Deborah & Winston - Faith, Family, Fitness, Fun - Part 3

*Faith, Family, Fitness, Fun* 

These four things are the pillars identified by Wooden Horse Wednesday's woman in the spot light for the past 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 which we have recapped for you in a short blog series. Today we will take a look at what happened through July and identify key takeaways. We sincerely hope you will continue following along with this inspiring woman.

https://50plusequestrian.com

July 2018

Deborah opens up the month of July with a story about two lessons she had on her AQHA mare, Belle. The first went very well. The second... not so much. Deborah describes a moment where Belle's "check engine light" came on, meaning that it was obvious something was wrong. Fortunately, the saddle fitter was just arriving to check Belle's saddle fit and do some body work. The horse was indeed sore and the saddle needed some work. Deborah says,

Folks….please listen to your horses!

A great support team includes not only your trainer, your vet, and the right farrier….but also your saddle fitter, bodyworker and chiropractor.

So Deborah took the weekend "off" and then returned to riding Monday on her other faithful mount, Winston. One of the many perks of an Equicizer is that they aren't much bothered by poor saddle fit and your friendly neighborhood equine chiropractor will probably benefit more from riding an Equicizer than adjusting him! 

Deborah had a few rides on Winston and one on Belle, and it's very interesting to see the difference when you get your body moving! Who ever said riding isn't a sport was WRONG!

Image 1: Deborah's day at the mall.
Image 2: A ride on Winston.
Image 3: A ride on Belle and a ride on Winston!

It’s pretty simple….healthy fuel, healthy relationships, fitness that’s fun….and Faith.

I would be remiss to recap Deborah's July posts without including some of her artwork. Notably, she painted a beautiful picture of Kayla's (Wooden Horse Corp's Office Manager) horse, Shorty! Deborah is a very talented artist. 

Shorty

Deborah closed out July with thoughts on transition work both on her horse and her Equicizer. Transition work can be very helpful to focus a horse. Unfortunately, not even transition work or "focusing" was enough for Belle as of Deborah's last ride. She is in pain and will need another significant amount of time off. In the meantime, we will follow along with Deborah as she rides Winston and she also has a lesson planned on a warmblood named Decor!

Every ride on Winston is productive!

I’m going to smile, and be the best rider I know how to be. 

 We are cheering for you, Deborah, and wishing the best for your Belle.

Key Takeaways

• Safety



Not too many people can
safely use weights & ride
a horse but you don't need
to steer an Equicizer!



• When we first joined up with Deborah, she was facing mental barriers from an old accident as well as from not having ridden in many months. She was also recovering from an injury of her own as her mare recovered. The Equicizer creates a safe, controlled riding environment where the rider can have a chance to rebuild their confidence and their muscle strength. 
• Remember when Deborah had her friends' kids over to meet the newly hatched chicks? The kids were so interested in the horses and, again, the "horse in the living room" was there to create a safe environment for the little girls to develop good habits and learn.

• Pace


• A lot of times when someone says you can "set your own pace", people might think of being able to go slow. It is very true that you can start out as slow as you like on the Equicizer. However, with Deborah we are able to see a more advanced rider setting a more intense pace. She does half halts, transitions, walk/trot/canter, and much more on her Winston. The Equicizer can provide as much therapy and exercise as you need and want!

• Versatility



No getting rained out on an Equicizer!



• Deborah fondly refers to Winston as "the horse in the living room". During summer rains, she was riding... inside! No indoor arena needed to maintain your riding schedule with an Equicizer in the house or barn. She even watched the Belmont stakes while riding!
• English, Western, therapy... you name it and your Equicizer can do it. Deborah is an accomplished Western Dressage rider and Winston came ready to rock and roll with her discipline.

• Efficacy


• It's very easy to see from the heart rate monitor that riding Winston and riding Belle both raised Deborah's heart rate and provided a significant cardio workout. In addition, the Wooden Horse allows you the opportunity to see yourself in a mirror or video and then adjust your position or hands in realtime. You can do exercises that might seem ridiculous on a real horse to encourage your body to be strong and even.

A very special thank you to Deborah Herbert for creating this blog and showing how much the Equicizer has become a part of her life and her riding career. We just love reading along and hearing about your rides with Belle, your amazing food ideas, and your special projects and other adventures.

The goal of this Wooden Horse Wednesday blog series was to get you caught up on Deborah’s journey and encourage you to follow along with her! While the recap gave“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.

www.equicizer.com

Compiled by Amanda Elia