Stellar Senior

My AQHA gelding, Kisses Feature Star, is 32. I bought him as a 4-year- old and trained him to be a hunter/jumper. He was the best overfences horse! As my children grew, they took Star and showed him in the 4-H state and southern regional shows. He was a 4-H king! Both kids always placed in the top five and went to regionals. My daughter showed him in hunters, jumpers, trail, dressage, Western riding, Western horsemanship, and showmanship— all in one show!

As he aged and my kids f lew the coop, Star was ridden less and less. I’d moved on to my new horse and to dressage. After Star had been mostly retired for a few years, my husband decided he wanted to try a competitive trail ride with me in Louisiana. So I rode my horse and he rode then-25-year- old

From Facebook

We shared tips for saving your knees from pain when riding. Here’s what our Facebook fanbase had to offer in the way of advice.

Lana Alexander I recently used a wide and cushioned trail stirrup for the first time. Wow! What a difference. I’ve had several orthopedic surgeries on my ankles, feet, and knees. A wide trail stirrup is the way to go!

Robb Correll Depending on the length of the ride, try dropping your feet out of the stirrups and allow your legs to hang down. Doing so for just a few minutes will alleviate pain not only in your knees but your hips and back, too. knee pain.