we’didn’t expect this book to be so entertaining, insightful, and informative.? We also didn’t expect such candid remarks about aging and riding. Although the author acknowledges that the best way to overcome fear is to ignore it and charge on, she also says that it’s OK to be worried about riding as you age, whether it’s about falling off or just having the ?energy and desire to prepare for riding and then for the ride itself.? She doesn’t shy away from discussing the downsides to aging (is there an upside’) or pain.? ?The obvious strategy for minimizing discomfort and pain in the saddle is simply to ride shorter distances.? Well said. (Actually, the entire book is ?well said,? one of the best-written, grammatically correct We’ve seen in a long time.) She quotes excellent sources, including EQUUS and Horse Journal, and discusses her own experiences, as well as 20 other older riders, all of which are inspiring and real.? you’ll feel like you’re talking with a friend when she discusses her own shoulder complications that brought her to the conclusion that she could no longer care for her own horses, or even tack them up. ?What to do’ First, of course, I cried, and then?also of course?I made a few decisions.? Then she explains how to handle problems like that. Growing old isn?t for sissies, especially if you’re addicted to horses.? Fortunately, we have Helen Hills to help us through with just the right sense of humor. ?Accept, adapt, and appreciate,? she says. ?Three A?s. Do you think that list is short enough for us elder horsefolk to remember it’? Yes, Helen, we do. Bottom Line: This book is a sleeper. One middle-aged, life-long rider couldn?t put it down. Best Suited For: Those who admit they’re aging and wonder if it’s OK to keep riding and how to do it. you’ll Be Disappointed If: You?re young, because you don’t have a clue. Still Riding At 80: With profiles of twenty elder riders and drivers. By Helen Hills. Haley’s Softcover, 2011. $17.95. Available at Haley’s, 800-215-8805.
