I am greatly encouraged by my physical progress now.  Knock on wood; I seem to finally be recovering from my 16 month old MS exacerbation.  I had been recovering last summer, but then I got appendicitis 9 months ago and that really set me back, but now I seem to be making progress each week, miniscule progress each week but it adds up over the months!  My walking is stronger though I still have a tendency to stagger, I have been able to do a LITTLE house work (hey, a little is better than none, I was able to wash dishes twice so far this year, an enormous achievement for me considering the state I‘ve been in,) and my seat on horseback has become firmer.

Wednesday morning it was cloudy, cool (low 40s F), and threatening rain.  I used my bit warmer and brought out Mia’s butt blanket, man, I had thought I was through with that a month ago!  Debbie is still up in PA with her mother so I did not get a lesson this week.  When my husband and I got to the stable no one was there.  I walked to the end of the barn and saw Mia by the riding ring, went back up to the front to get a halter and lead rope, and my husband and I went out to get her.  When we got out of the barn she was nowhere to be seen.  I looked around, groaned, and started walking to the grass at the far end of the ring, and still no Mia.  I went a little further and finally saw her back in the tiny paddock back in the trees searching out the spring grass and clover among the buttercups.  I let my husband catch up with me, gave him my canes and went up to Mia slowly.  She let me catch her, no fuss (the last time I caught, her years ago, she led me on a “merry” chase,) I led her back to my husband, reclaimed my canes with great relief, and walked all the way back to the barn.  And there I was, already tired and I hadn’t even groomed her.

Luckily my husband was there to help me groom Mia.  I collapsed while he brushed her, then I rasped her hooves and groomed her head and mane.  Mia is still shedding and simply adores being groomed right now, giving little snorts of pleasure, licking her lips and “chewing.”  By the time we tacked up it had warmed up so much I didn’t need to use the butt blanket on Mia since there was only a slight breeze.  I walked to the ring, got up, and started to ride.  Content to rest myself for the first part of my ride I gave Mia a much longer warm-up than usual.  As my energy came back a little I practiced my two-point gripping with my calf muscles, making sure to keep my heels down, ankles cocked, and keep my spurs away from Mia’s barrel, head up, shoulders back, knees down, and something happened, I got it, I felt secure instead of teetering.  Mia was still sort of stiff so we didn’t trot much, but most of our trots I was up in two-point, still feeling much more secure than usual.  And when I went to contact at the walk Mia was calm and willing.  I kept her on contact at the walk for almost 1 ½ ways around the ring, much better than my usual ¼ way around the ring!  At the trot Mia was much more irritated with my contact, but each time I was able to last long enough to get her out of her inversion, get her to relax her head and neck down and forward, and have a good transition down to the walk.

When I got home I was TIRED, after all I had done more Wednesday morning than I had been able to do for YEARS.  I spent the rest of the day in a fog of exhaustion, but it was worth it, I finally had proof that my body is finally getting better.  There is no way on earth I would have been able to do so much six months ago, back then just helping with the grooming and riding got me really tired.  It just was not possible for me to go and catch Mia back then, I would have given up and missed a chance to ride her on such a wonderful cool spring morning.

Friday my son took me to the stable, and he went out to get Mia while I brushed off her saddle pad and girth and got the grooming tools together.  We got Mia groomed, rasped (her hooves are growing FAST,) and tacked up.  The weatherman said it was a few degrees warmer than on Wednesday, but there was a stiff North wind so I put Mia’s butt blanket on to her great relief, it was chilly!  Mia was not quite as stiff as she had been Wednesday so I was able to trot earlier.  Mia still kept good contact at the walk until I got so tired I stopped so I would not ruin it for her.  She is keeping straighter when she backs up (i.e. I am getting better at it.)  I worked some on keeping her straight by just using my seat and when that was not enough my legs as we walked down the rail and across the ring, and we worked on turning with me just using my seat.  Some of the turns I had to use my hands and legs (she wanted to go to the gate,) but most of the time it was just my seat.  I was able to trot a little more so I was able to practice keeping my posting lower, and get a full half-ring up in two-point while gripping with my calf muscles.  Mia continued to give me good contact at the walk, and she gave me several strides of decent contact at the posting trot, and I was very pleased.  When we backed up I tried something new, instead of giving my leg aid by pressing into her barrel, I moved my lower leg to the rear a little bit, sort of pushing back against her rib cage where it flares out behind my leg.  She gave me four full strides of backing before I halted her and gave her a good neck rub before sending her forward.

And I was able to ride for 5 minutes longer than usual!  When I got home I was tired and I needed to rest for most of the day, but that evening I was able to wash the dishes for the second time this year, I am improving!!!!

The simple pleasures of life.  Being able to walk, being able to work with the horses some, being able to become a more effective rider, and just being able to do something more than just lying around in bed all day.  Being able to get really tired and recovering from it in hours instead of days.  The birds are singing, it is getting warmer, we have gotten enough rain so Spring is bursting forth with vigor, and life is wonderful.

Have a great ride!

Jackie Cochran