I have been riding on and off ever since my Dad introduced me to horses when I was a child. That fateful day when at three years old I looked up at a stable door and a big chestnut nose came down at me and sniffed me!
I was instantly bitten by the bug!

I have ridden all sorts and most of the time, sad to say there has been long gaps between the times I rode or spent time with horses.

I had always wanted a horse and my dream came true in the form of a loan horse called Adam. I fell in love with him the moment I saw him! He was a big bay TBx and had competed to a high level before he was retired and I took him on loan after a number of other people.
He was an excellent school master and taught me an awful lot. He gave me back a lot of confidence that I had lost after a nasty fall from a really crazy horse - if I had known the horse was that nuts I'd never have got on it!
Adam and I developed an amazing bond and we worked well together. I only hacked him out and did a bit of schooling but at that time I was very happy just to do that.

Sadly Adam I and had to part ways after I damaged my back in a really stupid accident. I fractured a vertebra in an awkward place and was told I wouldn't be able to ride again.
I was pretty devastated and over the course of the years of pain medication, hydrotherapy and physiotherapy, I kept asking that question to all the Dr's and consultants I saw.
There was always a divided opinion, those that say yes, but be careful and those that say an absolute no.

But Something was still not right.I was still in a lot of pain several years after the accident. So with prompting from my Dad, I finally agreed to go see a Rheumatologist.....after all I had nothing to loose and the possibility of a number of questions answered.
I was diagnosed with severe Fibromyalgia (FMS) and given a lot of advice and help. FMS is a chronic condition, which is painful and debilitating. The sufferer has wide spread pain all over the body with painful spots around the joints and ribs. we also have chronic fatigue, short term memory loss, brain fog, flu like symptoms including headaches and migraines and flare ups. the list of symptoms is long and everyone has different symptoms to everyone else. But we all have flare ups in some degree of ferocity.

I had hit a down, point by then, I was unable to work because of the illness and unable to get exercise from swimming because of the cold water,(I am very sensitive to cold temperatures.) and other forms of exercise either were not me or caused nasty flare ups.

On a visit ti my consultant we were discussing a suitable form of exercise, I mentioned that horse riding was my "buzz" and that I had been told I couldn't ride because of my back. He sided with the Dr's that said try but be careful, and followed it up by don't fall off! I laughed at that point.
I umm and ahhhd for a long time. this was something I really wanted to try, but I was a little apprehensive.

So, I took the plunge and booked myself in for a 30min private lesson, just to see how I coped with it. My local riding center were excellent and my instructor was happy for me just to ride around at a walk with a few paces of trot. That lesson boosted my confidence and I was on a natural high. that natural high lasted 3 or 4 days! I was back in the saddle again.

I contacted my local RDA and applied to ride with them, as they are more equipped to deal with my situation. I was supported by my Dr and my Rheumatologist consultant and I now ride once a week with a really nice group.

My instructor is AMAZING! and I focus on each lesson as best I can, depending on how my illness is effecting my concentration on that day. All of our helpers and horses are superb and I could not be in better hands!
My first few lessons were interesting mainly because I rode a very cute grey pony called Fergal, but we just didn't click. so my instructor tried me out on a very handsome bay called Beech and we got on ok, but with my long gap since I last rode, I had lost my seat and forgotten a lot!
So I went back to basics.
I now ride Pink, a very sweet horse, who is actually pink! well, he's a strawberry roan.

My group and I are busy working towards a dressage competition in May. I am very excited as it will be my first ever dressage comp! I will be riding Pink and I hope and will try,not to let Pink and everyone down, by letting my nerves get the better of me.
I am determined to make everyone proud!

The lessons are a suitable length for me, and even though each ride usually takes me any where from 3 - 6 days to recover from, I am about ready for the following week!
I hope that this will help me gain a better level of fitness and maybe even help with dealing with my illness.