Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Maya Heard on June 25, 2009 at 12:26pm

Great advice Cindy...apart from my particular situation, the aging issue is something to think about and acknowledge. So much of life at any age is the small things, and being content with what we have. And I still can't believe I'm 56!

I'm struggling with my limitations now, and working through a lot of grief, much more than I expected & had thought I'd mostly resolved and accepted my "new" (unwanted) life. But it seems to be a never-ending cycle of acceptance and adjustment to just aging...no matter what the state of our health.

Permalink Reply by Jackie Cochran on June 17, 2009 at 1:17pm

If you have problems with a bit I recommend the cross-under bitless bridle or the scawbrig bitless, also the Light Rider bitless. I have MS, and I have had to take it REAL slow in getting back into riding. I have been back riding for around five years, and I am just beginning to get strong enough to work on my jumping position on the flat. I find it extremely exhausting to trot around the ring, and 1 1/2 times--well, I have to rest for a while.
I know being led around is exasperating after being such a good rider. But I have done it at the beginning, just to get my confidence back. Riding at a walk has been wonderful physical therapy for me, and it got me strong enough so now I can trot and canter.
START SLOW. STAY SLOW FOR MONTHS.
For your horse's navicular, emphasize to your farrier that you want the toes short. It also helps to have the hooves done more frequently, like every four weeks. Long toes put a lot of extra pressure in the navicular bone, increasing the inflammation and pain.
During these months of going slow-lots of walking-you will have plenty of time to train her to neck rein.

Permalink Reply by Fiona Hill on June 18, 2009 at 2:25am

Jackie, I am so glad that you are 'living proof' of the possibilities of taking it slowly and I think your message start slow and stay slow for months (or for as long as it takes) is the key here, as well as recognising that everything you do is useful, even riding at the walk. If you break it down and actually think about what is involved physically, mentally and emotionally in the seemingly simple activity of mounting up, then walking round an arena, there is an awful lot! We take for granted our ability to do so many things in life and it's only when something gets in the way of our ability to do those things that we realise how complex they actually are - but also how something that is so natural and par for the course for one person is a hard slog for someone else. I have never been brave enough to gallop a horse bareback, but equally I recognise that if it really was an ambition, then I would have found a way to achieve it! When you have been a good rider in the past, you will still be a good rider, even if physically you have to alter the methods you use, so don't lose sight of that. Redefining your ways of doing things doesn't mean failure, or giving up.

Permalink Reply by Maya Heard on June 25, 2009 at 12:50pm

Hi Jackie--I have thought about bitless bridles and wonder how well a horse can make that transition?
THANK YOU for sharing your very inspirational story of beginning to ride and the progress you've made. Start slow and stay slow for months. Yes. I am impatient, but that is the way to do it. And will avoid the awful physical crashes, as well as avoiding confusing Babe. Good advice about the shoeing. Babe is getting new shoes this morning--my husband is there right now. He shoes her with pads on both fronts, the back hooves are shoeless. I'm not so sure I trust him--he's ethical, but doesn't seem experienced. She gets new shoes every 6 weeks, so next time I'll go with my husband and talk to him about every 4 weeks...(btw the horse world has dramatically changed since I was last in it--i.e. shoeing the front hooves only--this is common at the stables, but back in the day it was all 4 or none. And tons of other new things...attitudes about graining, different kinds of hay/grass, & the huge number of Natural Horsemanship--a term I'd never heard of--tapes, books, etc. My uncle, an old cowboy and cattle rancher, taught me to ride when I was so young I don't remember...he taught me to repect and take care of the horse, how to stay safe, was never mean or cruel, didn't own a whip, but would not advocate jumping over barrels or some of the tricks Pat Parelli does. And his horses always trailered well, had good manners, etc...this is a whole new world for me)

Meanwhile I'll look into bitless bridles. I know I would feel much more comfortable & if Babe can make the transition without too much trouble, that's the way to go for us.

Thank you again for your very inspiration, hopeful response.

Permalink Reply by Jackie Cochran on June 25, 2009 at 2:37pm

I prefer the Nurtural Bitless bridles. I studied all the information on the net and this seemed to be the most foolproof of the bunch. Zoe has a lot of useful info on her web-site, nurturalhorse.com. I have never had any trouble changing a horse to this bitless (7 horses so far) in a riding ring. Just do not hang onto the reins, but of course you already know this.
Hasn't the horse world changed? Stick to the old fashioned stuff you were taught, including feeding. A lot of the new stuff will waste a lot of your limited energy. I don't do ground work because horses just can't help "testing" me and I am too unsteady for that. Doesn't matter, I am a horseman, and when I ride the horses go where I want at the speed I want, though sometimes it is eventually. LOL. Out of all the new stuff I have found one pad that really works, and a few real good bitless bridles (Nurtural and Light Rider). Everything else? I prefer the old-fashioned way.
The front shoes and no hind shoes? Because of kicking in the herd. This one you will probably have to get used to.

Permalink Reply by Horsey Heather on June 20, 2009 at 5:51pm

HI Victoria, I admire your determination to ride again with your fibromyalgia. I do not know much about the disease but know it is debilitating. Someone suggested doing ground work with your horse. I have been working with a natural horseman and he takes everyone back to basics and lots and lots of groundwork.Learning to ride in a hunter/jumper environment, we never did groundwork. I am amazed of the difference it made with my older horse (that I inherited from my daughter) and with me, so I am sure it would help you and Babe. It would also be a way for you to strengthen your connection with Babe on those days you are not up to riding. Maybe you can find someone in your area to help you. Another possibility would be to look into getting some tapes/DVD's of some of the better known people such as Pat Parelli or John Lyons. A quick search on the internet would give other resources. I know your goal is to gallop bareback, but enjoy the present and to chance to sit your OWN horse with your husband leading. As many have mentioned, you have a special guy to do that. Take it slow and enjoy the progress you have made. You are amazing!

Permalink Reply by Maya Heard on June 25, 2009 at 1:07pm

Thank you Heather! I need to work on my emotional issues (which were an unexpected "gift" lol) and getting myself in shape and doing groundwork. I mentioned above how the natural horsemanship thing wasn't around back in the day, yet after watching Youtube clips and buying a Clinton Anderson DVD series of the basics, I realize that the old cowboys I knew growing up, including my uncle, were practicing natural horsemanship in their own way...and Susie and I bonded because while we didn't play certain games, we did do a lot of fun stuff to keep things interesting for both of us. And I spent thousands of hours with her...she never learned to lounge, and in the new horse world she would be considered the Alpha mare. I'm actually glad the Internet wasn't around back then because I would have been really confused. I was very, very lucky to have been taught everything by those old cowboys--I had the basics and more so could deal with rambunctious horses, pushy horses, grumpy horses, problems on the trail, youngsters, spooky horses, etc. If my uncle were still alive I'd market him and get rich! Babe has a lot of natural curiousity and is fun to be with, I just need to get myself in shape enough to spend time with her.

Permalink Reply by Jan Jollymour on June 22, 2009 at 9:45pm

Hi, Victoria:

I am including the e-mail address for an amazing woman I met at the US National Para Dressage Chamiponships in Chicago in May. Her name is Beth, and her e-mail address is "bethrides@yahoo.com". She suffered a devastating and catastrophic brain injury as a result of complications with chemotherapy, but since that time she has learned to walk and talk again, has completed a Master's degree, and is riding competitively again. She is truly inspirational, and I know she could assist you with accessing therapeutic riding resources in California.

It's incredible to me that anyone would say that you should not be riding. You need to get involved with the US Para dressage movement - riders compete with EVERY possible kind of disability, and many of them have returned to open competition as well.

My mother has fibromyalgia, and finds that riding every day helps a great deal with pain management. She goes to the gym regularly as well, is 71, and won her Fourth Level dressage test at a National show this past weekend. She does need pain meds sometimes, but she finds that exercise is the best remedy. She has learned to cope with a certain level of pain all the time, and I think that lots of the advice given so far in this discussion would help you with that.

Good luck!

Permalink Reply by Maya Heard on June 25, 2009 at 1:12pm

Hi Jan, I will get in touch with Beth, even though I don't ride dressage. But I've not heard of the US Para dressage movement and it's really encouraging that it exists. And your mom--wow! She has fibro and can do all of that...amazing and gives me a lot of hope. Please tell her that for me--I am so impressed and again, so...hopeful. Thank you!

Permalink Reply by Heather Sansom at Equifitt.com on June 24, 2009 at 10:02pm

Hi, I havea some suggestions for fibromyalgia. I have a middle-aged riding client who has fibromyalgia. She attended one of my rider fitness classes for about two years once a week, and she was finally about to ride regularly and even canter after four years of not being able to do more than a few minutes of walk and trot once a week or so.
What she said helped her the most was the slower engagement of muscles. Using slower exercises to build neuro-muscular connection and strength, building core strength to suppor the rest of the body, and taking time for flowing motion deep stretching. She felt that doing a workout that engaged her whole body in flowing motions with minimal impact and lots of stretching helped energize her: immediately after each workout, and also through the week. Over time she developed more muscular stamina and co-ordination, and was able to go to those new stages of her riding.
Those are the generalities I can give you. The suggestions below on pilates are a good start. If you wanted to dig a little deeper into it you can do a couple things: you can post a shorter version of your question on my Ride Fit 1-2-3 blog on this site- I respond to one per week with recommendations. Secondly, I do work with clients I've never met face to face, online. Info is on my website. Also so you know, you can sign up on my website to get free monthly rider fittips.

Sincerely,
Heather Sansom

Permalink Reply by Maya Heard on June 25, 2009 at 1:26pm

Hi Heather,
your despription of my "fibro sister" is encouraging and helps give me a timeline for what I am probably facing--I seem to be at about her level when she began riding. I can handle that it could take 4 years to get to canter. (but I don't have to like it!) Everyone here is stressing the importance of fitness and that gives me a huge amount of hope--I can work on that. And by working on getting as fit as I can, I will get to the point where I can ride, slowly, but riding again. I'm going to begin TODAY to stretch and start moving...my goal is to eventually post a picture of me on Babe, bareback! With a bit of text saying that post-riding pain is minimal.

Thank you to EVERYONE for your help and inspiration and suggestions...it's much more than I ever dreamed of. You are all amazing. What a great group you are. I am so very grateful to all of you.

Permalink Reply by Linda White on June 25, 2009 at 9:52am

Hey Vicky, don't give up. If you can't go bareback yet, can you get your hands on a close contact saddle - borrow one? And as far as stirrups, there are several on the market now that swivel, so your knees don't stay in the same, locked position at the walk - helped me with knee problems. Also, can you combine some swimming (preferably in a warm water pool - available here in places with residential placement for handicapped people) with riding, so that you are stretching out the muscles, tendons, joints gently in the water, either before or after riding?
I suffered with chronic fatigue syndrome for many years, so my heart goes out to you. Never say never.
Linda White

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