the straw, while I finished wrapping the last leg.

Suddenly I was on the other side of the stall, the back of my head slammed up against the wooden kick panel. I could feel pressure building on the bridge of my nose, the result of a hoof that had grazed the visor of my helmet.

Needless to say, I had some explaining to do to my trainer the next morning. Plus, I learned to never sit down next to a horse’s legs. Even if you’re tired and your horse is the sweetest pussycat in the world, don’t do it. Ever.

Lessons From Horses – Out of Reach

Then there was the time I put my horse’s ground-tying skills to the ultimate test and failed. Enamored of the local wildflowers, I’d made a habit of riding my Paint gelding, Wally, into the prairie and scrub oak to gather pretty petals. I’d dismount, drop Wally’s reins and gather wildflowers while he munched fresh grass.

On this particular day, Wally decided to venture off. It began with him moseying just a few steps forward, but as I reached for his reins he began to trot. I jogged after him until his long flaxen tail unfurled and he broke into a stiff-legged gallop. In an instant he was gone, disappearing over the hillside like a phantom Mustang.

I dropped my harvest and began running. Soon gasping for breath, I continued walking after him. My emotions ranged from anger at Wally to disappointment in myself, and settled on the abject fear that my beloved horse would eventually reach the paved road. What if he was struck by a car?

I must have trudged 5 miles or more in my boots and spurs until I finally caught up with him. Wally had safely jumped the wire wildlife fencing (which I suppose is a credit to our dabbling in eventing) and then galloped for several miles down the dirt shoulder that ran parallel to the road.

Fortunately, a couple puttering into town on their ATV spotted my horse. They’d been able to grab the reins that had eluded me. Aside from a wrenched shoe, Wally was fine. He almost seemed happy to see me. I rode him back to the barn and knew that I would never, ever trust his—or my—ground-tying skills again.

Halter Hang-up

The final lesson I’ll share is my most recent Equine Epiphany. It’s related to a basic rule of horse handling: “Always remove your horse’s halter when you turn him out.” The reason, of course, is that your horse could be mortally injured if the halter gets hung up or snagged on any type of fixture. I suppose I dismissed this rule for much of my life due to the convenience factor.

Then I moved to central Arizona.

There are several turnout paddocks at the stable where I now board Wally, and each one has a metal gate that suits the aesthetics of a medieval castle rather than a rustic ranch setting. Their sheer heft should have caused me to institute the halter removal rule, but it did not.

For several turnouts, Wally was fine with his halter on. He typically rolled and then hung out in the corner, gossiping with whichever horse was lounging in the neighboring paddock.

Yet this day he leaned against the gate, apparently testing its strength. He fiddled with its snap and chain. And then he tilted his head and somehow got his neck through the horizontal bars of the gate.

Startled by this predicament, he yanked himself back, and in the process his nylon halter looped around the gate’s latch. The horrified yelps from my fellow boarders sent me running back to the paddock.

I knew that if Wally were to resist violently and pull back, his hind legs could slip out from under him. The sudden shift of weight could break his neck. A thousand times over I kept hearing that horse handling commandment in my mind: “Always remove your horse’s halter when you turn him out.”

I took a deep breath and calmly walked toward Wally. I spoke to him softly and calculated every move of my body so as not to frighten him further. With one hand I rubbed his forehead. With the other I coaxed a few millimeters of slack from the crownpiece of his halter.

In one quick effort it unbuckled and Wally was free. Aside from some ruffled hair at the base of his ears, he was unmarked and unharmed. The moral of this story is, needless to say, “Always remove your horse’s halter when you turn him out.”

As you can see, a life spent with horses is a continuous process of learning important lessons. Please learn from your mistakes, and from mine as well.

This article originally appeared in the October 2018 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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