Disabled Riders and Their Horses/ Ponies

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cockerpony

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May 27, 2008
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Looking through the various threads and posts on this site made me realise how many of you are riding with a disability.
My daughter has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. A rare conective tissue disorder. Amongst other problems she suffers fro acute joint pain and recurring dislocations in most of her joints.
Physios couldn't help her, she would dislocate during excersise programmes. Anyway she started to come out to our horses and started grooming, it really helped her shoulders and then she started riding [with consultants approval]. Pretty soon she began to build up muscle tone. She now has her own horse, and the differance in her both physically and mentally is amazing.
She just had another operation 3 weeks ago to fuse bones in her ankle to try and stop it dislocating, she is in plaster but is still riding bareback.
How has riding and being around horses helped you?
Here is Linzi with Addie just before her OP

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Not me, but my sister is disabled. Hollie has a chromosome disorder (deletion, I think) and is partially deaf. We only have one photo of her riding (I'll try to dig it out), because at an old RS, they didn't tighten the girth and she slid off sideways into a wall :mad: and won't ride again.

But she adores being around horses. They don't judge her, they don't act awkward around her, they don't ignore her and treat her like an inconvenience and I don't think I've ever seen someone gain so much pleasure from a horses snuffly muzzle :D Joy especially is in incredibly gentle with her and gets a funny look in her eye - it's like they know that this one needs to be looked after.
 
Palmlover Sorry to hear about your sister, that was such a shame.Luckily she is still happy to be around horses. I think Addie senses that Linzi is 'Different'
she is happy to stand for ages to let Linzi mount/dismount, she isn't phased at being ridden bareback and hasn't done anything silly when Linzi approaches her with her crutches and doesn't mind her pink plaster.
 
Niamh and Ellis have EDS/Hypermobilty too. Riding has helped by building up their muscle tone.
 
I have hypermobile EDS, too. Riding is one of the few forms of exercise I can cope with (although it's still painful and I've had some embarrassing hip subluxations from sitting astride! :eek: ) but just having my horses is the best form of physical therapy I've found. Even if I'm not well enough to ride, I make the effort to go up and see them every day, do as much walking as I can manage around the yard, grooming, etc... it's all ways to build muscle tone and core stability while doing something I enjoy :) My physiotherapist has been really supportive and gave me exercises to do in the saddle as part of my normal therapy.
From an emotional/mental health point of view, my horses are a great motivation for me. They give me a reason to get up in the mornings, and the time that I'm at the field is "me" time, a chance to relax and soak up some peace and quiet.
Horses really are excellent therapists :D
 
Sez couldnt have said it better myself, although I often get frustrated that I cant ride as often and well as I used to.:mad:
 
I was diagnosed with hypermobility when I was fifteen by a rheumatologist but he simply gave me a leaflet and told me to "live with it". When I moved areas aged eighteen, my GP was a lot more supportive and actually seemed to have an understanding of the condition beyond "being bendy", and although the PCT wouldn't pay for me to go, she supported me in going privately to see Professor Rodney Grahame in London in 2005. He diagnosed hypermobile EDS, and as a result I spent a week in the hospital of neurology under Professor Mathias being tested for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. When I got home, my GP and my hospital consultant managed to get me in as an inpatient at the local hospital where I had intensive physiotherapy and hydrotherapy, several appointments with occupational therapists who got me a lot of equipment to help me around the house, and some pain management sessions.
I was discharged from my consultant about two years ago because she said there was really no point in me attending clinics every six months as unless some new radical treatment crops up there's nothing to be done so I check in regularly with my GP and she refers me to services as and when I need them and I have a rolling prescription for my medications so that I can just ring up and re-order them when I'm starting to run low. I have to say that having a good, supportive doctor has really made a massive difference for me and for my family.
 
Sez, sounds pretty much like Linzi. Prof Bird had her down at Leeds for a weeks rehab but she took really poorly down their, all joints started to go and in the end she spent 12 weeks down their, and we stay 6 hours drive away. She was then referred to Royal National Orthopedic Hospital in London and had a few stays there. And also to Prof Wallace in Nottingham. She now has a Brilliant consultant at Ninewells in Dundee and has an open appointment. Same with painkillers. She was back in hospital 3 weeks ago to have her right ankle fused [again] she has also had capsular shift OPS. on both shoulders but they haven't worked, and still are dislocated. Like you her horse has giving her something to get up for. She rode out today bareback complete with pink plaster.Wishing you well x
 
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Daughter is sev.Disabled also has sev. learning problems..
sadly we have no idea what is wrong with her noticed at 18months old
something wrong...
Its the not Knowing what is wrong thing that is hard she use to ride and comp.at a high level do Common ridings..but when she got into her teens
things got worse she has trouble walking her spine is sev. bent and her talking
has got worse..I have always found that having horses has helpt her a great deal she still has horses and when allowed in show ring does show.
Horses are amazing animials and have you noticed how they change when
someone with a disabilty is around..
 
Cockerpony already knows most of this, But I also have a disability. I have Spina bifida which has left me with nerve damage to both of my feet and I also have arthritis in my left ankle joint, and so it needs fusing or replacing, the whole joint has collapsed and is bone on bone. I have had arthroscopy on it to remove bits of bone in the joint which were causing increased pain. I also have a back defect because of the SB and have been offered plastic surgery on it but right now I can hide it with certain types of clothing and i dont want to put myself through that. I had major surgery at 6 on my back to repair damage & untangle nerves etc. The surgery meant I can still walk today, everyone thought I'd need a wheelchair for life. I do use a mobility scooter to walk long distances but that is through my ankle. I also get pressure ulcers to my feet because of the nerve damage which can leave me in plaster cast for a year at a time. I have pins in both feet to straighten my toes but it never worked. I don't have a horse but I ride when I can at a local RS. Because the staff & horses are so brilliant there I manage to ride in standard lessons & have never done RDA. Its hard at times to keep up with the others & I get frustrated when horses dont understand my legs etc but with a select few horses there I get on with well & can generally achieve the same standard as the able bodied riders. The only problem I can have is my feet coming out of the stirrups as I cant feel, i just have to be careful and keep an eye on them. Luckily the horses are good and slow down when they feel me coming off balance! Thanks to a couple of horses there I've managed to start cantering & jumping again, something I thought I'd never be able to do again. My surgeon would kill me if he knew half of what I do but I just can't stay away from these things :eek:. I'm not supposed to be doing much more than swimming but somehow I manage to ride, cycle etc.
I've just been to the gym and been on the cross trainer :eek: It was painful and my knees were buckling on me because of the collapsed ankle joint but it was totally worth it! Yup, I'm silly but hey, lifes for living! :D I figure im going to need it fusing anyway so why not enjoy myself until that happens!
 
This is such a lovely positive thread.

My youngest daughter is 6 and is the size of an average 4 year old, she has very poor eyesight and is considered partially sighted in her left eye although with her glasses on copes very well, she has a vsd (hole in the heart), asthma, is doubly incontinent and uses a wheelchair some of the time due to lower back, hip and leg pain. The lower back, hips and leg pain and the incontinence is linked to a strange scar like mark at the base of her spine that looks like spina bifida occulta but has been ruled out by 3 mri scans. Having said all this we do not have a diagnosis so spend lots of time going to and fro to different appointments.

She thoroughly enjoys being around my two and loves nothing more than to potter about on little dude. I have bought a balancing strap that attaches to the D rings on the saddle and she uses this when she feels unstable as she cannot feel properly with her seat/legs. On previous part loan pony she rode independantly in walk and was led in trot (always sitting as rising caused more pain???) but on little dude as he is young and still learning it is always on a read rein. She will quite happily lead my 15.3 mare, who is an absolute gem, about and groom her but is more wary when it comes to dude as he is more cheeky and will nudge her and send her flying :rolleyes:
 
:D This is great post. We have 3 kids all of who have disabilities. Our birth son who is nearly 6 has aspergers syndrome and before we got our pony wouldnt go near anything larger than a small dog. he is now confident around her and we have even progressed to sitting on her in her stable, but becos of his dyspraxia he feels unsafe if she moves-we shall continue working on it!! Being up the yard also helps his social skills and is teaching him lots of practical skills-i put him to work filling buckets and haynets!!:eek::p
Our 2 adopted daughters age 3 and 1 both have a lifelimiting nuero-degenerative condition. The 3yr old in particular is tiny (she and her sis wear the same size clothes!) and is significantly delayed as well as being epileptic. She loves our pony and is so happy when she sits on her. I cant wait for her to be 5 so we can start RDA properly.
Whats brill is that our pony is a bit of a speed demon when anyone else is on her and can be a bit of a moo but as soon as the children are near she is a giant teddybear!!
 
MudMonster, That is so sweet, you must have your hands full. I do think that the ponies know when to behave around the little ones. We also have a little Welshy who around anyone else can be a bit of a madam but with Linzi is super sweet, it is so strange. wishing you all well x
 
I have asthma, Fibromyalgia and (at the moment, cataracts!).

The Fibro makes me 'set' in one position, so it can be difficult riding astride, which is why I'm exclusively sidesaddle now. The asthma causes problems around dusty hay and straw, but I have an inhaler for that. The cataracts will be getting the chop as soon as I have finished moving house.
 
Midori, I'd be interested to know how you find side-saddle is beneficial compared to riding astride? How much strain does it put on the hips and knees by comparison? I find riding astride gives me a lot of lower back pain and causes problems with my hips and knees, so I'd love to find out whether side-saddle would be easier for me.
 
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