Accessible Equipment (tack, grooming, clothing, etc

[Moss]

I mentioned making this thread in another thread (under riders with health issues). This thread is open to all riders with health issues who have found tack, grooming supplies (or any supplies for the barn), clothing, boots, and any other equine/barn related items (it’s pretty broad) for riders with health issues. Again, I thought it might be beneficial to keep this broad so that people perusing this thread don’t feel pigeon holed or left out. The goal is that we can share items that help us to help each other.

Don’t feel compelled to share your illness. I don’t mind sharing my illnesses since they greatly affect my riding and interactions with horses. So, to start off I have epilepsy, ankylosing spondylitis (I actually recently requested a re-evaluation), rheumatoid arthritis (why I asked for a re-evaluation), and lupus.

I will create a list of “accommodating” tack, grooming, and barn supplies that help me and might help others, but I need items that prevent me from dropping items so I have grip reins, grip gloves, and a Fleck dressage whip with a mushroom cap. I am also very limited in my mobility, so I only ride for short periods. I am also learning how to drive in case the day comes that I can no longer ride. Clips and buckles are something I never thought would affect me, so I buy rugs with specific buckles.

Again, I will create a list of items that I find help, and I hope others do the same.

[RMJacobs]

I also share my various medical conditions here (not literally, I promise!). I have Hashimoto’s (autoimmune hypothyroid), rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s, fibromyalgia, vertigo, diabetes and end stage kidney disease (on dialysis).

I gave up riding in April 2000 because my poor balance caused too many falls, and I sold the horse I’d stupidly bought six months previously. I took up driving in 2003. I found grooming tools with hand straps helped me a lot as I also drop things easily. I had two easy entry carts that I could enter and exit without help (I drove two different size ponies, so two carts), and my husband set up our grooming/saddling/harnessing area to be easy for me to access and close to our tackroom, so not much walking. The tackroom was organized so I wouldn’t have to lift or reach over my head, with halters, harness and bridles on hooks with PVC spacers. Harness was biothane, easy on my hands. I could do everything from grooming to harnessing to driving by myself in spite of my disability as I could do it all very efficiently, no wasted energy to exhaust me. I put a lot of miles on the ponies for about 13 years, just ambling around my neighborhood.

The absolutely biggest thing that enabled me to enjoy the horses was that my husband did all of their care. I worked more than full time, and did not have enough energy to do that plus horse care at home plus actually drive them. And this was before my kidneys failed.

I stopped driving when I ran out of ponies; my Hackney pony needed to be euthanized, then the grade pony had to be retired due to cataracts several years later. The horse property was sold and the remaining pony was on full board for his last few years until he died, well into his 30s. Unfortunately I can no longer do the level of activity that allowed me to enjoy my horses.

[Moss]

I haven’t written out my list because I’m in a bad flare, but I’ve been thinking about a good lead rope. I have a Knotty Girlz lead rope-- I like the bull snap-- but I’ve been thinking about a better material. Or maybe just how to tie the lead.

I will write out my recommendations, and I would love reading other people’s recommendations, too.

Thank you, @RMJacobs, for your recs.

[cayuse]

A harness hook. I have one hanging near my crossties and besides my holding driving bridle and surcingle, it the handiest thing to put anything hangable in a hurry. Even my coat and hat. I use in constantly and find it easier in my hands than wall hooks (don’t know why that is though).
Shelves. I don’t store my brushes in buckets or boxes, I line them up on shelving. Easier to pick up, don’t have to paw through stuff to find what I want.
Knots. because I have no grip strength, I knot all my lead lines in two or three places where my hands would naturally be when leading. That way I have a built in stopper if someone pulls. Some may not like this idea, but it works great for me.

[Moss]

@cayuse Thanks for these tips! They’re great!

[RMJacobs]

My DH put up hitching posts in our saddling and harnessing area, drilled a hole in each and ran a lead rope through and knotted it so it would be there permanently. We put panic snaps on those lead ropes as the posts wouldn’t give if a horse pulled back hard, and that would risk a broken neck. I would lead a horse to the post, snap on the permanent lead rope, then tie the lead rope that I used to bring them over to the post with an easy to pull loose knot, just to keep it out of the way.

I liked a heavy cotton lead rope with a knot on the end for actually leading the horses, as it was easier for me to hold something substantial. We used a slightly thinner rope for the permanently attached ones as they never needed to be handled other than clipping it to the horse’s halter.