Friday, September 02, 2011

Fitness Challenge

Amy  signed up to do a Fitness Challenge... I thought .... Oh I need that!!! Maybe if I feel pressure I will get up and do something. So far so good. The goal is to get 100 miles in before the end of September and I am at 66.   But a few of those miles were hard earned this week.

Tuesday Morning ( my day to sleep in) I hear - "keep her walking, I am waking up your mom" . Now just so you know - this is not a good sign.  The only *hers* we have on the place, besides my sweet dog ( who was sleeping too) are horses. And if horses have to keep walking - we have a problem!

 I got all dressed up - pink shorts, white tee, brown cowboys boots ( can you imagine LOL)  and ran outside to see my middle son walking a horse, who kept wanting to lay down, and roll..... which means she was colicking... NOT good!

It was my turn to walk her. And boy - I tell you what - I walked her for over an hour, with her head held high, and every once in a while we had to run, to keep her from going down. 

You remember those toys that if you push the bottom, the figure on the top crumples?  I had one of those - only she is 1,200 pounds and a LOT taller!

Wrangler Man got back in and he walked her for an hour, and then her tummy ache came out (gross)

She settled down, but about every 15 minutes I kept checking on her. Horses are pretty easy to lose to colic, I guess. I learned a lot more about it after the fact! 

All that to say - does running/walking with a horse for a million minutes in boots ( and exercise clothes) count as exercise? Or is it just your every day life, run of the mill walking?

Oh - and because we always need a picture - here is my son, running a cross country race yesterday while I stood and sweated on the sidelines....

7 comments:

JudiB said...

OMG..you are so lucky she was ok. My gelding coliced this spring..and had to call the vet. We caught him in time..but it was only because I know his ways..and he was not acting right. The rolling need started just after I made the call..and he was a mess by the tiem she got there. This stuff ages us doesn't it.???lol..Always something with them happening to keep you guessing.
Good luck with the exercise..and yes it should count all the horse care!!!
Glad all is now ok and you can now relax..Judi B.

Impera Magna said...

Of course, walking a horse (in cowboy boots) counts as exercise! Glad to hear your horse is okay... scary!

Your son looks like a natural runner... and he's cute too!

Amy said...

Count 'em!
I'm sure your arms got a good workout too!!

And..nothing against your son, but with the temps in your area, I'd probably rather sweat on the sidelines than sweat (and overheat??) in the race. Hope water and ice was available for the runners!!!!!

Lori said...

walking. And banamine. and praying. (all with anxious calls to the local vet) Hey--ask me about worming with ivomec liquid orally and the horse COUGHED and inhaled it into her throat and almost died from suffocation when trachea swelled!

k. said...

I vote with the people who say count it. The goal of exercise (at least the cardio style is to get your heart rate up and sustain. I imagine the adrenaline got your heart rate up and the walking and continued worry and stress kept it there. Count it. Glad things turned out okay. k.

Anonymous said...

Colic is no fun at all! Been there, done that. Banamine is wonderful like Lori said...and walking, and walking, and more walking....

I am with everyone, count it. It might not have been the most aerobic workout you ever had, but holding a horse's head up is a weightlifting workout if I have ever seen one!

Glad everyone is well now!

Bari

Pat R. said...

It counts! Been there, done that, and it is NOT a normal, everyday activity....and can take hours! I'm so glad your mare is okay. I had a nice gelding (Cool Hand Luke) who would eat most anything. He got into the rhubarb and cleaned it out....was sure he would get very sick, but he basically 'belched' and just kept on going! We sure watched him close for many hours, tho.