Taking care of an animal can put a lot of strain on your back, and that strain is going to be increased when the animal you’re taking care of is a horse. Seeing to a horse’s many needs is a lot of work, and oftentimes, you’re going to be lifting heavy loads and bending down and twisting your body into uncomfortable positions. A new report geared toward people overseeing horses offers some valuable advice to those persons, but it could also help out anyone working outdoors with various pieces of equipment.
The first piece of advice is geared toward safely moving around loads of manure without compromising one’s back. Cleaning up may require a fork to sift through everything, and you don’t want to put your back out while you’re lifting. The tips are similar to using a shovel to life snow. Avoid any type of twisting motions. Even if you feel that the weight isn’t particularly heavy, you still want to lift with your knees rather than your back. Push forward when you can to avoid lifting entirely.
When you’re maneuvering a wheelbarrow around, you’ll once again not want to place too much strain on yourself. Keep your center of gravity, and in turn the weight of the item, in close to your body. Don’t try to hoist a wheelbarrow in any direction other than forward or backward. When you attempt to shift the whole thing to the side, you leave yourself open to sprains and muscle pain.
When it comes time to actually dump what’s inside of the wheelbarrow, don’t make the mistake of underestimating its weight. You’ll want to get some bend into your knees and then push upward, almost as if you were conducting a squat at the gym. Otherwise, your arms will be in an awkward position when you lift and your back is going to take much of the pressure. You can also avoid injury by letting one arm extend just a bit further as you lift so that the wheelbarrow moves slightly to the side with its contents.
Tending to a horse or really conducting any type of activity outdoors may require lots of trips. While the temptation is similar to that of bringing in groceries (lift everything at once to save time!), this can wreak havoc on your body. If you’re not comfortable carrying a large load in something like a wheelbarrow or any other kind of equipment, take the time to make a couple trips. Your body will thank you.