Deborah & Winston - Faith, Family, Fitness, Fun - Part 1

*Faith, Family, Fitness, Fun* 

These four things are the pillars identified by this week's Wooden Horse Wednesday woman in the spot light for the next few weeks. 

Back in late April, Kayla introduced you to an inspirational woman named Deborah Herbert who was just beginning a journey with her Equicizer, Winston. In the months since, she has been sharing her story and we will recap it for you in a short blog series. As far as the background info (in case you missed it), here is a quick rundown:

• ·        Who? Deborah is a “50+” equestrian from sunny Florida. She is an equine artist (Hearthstone Studio), art education consultant, grant writer, and so much more! Until her injury, she was actively competing with her American Quarter Horse mare, Belle, in Level 3 Western Dressage. 

  

  Deborah and Winston in her home.

• ·        What? Deborah started a blog call “The50PlusEquestrian” to chronicle her journey back to competition-level fitness with her Equicizer, Winston. Her blog is an engaging look into her spiritual, emotional, and physical journey back to (and hopefully past!) the place she started when he arrived. As of late March, Deborah hadn’t ridden in six months, had broken her wrist three months prior, and was suffering from increasing anxiety over getting back in the saddle with every day that her mare was laid up with an injury of her own. 

  

  https://50plusequestrian.com/

• ·        How? Deborah originally got in contact with us hoping to find a used Equicizer. We were honest with her in replying that used Equicizers are very hard to come by. People generally hold on tight once they get one! That said, the stars aligned so that she was able to find a used Equicizer in Ohio and arranged for it to be transported to the Equicizer workshop. We packed it up and shipped it to her in Florida. 

  

  Winston and Beau the black lab.

• ·        Why? While Deborah’s goal of regaining her mental and physical competitive edge is a very clear one, there are many more “whys” in play. The answer to why she chose the Equicizer over strictly doing traditional physical therapy or exercise, is because there is nothing else that can so closely replicate the motion of a real horse and the muscle movements needed to ride effectively while also providing safety. You can work at your own pace, ensure safety, and not worry about training or untraining the horse.

The goal of this Wooden Horse Wednesday blog series is to get you caught up on Deborah’s journey and encourage you to follow along with her! While the recap here will “hit the high notes”, be sure to check out her blog page for more pictures, videos, healthy eating advice, and detail! We just love her narrative style as it shows her fun, quirky, and positive personality.

April 2018

So of course the first step of the process was the arrival of Deborah’s (in her words) dreamy buckskin. After some help from the kind-hearted delivery driver with getting the package up her driveway toward the house, Deborah was able to unpack, assemble, and get Winston in his stall…er…her living room, in 20 minutes!

Winston, you were worth the wait!

In the next installment of her blog, she writes of having developed a 30 minute workout regimen on the Equicizer after some good stretching. Deborah was kind enough to mention how the videos found on Equicizer.com were of great help to her as she learned to ride Winston. She also spoke of her fondness for the Equicizer Elastic Rein Attachments.

These little elastic wonders create that magical feeling, when reins are gathered up, with contact, a correct seat, following hands, stacked core, lower back strong yet supple….of an honest to goodness... REAL half halt!

By the time we reach mid-April, Deborah had posted about what an amazing impact eating mindfully and organically has had on her body. Warning: Don’t read this post if you are hungry! Likewise, she writes of noticing a substantial difference in her fitness since having the Equicizer to exercise on. Where regular exercise is a chore, riding Winston is a pleasure. She says,

In the month I’ve had the “horse in the house”…I can already tell a big difference. A difference in my attitude, my body and my joy, because although I AM exercising and eating right…I’m having fun doing it.

As April comes to a close, Deborah has us laughing alongside her as two little girls visit her home. She was able to divert their attention from the horse in the barn to the horse… in the house!! The Equicizer provided a safe and calm learning environment for the girls and for Deborah. 

Two adorable little girls took turns clambering like squirrels up onto Winston, held reins correctly, walked and trotted with perfect transitions and no rein snatching. What a joy!

Next we hear about Deborah’s progress with her mare, Belle, who had needed some time off. Fortunately, Deborah has a great trainer whom she trusts to both challenge her and gently guide her through her return to competition with Belle. One of her greatest hurdles, stemming from an accident years ago, is anxiety and this is not at all an uncommon issue for many equestrians. Again, this is where the Equicizer can provide a safe and calm environment to build confidence. It works for the beginners who were visiting the house and it works for Deborah who is a Level 3 Western Dressage competitor!

Winston is helping me rehab my body back into rider fitness, and I’m enjoying myself!

For today, our parting gift is this fun video Deborah made. You can really tell how fond she is of her "horse in the house"!

Check back with us next week for Part Two of this special three part series!

By Amanda Elia

www.equicizer.com