Cheer me up- I'm turning 50!

[Ozalynda]

Yeah, that big black birthday is in a couple of weeks and I don't like the sight of it at all. I have too many things I want to do, too many horses to breed and raise, and compete with.

Aside from the fact that my hair is very grey and I can't fit into the same clothes even though my weight is the same, I don't feel that much different than 30 or 40. I plan on breaking at least two youngsters in the next couple of years. Even so, I am starting to count backwards in the order of "okay, if I put her in foal in 2011, foals in 2012, 5 years before he/she can start competitions, and then I am....58....and how many years can I expect to be competing..."

So please cheer me up with success stories of older riders. :yes:

[JRG]

Think of it in these terms. How many people get to do what they love in their lifetime..let alone being able to do it at 50! Break open the Champagne!!! Woo Hoo!!

[Bayou Roux]

My BO is 71, and I, coming 40 in August, cannot keep up with her. She's headed for her USDF bronze medal, and plans to join the Dressage Foundation's Century Club (where rider age + horse age = 100) in four years.

She's also still planning an indoor arena.

She has a poster in the kitchen that says "We don't stop playing because we get old. We get old because we stop playing."

50 is nothing, sweetheart, you've got a long way to go...:cool:

[TikiSoo]

Yeah well I'm right behind you by a year or two and feeling the same anxiety. Seems like the aches and pains are more pronounced these days and I wonder how much longer I can do this. Then I take a look at my cushy 35 year old friends that drink beer, eat chips and don't take as much as a walk!

If you're a woman around horses you already have an advantage over most- you're already doing more strenuous excersizing than those fools at the gym. And horses definitely keep your mind sharper than watching TV on a treadmill.

I've known a few older equestriannes and it just seems like the only thing that should come into play as you age is 1. start taking suppliments for bone strength after menopause and 2. graduate to a smaller horse

[Frank B]

BULLSHIT! The best part of your life is just beginning! Enjoy it!

Heck, I didn't start riding the jumpers until I was three years older than you.

[goeslikestink]

frank B------- seconded -- am 53 so what who cares my life and i willl live to the full thanks

[Laurierace]

It beats the alternative! Happy Birthday!

[oldenmare]

According to my mother, 50 is the new 30, thus 60 is the new 40. So she is now only 45.

And of course, I still act like I'm 12, but that's a different story.

So - HAPPY 30th!!!!

[Saidapal]

Well, I'm 55 so I can say:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

Seriously, except for needing glasses and being a little stiff now and then I still do everything I was doing at 49.

But my hearing, now that's something else. I was driving to work this morning and heard "Mini bars don't survive crashes well" And I thought "Huh?" Well, the story was really about Mini Cars. Oh well, they say getting old is a bitch. Guess they are right. Since I have no choice I will fight it to the bitter end!

[f4leggin]

I'm right there with you... I'll be 50 in August. So.. 1959 was a VERY good year!!!

Jill

[SLW]

My 50th arrives in November. I foxhunt twice a week with two folks who are 78 years old- they do not aspire to be my inspiration but they are. Ditto the whole flock of '60 Somethings' hunting.

[LisaB]

You're not dead
and you're not 60
:p

[Ozalynda]

Yes, 1959 was an extraordinary year! I can see there are at least two others of you of the same vintage :)

About reading glasses, that is one of the only problems I notice as far as my riding goes. I ride endurance and I can't read the flippin' maps! I finally broke down and bought a pair of cheap drugstore reading glasses and tucked them in my pommel bag. They may look funky but at least I ride the right course now! :winkgrin:

Thanks for all the encouragement. One of my rolemodels is a very good friend of mine who at 73 is still out doing all the mucking out, riding out on the the three-year-olds, driving 5 hours with a horse trailer to shows, etc.

[Dispatcher]

You're only as old as you feel. Things change as we age, but somehow we all adjust. I'm happy to be a 1951 model. Gosh--you must think I'm ancient!!!

[Bogey2]

I just turned 50 and the AARP has been hounding me for months:lol: Then my doctor started on the "you have to set up a colonoscopy soon" talk:eek:
Other than that and more visits to the hairdresser I am doing ok!

[arabhorse2]

You'll survive. ;)

I'll be 51 this year, and except for being stiffer and slower in the mornings and a little more "fluffy" than I used to be, I feel great. :D

Mentalpause hasn't been too bad, although I could power NYC for at least 24 hours with the energy I give off during hot flashes! :lol:

I'm much calmer and more focused than I used to be, plus the experiences I've had have helped to give me a greater insight on myself, other people, and the world around me.

I don't miss my hormonal "everything is a TRAGEDY" 20s at all. I do miss the firm body, but not much else.

Sure, my butt and boobs are racing to see which of them will reach the ground first, and instead of a 34 C I now wear a 34 LONG, but I'm more comfortable with myself than I've ever been. :yes:

It's a glorious time of life. Don't think of life as being half over, because you have plenty of time left to do what you want, and less of a desire to fit in with the crowd. :cool:

[Bayberry64]

I also am approaching the big 50 and my inspiration is Betty Oare. I just watched her ride two AO horses at Devon and lay down some nice trips. She came out of the ring and was not even out of breath. I think she is amazing!!!!!

[chai]

lol, I'm already there and honestly, it's just a number. What really matters is how you feel about who you are. I sat for the LSAT this past week with 45 recent college grads and one other, ahem, mature, woman like me. I loved their freshness and enthusiasm but it also occurred to me that at 50, I have so much more life experience and that's valuable.

So enjoy your birthday! Once you hit 50, I think we should just throw the numbers away. :-)

[eventchic33]

At 80 years old my Grandma was still out in the barn cleaning stalls. She had kinda a fetish. She would put gloves on and get on her hands and knees and pick stalls out by hand. We had some mighty clean stalls.

She was ultimately done in at 87 by her 180# Newfoundland dog when he knocked her down while bringing him in one evening. She hit her head and had an unstoppable bleed. My point being that she never felt old and didn't consider her death due to old age.

[pj]

50 is nothing, sweetheart, you've got a long way to go...:cool:

Right on!! I'm old enough to be your Mother and I'm here to tell you fifty IS nothing.
I'm still doing and plan to keep on for a good while.
The main thing is to Keep on. You've heard "use it or lose it"? Use it, Gal.

[Arcadien]

You'll survive. ;)

I'm much calmer and more focused than I used to be, plus the experiences I've had have helped to give me a greater insight on myself, other people, and the world around me.

It's a glorious time of life. Don't think of life as being half over, because you have plenty of time left to do what you want, and less of a desire to fit in with the crowd. :cool:

Love these comments, going to have to save those two!

I'll be "only" 43 in a month, but couple weeks ago I was feeling flabby & just joined a gym.

First day there I met a lady who is 48 and never worked out before a few months ago. She have been working out 3 months and looks *awesome* and can perform on par with any of the other gym bunnies - and out perform plenty of the lazier youngsters! She's become one of my role models now.

Then if I ever need a reminder that age is just a number, I enter another long distance race. Never fails, I'll be slaughtered by a bunch of 50 & 60 yr old runners, even a handful of 70's & 80's! Humbling but excellent attitude adjustment. If you don't want to experience being bliztzed by a silver headed althlete in an actual race, just look up the local road race results by age - or for that matter, triathlons! I think some (most?) people just think that when they reach a certain age, time to give up on themselves in certain areas. Obviously not everyone agrees, and they are out there showing what can be done!

Anyway, thanks again, arabhorse2 for those sage bits of wisdome I quoted,

And to OP, have a happy birthday girl! Then just look onward and upward & set about making & working towards your latest goals,
:)
Arcadien

[arabhorse2]

Anyway, thanks again, arabhorse2 for those sage bits of wisdome I quoted,

:D :D :D

[Go Fish]

Whipper snapper...:lol:

[tcgelec]

Well I didn't start riding at all until I was 45. Had never been on a horse except maybe a hack while on a date in the late seventies. I'll be 56 next month. I built a barn and care for 4 horses as well as running my regular trade contracting business. After a show-dad career, I became a competitor 2 years ago. Me and my now 9 yo paint run BN in unrecognized eventing horse trials. We took champion in our local combined training association year end awards last year.
This year, in addition to the eventing, we began showing low jumpers in the rated horse shows.
Yeah, so I guess you could say life begins at 50. My horsey life did anyway. Not many aches/pains, not enough to speak of anyway. I'm fine after the shows but I do need a nap after an hour jumping lesson though. My 22 yo trainer works DannyBoy and I pretty hard.

I'm looking forward to doing recognized eventing shows/horse trials in Area 1

[Susan P]

I'm 56 and I'm just ticked off because when I was in my 20's and 30's, 55 year olds were considered seniors and got 10% discounts and free coffee at McDonald's. Now that I'm 56 they've pushed it back to 65 again. I think that stinks! Otherwise life is ok and I have more than I've ever had in my life and I spend it all on my animals and grandkids. Grandkids are much better than kids, I can borrow them and give them back.

[flea]

58 here, doing Novice/Training eventing. I don't know if you are a man or woman, but as a woman I feel better now than I did around 50. Menopause over, child grown and married, its my time now. I do find that if I don't jump for a while I have some anxiety, but it leaves after a while. My main advice is don't stop riding!

[Quin]

I'm thinking we may need a "Vintage 1959" clique here!

BUT..............an envelope came in the mail just a few days ago that I *know* is that blasted "Happy Birthday" card from the AARP. And I just can't bring myself to open it.

[Bluey]

Aging is different for every one of us.

Grandma was still riding out on her old horse every morning at 84, as I started exercising the first two colts of the day, right up the canyons and back.:cool:

[mswillie]

Yes, 1959 was an extraordinary year! I can see there are at least two others of you of the same vintage :)

About reading glasses, that is one of the only problems I notice as far as my riding goes. I ride endurance and I can't read the flippin' maps! I finally broke down and bought a pair of cheap drugstore reading glasses and tucked them in my pommel bag. They may look funky but at least I ride the right course now! :winkgrin:

Another 1959 vintage here. I'll be 50 in September. I started riding again in December after a 10 years without horses. I've lost 20 lbs. and feel better than I have in years.

As far as glasses go you may want to try Zenni optical. I got two pair of prescription glasses (one regular and one sunglasses) for 35.00 including shipping. I was worried about breaking my expensive "good" glasses at the barn. I've got a pretty severe astigmatism so the drugstore readers don't do the job. I love the Zenni glasses, the quality of the frames is fair but I actually think they did a better job grinding the lenses.

I wear the "cheap" glasses now for everyday use and the "good" glasses go to the barn. Best part is that if I do happen to break a pair I can replace them at a very reasonable cost. Their shipping is a little slow but I'm very happy with the glasses.

[Ozalynda]

You guys are GREAT! Thanks SO MUCH for the cheering up - it has really helped! I love hearing these stories of people riding full steam in their "later years". BTW, I am a woman, and grandkids are still years away (hopefully!!) as my own children are just 13 and 15 themselves (ok, I am a slow starter...)

I am in Denmark, so no AARP here, but are you serious that membership starts at 50!!? Geez. :eek:

[arabhorse2]

I am in Denmark, so no AARP here, but are you serious that membership starts at 50!!? Geez. :eek:

Yep, they start stalking us when we turn 49..... :lol:

I have yet to bite the bullet and join, but I guess I will eventually. I was a little insulted when I got the first "Hey, join AARP you old coot!" letter, but I got over it.

BTW, my goal is to get into endurance riding. Casper's perfect for it (Energizer Bunny Arabian), and I'm hoping to eventually ride in the Tevis Cup. :yes:

[nuts4cowboybutts]

Congratulations on your birthday, youngster.

The best is yet to come!

[msj]

Ozalynda, you are just a kid yet! :) If you are still doing what you are doing now, you'll be able to do it at 58 and probably well into your 60's if not 70's! :D

I know at least one rider in her 70's that is not only still foxhunting (Joint Master no less) and still eventing and loving every minute she does. :)

[Mtn trails]

Yeah, that big black birthday is in a couple of weeks and I don't like the sight of it at all. I have too many things I want to do, too many horses to breed and raise, and compete with.

Aside from the fact that my hair is very grey and I can't fit into the same clothes even though my weight is the same, I don't feel that much different than 30 or 40. I plan on breaking at least two youngsters in the next couple of years. Even so, I am starting to count backwards in the order of "okay, if I put her in foal in 2011, foals in 2012, 5 years before he/she can start competitions, and then I am....58....and how many years can I expect to be competing..."

So please cheer me up with success stories of older riders. :yes:

I'm turning the big 5-0 myself at the end of July so I'm right there with you. I certainly don't feel 50 and I don't know if this qualifies as a success story, but after a very long hiatus I'm finally getting back into eventing, if in a small way right now. My husband who is 61 (or is it 62?) is still riding trails and in the mountains. In fact, the median age of the members of my horse club is around 50 or so and we all still spend long hours in the saddle. I say age is a state of mind and don't intend to quit riding until I can no longer handle it

[JoZ]

What a fine bunch of 1959ers we have here! I am one, also -- January though, so I went over the hurdle of 50 almost half a year ago. That is my only REAL problem with aging -- how fast time goes by. Who else remembers the ENDLESS summer vacations of childhood? Now summer can go by in the time it takes to sneeze. (Living in Washington doesn't help with that!)

Happy birthday, OP -- you will get through the gloom and realize it's just a number. Or, said tritely, you are as young as you feel, so try to focus on things that make you feel healthy and active and HAPPY! It really is "no big deal"...

[RidesAHaflinger]

I'm 55 and both of my older brothers died when they were 55. Cheer ME up. :eek:

Really, I don't need cheering up. I acquired two Haflinger weanlings 8 years ago and then the Haflingers and I took up carriage driving together. And then I trained them to ride. :D I have a blast every single day with my ponies. That's proof positive that age is but a number and as long as you remain physically and mentally active and continue to set and achieve new goals, that's really what a quality life is all about.

Every day that you wake up on the ground instead of beneath it is a gift to be used wisely. You won't get it back again. :winkgrin: