My doctors had no choice in the matter (unless I do the therapeutic riding route, then I have to get permission.)  I keep on telling them that the outside of a horse is good for the inside of a human.  Absolutely no compromise with the doctors, lots of compromises with the horses I ride, that's my motto.

When I went back to riding I went through the riding systems in my mind--side-saddle has great security but requires perfect balance from the rider.  That was out.  Dressage, gee, just going around the ring, how easy--NOT.  Dressage riding is totally EXHAUSTING for me.  That was out too.  I decided against Western because my balance was so bad, if I fall I want to get clear quick and not get hung up in the stirrup--besides I am worse behind the motion and I get vertigo if I sit behind vertical.  So I settled on Forward Seat (which I already rode) because for me it was the safest.  I don't jump, my balance is too bad, but the horses and I go toddling around the ring and I stay on and can even improve the horses some.  I just wish I did not get so tired at the canter, I can't get much further than half the ring and I am all wrung out.

Happy riding!

 

You got to go hill-topping, good for you!  My teacher occasionally tries to get me out--group trail rides or hill-topping, but I just get tired too quickly, plus being married to a bath-room.

You might enjoy my blog post http://www.barnmice.com/profiles/blogs/inspiration-from-long-ago.  It is how I got inspired by an Italian hill-topper I had read about decades ago.

The only way I am safe doing hunt-seat is to go to the pure Forward Seat, with my weight in the stirrups and my feet under me.  If I try to ride in a "balanced seat" or a dressage seat I loose all my security. 

For when I get too weak to ride the FS properly I have this over a century old A-fork western saddle with a DEEP seat (very high horn and cantle) which I feel very secure in because my seat is right above my feet.  The problem is lifting my leg high enough to be able to get in or out of the saddle!  This is a very secure saddle, once my horse did a totally unexpected very fast 180 degree whirl and I stayed on his back even though I was extremely weak and unbalanced that day.  The other problem with the A-fork is that there are no swells, it goes straight up from the skirt to the horn so the top of my thighs cannot seek security by bracing against the swells, and I have nothing I can lean on for dismounting.  Life is full of problems with no ideal solutions!

Isn't it great that we both have figured out how to go on riding when we are so unathletic?  Blessed horses, how could we go on without them, they so patiently put up with our physical limitations and give us perfect physical therapy for our MS.

I do a blog most weeks.  Check out the one I wrote today, it is about my MS problems with my hands and how I adjust.