What does healthy aging and active independent living look like at 91? For Village Shalom resident Sarah Hopkins, it looks a lot like holding the reins, picking up the pace and occasionally being told by her trainer to slow down. Sarah lives in one of the Villas at Village Shalom, a senior living community in Overland Park, Kansas, where staying active isn’t about slowing down or giving up the things you love. For Sarah, it means continuing a lifelong passion for horses—and even having the courage to learn something completely new at 87.
A Lifelong Love of Animals
Sarah grew up on a farm. When she was young, her father asked if she wanted a horse.
“No way,” she told him. “I want a bicycle.”
And ride that bicycle she did. Sarah jokes that she practically rode the wheels off it, traveling from place to place until she was old enough to drive.
The horses would come later.
Sarah went on to earn her Ph.D., but by the time she finished school, she was ready to get out of the library and spend more time outdoors and around animals.
That love of animals has remained constant throughout her life. Sarah has supported the Kansas City Zoo for more than 20 years and became a docent emerita. She’s also always had cats.
But eventually, she decided she wanted something a little bigger.
In 1975, Sarah got her first horse.
Falling in Love with Arabian Horses
Sarah was drawn to Arabian horses—their smaller stature, sculpted faces, expressive eyes and distinctive high tails. She also found them pleasant and enjoyable to work with.
Soon after getting her first horse and learning to ride, Sarah began showing.
She loved the competition, but showing horses was also about having fun and meeting people. Some of the friendships she made through the horse world have lasted for decades.
Over the years, Sarah owned 17 horses, all named after literary works or characters. Among her favorites were Danny, Bush and, of course, the beautiful—and sometimes sassy—Mattaleine.
Danny and Bush earned many awards, but Mattaleine became a star. During a 20-year show career, she earned just about every honor available to her at the local and national levels.
Mattaleine competed as a park horse, a show division that showcases an Arabian horse’s athleticism, animation and high-stepping movement.
And Mattaleine apparently had plenty of all three.
Sarah still laughs about the time one of Mattaleine’s high kicks sent a horseshoe flying out of the arena. Luckily, no one was hurt.
Learning Something New at the Age of 87
Sarah continued riding into her late 70s. She remembers the last time she rode Danny and knowing, even before getting into the saddle, that it would be her final ride.
But she wasn’t ready for horses to disappear from her life.
Then, at 87, Sarah approached her trainer, Mike Grimm, with a request.
“Mike, teach me how to drive.”
Driving a horse means sitting in a cart behind the horse and guiding its direction and pace with the reins rather than riding in the saddle. Sarah had tried it once when she was younger—and hated it.
In fact, it scared her. She didn’t like the feeling of being behind the horse and not having the same sense of control she had in the saddle.
At 87, however, Sarah wasn’t afraid.
She had lived her life, she explained. If something happened, she was okay with that. She certainly wasn’t going to let fear keep her from trying something she wanted to do.
So Mike agreed to teach her, with the condition that she wouldn’t start out alone.
And Sarah picked up the reins.
Finding a New Way to Do What She Loves
The best part was the horse waiting for her.
Mattaleine had retired from showing, and driving gave Sarah a new way to spend time with the horse she had loved for so many years.
She remembers the first time she held the reins with Mattaleine in front of her.
“I finally get to do something with my Mattaleine again,” she thought.
After only a few weeks of lessons, Sarah was driving on her own.
Four years later, at 91, she’s still doing it.
Sarah travels to Raymore at least once a week to drive and spend time with Mattaleine. And these days, her trainer has a different concern.
Sarah likes to go fast.
There’s a slow trot and a fast trot—and Sarah definitely prefers the fast one.
“Slow down, Sarah!” is a reminder she hears regularly.
Mattaleine, meanwhile, enjoys a slightly more pampered lifestyle. She has an indoor arena and, according to Sarah, has very strong feelings about flies. After about an hour outdoors, she’s usually ready to return to her personal fan and her fly-free surroundings.
“She is a well-maintained princess,” Sarah said with a laugh.
Healthy Aging Means Continuing to Live
Sarah moved to Village Shalom six years ago because it was close to her previous home and she liked the community she found here.
For older adults considering independent living, Sarah’s story is also a reminder that moving to a senior living community doesn’t mean giving up the life, interests and relationships you’ve built. Independent living can provide the freedom to continue doing what you love while enjoying the connections, activities and support of a community around you.
Staying healthy as we age isn’t only about exercise or physical fitness. Social connections, lifelong learning, meaningful activities and having a sense of purpose can all be important parts of aging well.
For Sarah, that means staying connected to animals, friendships and an activity that has brought her joy for nearly 50 years. And when riding was no longer the right choice, she didn’t give up something she loved.
She found another way.
At 87, Sarah tried something that frightened her when she was younger. At 91, she’s still making the trip to Raymore, still spending time with her beloved Mattaleine and still holding the reins.
And every once in a while, someone still has to tell her to slow down. For Sarah, that might be the best definition of healthy aging there is.
Learn more about Independent Living at Village Shalom or schedule a personal tour by contacting Laurie Ralston at [email protected] or call 913-266-8410.
