Anyone else here riding with these or otherwise dealing with them?
Yes, I have dysautonomia (POTS and gastroparesis) due to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
Do you feel comfortable discussing how it affects your riding, etc.?
Yes i have these issues and my main riding problem is I don’t sweat which makes it impossible to ride in warm weather. Also my ability to judge temperature is off so I may think its warm at 40degress . Also i may not notice till its to late that its 95degrees not 70. I drive my friends crazy as I try to dress for a ride, everything has to have a zipper because its a constant on and off from warm to freezing. Think menopausal except with the risk of heat stroke.
I much prefer to ride when its very cold, easier to be add clothes and be warm as there isn’t anyway to keep cool in hot weather. The cooling vests make me feel better but don’t change your core temperature so they won’t prevent heat stroke. They actually can make it more dangerous because you feel cool till yet your internal organs are burning up.
I agree with walkers. Temp is a big issue. There is a huge risk of over-heating in the summer if you can’t judge temperatures correctly or if you do not sweat enough. I have had heat exhaustion before after a long lesson, and was extremely ill. I have also fainted after riding. On bad days I get dizzy when I ride and occasionally feel very shaky.
Unlike Walkers, I have an exaggerated sense of how cold it is in the winter. I am freezing at any temp under 50 degrees no matter how many layers I wear. Riding can be challenging when you are shivering and your teeth won’t stop chattering.
One of my main problems is that I feel so off-kilter so much of the time. It has always been worse in situations that are stressful anyway (although it’s been occurring to me that other people don’t find them so stressful; that not everyone else is standing/sitting there feeling half-miserable but fighting the discomfort to do something they “enjoy”), but I have not been able to overcome it even to ride. I just do not enjoy being on a horse anymore, and that makes me so sad, because in the past few years I have had more opportunity to ride than in several years before that, and I am just finally admitting to myself that I just plain don’t enjoy it. All the ground work as well as the mounted work is so painful, plus the mounted bit just makes me feel so discombobulated.
RPM, I have not felt comfortable on a horse for many years (different problems than this thread discusses, but it all comes down to not riding). I was so excited at how good I felt driving when I took it up. It may not be the right choice for you, but I just wanted to throw that choice out there.
Rebecca
Thanks, RMJacobs. I did that several years ago. I took driving lessons at a local Saddlebred barn. I loved it! I’m hoping to be able to do some more driving. There is a woman at the barn where one of my friends boards, who has a pony. Once she get his cart back from repair, I’m hoping to try some driving with them.
For me it is easier to adjust to the cold. I wear foot warmers that keep my feet toasty and there are warmers to put in your gloves. A good merino wool underwear will also keep you warm but also the back warmers work wonderfully giving off heat for several hours. so i find it possible to make myself warm in the winter but there is no way to be cool in the summer unless I’m in front of the AC!!!
I want a AC indoor arena.
I am blessed with a lovely constellation of autoimmune diseases: MS, Addison’s Disease & Hashimotos. POTS happens when I let my electrolytes get out of balance. This summer I have been living on salt tablets and gatorade, but as soon as I get in the A/C, I’m shivering. I manage to ride about once a week, and take care of my four at home. I dread the day when I can’t ride anymore. :no:
