How do you cope with difficult times?

[EnduranceAli]

I don't class myself as disabled, but I do have some health issues (arthritis, fibromyalgia and currently struggling with a thyroid lump, which should be removed soon) which slow me down and I struggle daily because of pain/fatigue. I keep my ponies at home and, although they are all native ponies, they all have different care needs and take up a good 3 hours per day minimum (without any riding etc). I have a lovely lady who can come in to help out if I really need it - ragworting etc - and when I am away or going to the hospital. However, obviously we pay her and I can't afford to have her here unless it is really necessary. Most days I struggle on and the ponies receive all the care they need (one is very elderly and has to come in at night until the weather is warmer, so another pony has to come in to keep him company - the other 2 also come in at night because my Exmoor mare has lami/weight issues - so that gives me 3 stables to muck out each day). I am hoping to get things simplified and keep them out with a yard/shelter/rubber mats system. However, not sure when that will happen - hubby busy developing the farm at the moment and no spare finances. I had to go to a different hospital yesterday to see a thyroid specialist (one disadvantage of living in West Wales - a long drive to get anywhere), and he stuck needles in me to get cell samples - so I am feeling extra sore/tired this morning. I am on here at the moment because I was just exhausted after walking the dogs and needed to sit for a while. Now have to go out and get the ponies sorted before lunch, as we have to go out this afternoon to do the supermarket shop and pick up my stepkids. I have advertised for someone to come and help out in return for riding/driving. One lady came to see me last week, but I haven't heard from her since. She lives about 20 miles away, but said she could come up at weekends/occasional evenings. I am worrying because my Exmoor mare needs whatever exercise she can cope with. I was planning to ride her every other day (which I can normally cope with), but haven't got her out since Tuesday - and today I definitely haven't got the energy/time to ride. I have also got a driving/riding pony on loan, which I haven't worked since Monday (when I longreined him up the road). Thankfully the lady who looks after them when I am away has a 9 year old son, and he comes to ride Ben (took him out for a good ride yesterday evening) - but I feel guilty about having a pony on loan who I don't use properly. My mum says I need to look after myself more and get plenty of rest, but I see the ponies in the field during the day (Frayne goes out with her muzzle on) and think that I should be doing more with them. Sorry for rambling on - does anyone else have a similar situation to me? I am hoping that this thyroid issue will just prove to be a cyst and it will be removed, and then I will have more energy again. Funny - but the arthritis and fibromyalgia I could generally cope with

Anyone in South West Wales want to come over and exercise a soppy Exmoor mare and a fab Sec A for me??

Ali xx

 

[cockerpony]

Sorry to hear off all your problems. You are certainly not having an easy time. You are too far away from me to offer any kind of physical help..
Would you be able to reduce your workload by letting your loan pony go back to owners, I'm sure they would understand.That would be one less to look after. I'm sure the other 3 would be happy getting the basic care needed to keep them happy and healthy, and then when your on a good day you can do a bit more with them. Sorry I know it's not much help, but I wish you well.

 

[kturner]

I wish I was closer, I am as bent and broken as you.

I know it is hard when you are not feeling up to it, but if you try to see it from ponies point of view and not what 'you think they need', (not being patronising),................

I am sure they would love nothing better to know there mum is well and they dont have to work so hard so you can all live happy lives together. They wont mind slowing down.

Depending on the grass, use as much tape as needed/prob wont have to go out to put muzzles on, one less job, to try the following.

Cant find the website. New method for keeping lamis moving (all in fact), natural way is to keep moving and grazing thereby using up the sugars, getting exercise and using up excess engery for hyper youngsters:

In a square field............about 10 to 30 foot wide, a track round the outside, hopefully there are trees round the outside as well,............in other words fence off the middle which you could use for games and riding.

Have the water and feed spread around at various points so they have to keep moving to get to the water, and walk to the other end for hay, etc, etc,.....you could even get carpet roll ends (cardboard) as trotting poles along the way.............chuck in some buckets for them to play with..........

This will keep them moving and amused as well as using up energy. Less for you to do.

Could you include the stables along a taped path, so the ones who need it can go inside, but keep food out of the stable so as not to cause a fight in a confined area. You could have paths going all over the property.

Hope this helps. Otherwise, I am looking for a sharer or two or three to help with finances and ponies exercise, (lami). Or just for exercise if they cant pay. Ask the local riding school for some competent riders to help as well.

 

[icegirl]

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia a few years back, though it seems to have largely disappeared now, and have a partner with ME so do understand where you are coming from. Dealing with kids, work and horses as well as having less than perfect health can be really hard. No brilliant suggestions but I suppose just the advice to try not to REALLY overdo it -what will wait for another day, in which areas are you maybe trying to be too much of a perfectionist. Are you getting rest, support, sleep, good nutrition.
Look after yourself and that helps you look after others. Take care.

 

[EnduranceAli]

Thanks for all your thoughts. At the moment I am using stables on the main farmyard - with a concrete yard area for turnout, leading to my paddocks. Eventually a track system will be developed - with a stone yard/shelter - so I won't have so much mucking out to do, and the ponies can be out 24/7. I am not being so fussy about mucking out, doing a semi-deep litter system - so on days where I just need to sit down I can either just take the poo out or even just scatter some clean straw on top. This afternoon I had a really good muck out, so now back down to clean floor under the beds I have someone coming to ride with me this week - and I am accepting that I may not be able to ride/drive as much as I want. You are right - the ponies are quite happy as long as they have their regular routine and each other. I had considered sending Ben back to his owner, but he is a fab drive/ride pony - and I got him so I could still be involved with ponies if I couldn't ride anymore. I hadn't planned on having Frayne to ride as well (she was meant to be put in foal), but I can always walk her out inhand and she has settled in the field during the day with her muzzle on, so at least she is not standing on the yard all day eating expensive hay.

I am certainly getting good nutrition, as much sleep as my pain allows and resting regularly during the day.

Going to put some adverts up locally in saddleries this week, to see if there is anyone else who would like to come over and help out.

Ali xx