ever seen a 1 handed rider?

[westley_jacobs]

my friend (wont mention names) whos 14 would like to start riding soon, except shes only got 1 hand (due to sme diesease when she was younger) is it possible for her to ride? please reply in all honesty...my frends not on this board, doesnt know about it either)
thanks:D

[Em 1]

Yup, certainly is. I was working with someone this evening who hasn't got any use of one hand. You can get 'handlebar' reins which have a bar where the buckle would normally be. You can then use the reins almost as usual. I'll try and find a picture of what I mean.

[RachelEvent]

Yes!

I actually know two one-handed riders.. I went to pony club with one girl, who was missing one hand, and she had this 'handlebar' rein that Em 1 mentioned. She was a very good rider, always had quite forward going ponies, jumped, evented everything!

Her family is quite horsey, and they found out about this 'handlebar' from a local farmer, who is also one handed due to an accident, who didn't want to stop hunting, so hunted one handed. Totally possible... if she is new to riding perhaps you could contact your local RDA?

Rachel xx

[horse_crazy4eva]

of course she can. iv heard about those bar reins, my friends mother had to use them when she pinched a nerve in her arm or something, im not really sure what happend but she lost all mobility in her right arm, she rides mostly western now but still does some hunte seat and stuff.

[Em 1]

Here's a picture. I got it from this website:

http://www.jrad.jp/e/p10/p15b.html

It's got some really good descriptions of the different types of reins available. By the way I've also seen a picture of a rider with no arms ride - she used her toes to control loop reins! If you're determined you can do anything!

[Mossy]

No reason at all why she shoud not ride. That is the beauty of riding it removes many barriers that life throws our way! As regards toe reins the Drum Horses in the regiments are always ridden with toe reins. The riders hands are busy playing drums!

[BackintheSaddle]

Western rider often ride with one hand so they have a free hand to handle a rope. I rode Enlgish with a broken arm as a wee one and no troubles there (I used a four fingered grip so I could control one rein with my pinky and the other with my first finger) Confused my little pony for a bit, but she picked it up and became VERY sensitive to the leg, and once I had both arms back she was a dream to ride and turned on a dime.

[janet hakeney]

I am the same age as all the tholidemide (sp?) victims who were often missing arms and various parts of their anatony altogether, so have always taken an interest in them. One girl in particular who had no arms at all, just two hands coming out of her shoulders used to have articles written about her because she had her own horses that she did herself. She rode and competed and had a whale of a time with her horses. She lifted the saddle on with her feet!! So having one, quite servicable, hand/arm should be no bar at all to doing whatever your frind wants to do!! Good luck to her.

[Wally]

We have several one armed riders, one lady said - two arms was a luxury when riding as one was perfectly adequate.

you don't need any arms to ride as mentioned, there are all sorts of gadgets that can help folk with limited ability.

[horse_crazy4eva]

thats so true mossy riding does take away any physicl barriers, the mental ones to. thats y theripudice riddign is so benificle and used as a form of physicle theripy. and just as a side note I regularly compete againts a girl who is almost completly blind, she can just vagely see shadows. its really neat to watch cus she has ppl in eatch corner and in the center of the arena telling here when and where the jumps are

[westley_jacobs]

thanks, now iv seen all this there should be no probs!
thanks to em1, for the piccie
il print it and show my frend, she was probley nly worried cos of self-conciousness!

[charismatic]

One of the boarders at my barn is one handed.
She actually rides with normal tack,exept for the reins;she uses the type that goes on the curb of dressage bridles i think it's called a curb rein because it's thin.
She puts one of the reins in her first 2 fingers and the second in her other 2 and somehow manages to control the bit perfectly.She knots the end of the reins and slips it onto her elbow and uses it to shorten/lengthen the reins.
She should have no problem rideing-the girl i talk about is a better rider than some of the 2 handed people in the barn.
She can collect her horse,do leg yeilds,turns on the forhand and haunches,jumps 2'7.Basically the only thing she cant do is a crest relase or anything that involves putting both hands on either side of the horses neck.
Your friend might enjoy western,were she only needs one hand but she can definitly do english too.

[OlavS]

I have been impressed with many riders, but the one that stands out is Ann Cathrin Lübbe. She got arthritis at age 12, needs a constant supply of pain killers, and has had surgery 9 times and replaced a knee.
Here's a link to a video of her kür performance at Oslo Horse Show last year.
http://www.hestemarked.com/ohs04.asp

I actually saw it live, and will gladly admit that I was close to tears when I saw that performance. It was the most moving experience.

Look at those extensions at trot! This horse was actually for sale for a long time, but noone wanted to buy him as he was "too ugly". Then this disabled rider came along and saw past his strangely coloured face and bought him. And they have since earned many prizes and awards for their achievement, as well as qualified for the paralympics.

There was a display from another disabled rider, too. He had CP and had hardly any strength at all - it was a miracle that he stayed upright in the saddle as he flopped about like a rag doll. He had a one-hand handle like others have described. But he too rode extremely well, putting fully abled riders to shame.

Such a humbling experience seeing what those riders achieved. There is virtually no limit to what disabled riders can do, and what level they can reach. Truly inspirational stuff.

[GarnetFox]

What about the paralympic rider Lee Pearson? He used to ride a beautiful dun called Blue Circle Boy (he may still do so, I haven't been reading the horsey mags much lately!) and won in both abled and disabled dressage competitions.

Here is a link to his profile on the BBC website.
Lee Pearson (http://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/sport/2003/12/lee_pearson.shtml)

[hApPiNeSs]

yes he is still riding that dun. hes a way better rider than i could ever hope to be thats for sure! :D

[sanna]

I think I read somewhere that using both hands for holding the reins in dressage didn't get started until the 20th century since dressage started in the military. I guess they needed one free hand.
check out the following picture:

http://www.classicaldressage.com/images2/waetjen7.jpg

[Lgd]

Michelle Crunkhorn is on the Paralympic dressage squad and won the Medium Restricted class at the BD Winter Semi-finals. She only has one arm. She has a special harness that attaches to the bit of arm she does have.

Lee Pearson won the able bodied National championship at Medium level last year. Blue Circle Boy and Lee are now competing in Advanced classes and is winning with very good scores. Also bear in mind that Lee took on this horse because no-one else could ride him and stay on him as a 4yo!