Welcome Pasde2! The more the merrier!
Welcome as well!
Anybody else here use a chiropractor? At 56, I attributed a lot of my morning stiffness to aging. Well, had my first chiro appt yesterday. It was great - well the sound of my neck imitating rice krispies was a little off putting. But, got up very early this morning (thanks to the dog) and noticed I am much less stiff - my neck is much less tight.
Can’t wait to see how it translates to my riding.
[QUOTE=jaslyn1701;5923438]
Welcome as well!
Anybody else here use a chiropractor? At 56, I attributed a lot of my morning stiffness to aging. Well, had my first chiro appt yesterday. It was great - well the sound of my neck imitating rice krispies was a little off putting. But, got up very early this morning (thanks to the dog) and noticed I am much less stiff - my neck is much less tight.
Can’t wait to see how it translates to my riding.[/QUOTE]
A my chiropractor was the only health care provider (out of the several I saw) who took affirmative, concrete action to really heal me after a nasty fall from horseback that left me crippled and nearly unable to walk.
[QUOTE=CVPeg;5919710]
He was under my skin while visiting, as he swears up a storm, constantly whines about his practice, leaves his crap all over, shut the cat out in the rain, and couldn’t even drive the stick shift on his new Mini when we went out to dinner. [/QUOTE]
This guy makes real men look bad…
Thank you - and chiropractor experience.
[QUOTE=LuvMyRide;5923328]
Welcome Pasde2! The more the merrier![/QUOTE]
Thank you! I look forward to participating in the discussion.
[QUOTE=jaslyn1701;5923438]Welcome as well!
Anybody else here use a chiropractor? At 56, I attributed a lot of my morning stiffness to aging. [/QUOTE]
Thanks for the welcome!
I’ve had limited experience with chiropractors, but YES, I definitely had some benefit from four sessions (two per week) after a neck/back injury - neck flexibility improved, as did my ability to hold a neck position that previously hurt too much to hold for more than a couple of seconds (e.g., turning my head to look into the back seat of the car).
The most effective combination, IMO, is chiropractic to put the bones back into proper alignment, massage to stretch the muscles and fascia so that they don’t pull the bones out of alignment again, and acupuncture to reduce inflammation in the area. This works very nicely for horses, too - the combination allowed an old mare of mine to enjoy her life for a year or so longer than would have been possible otherwise, and I was so grateful for each additional day with her. And one of my students takes both of her dogs to a vet/chiro at least twice a month, with excellent results (and not really any question of a placebo effect).
I loved going to the chiropractor. I just stopped because it was too expensive for me. But I’ve actually been thinking about going back.
Well, its snowing here in PA - yuk! Gotta head up to the barn with my horse’s winter blanket.
Welcome Pasde2! I’ve read your website/blog for a long time - it’s nice to meet you 
Went for a lovely hack in the snow today. I think I’ve been too effective at calming my horse, because he now hacks on the buckle out and back…and in the ring he’s become LAZY. So the pendulum has to shift back the OTHER way now. LOL!
Ive decided Im going to take Dublin to a schooling horse trial next weekend, and do 2 dressage tests - Intro B and Beginner Novice A. I’m nervous just thinking about it! But it should be fun!
Good luck!!! Hopefully the weather cooperates
OGP, I’m jealous of your hack in the snow. I’m still too much of a weenie to hack out alone, but I’ll get there someday.
I’ve never used a chiro, but I’m a huge fan of massage & acupuncture. Now if only we could have one practitioner come to the barn to work on both me and the pony !
I wish a chiro could help me with these broken ribs. : )
Please hack and enjoy your time…I am tempted to get in the saddle
on my bucking bronco and it’s only been one week.
Someone scold me now.
ballisticgirl, I know that my words will be completely ineffective, but I feel I must tell you my story…
I was riding regularly until I took a spill from a friend’s horse. Horse exploded from nowhere, literally, just after I’d mounted. I slipped a disc in my neck and had two impinged cervical vertebrae. Lots of pain, tingling and numbness (as well as scared the ever-loving-crap out of me).
I was mostly healed (but not technically cleared to ride) when I decided to get on my green horse. My green horse was an athletic booger. Due to an errant horse-fly and a poor decision on my part, I came off again. This time I couldn’t move for 5 minutes. I thought…omg…this is it. I did it. I became paralyzed.
I wasn’t, feeling came back 5 minutes later, ended up being sort of able to walk, drove myself home trying to stay conscious as I started to pass out in the car. Luckily the barn was quite close to home.
More damage from that fall, though nothing nearly as bad as the previous fall. More rest.
What ended up happening though is that I terrified myself. Because those two injuries happened so closely together, I became terrified of horses (even mine). I couldn’t go into the pasture without hyperventilating. A pony whinneyed on the end of a leadrope and I burst into tears. Years and years of horsemanship and training and riding were NOTHING compared to the PTSD that I suffered.
I’m only just now able to ride again. My fear is finally going away. My heart no longer pounds before I get onto the mounting block. I’m coming back. I still am not sure if I want to get on any stupidheads or greenies (though that question goes back and forth in my mind, because I always loved a good challenge).
Regardless of all of that, had I just had the one injury, let it HEAL until I was cleared to ride, and then started again sensibly I would have been fine. But I wrote a check my body couldn’t cash. Well…it did cash. And it bounced. And I didn’t. And it almost made me quit riding and being able to have horses. It sucked.
So…that’s my story. Please stay off the horse until you’re cleared to ride. Please get better, and take it slowly. You won’t lose anything by doing so…I promise.
When you find that book please let me know. I truely struggle with understanding the various hunter classes.
Well, One Gray Pony…
I am sitting here in bed on a Saturday night having just read your posting about your riding and the severity of your accidents. I am really feeling you are one tough cookie and are really in touch with the mind/body connection and have taken the time to heal.
It’s funny your last sentence read to take the time to heal, but…
I went out to the stable and grabbed my greenie out of his stall, we did some longe work and I, feeling like I could move around better today, (could bend over and touch my toes), decided I would tack up and walk (and only walk). It had been a week since I was hurled into the fence. And I got this thing still even as an adult that I am invincible. This is so not true as an adult! Guess I was inspired by watching all to pros at WIHS! Not!
You know what happens next, right? I went to swing leg over into saddle well…my body wouldn’t move that way. I landed booty onto the cantle and greenie leaps into a full gallop and headed fast for a fence. (Again!).
I thought for sure, I was dead. I was plotting how I could fall so as not to further injure my ribs on the left side. (I always fall to the left) So, I launched myself somehow and landed flat on my back. I began yelping, yes, howling like a blue whale and scared the you know what out of the poor other rider in the indoor. She ran over grabbed my horse and put him in the cross ties.
Okay…I am done for six to eight weeks. What the heck was I thinking???
I don’t want to lose all of the conditioning, leg strenthening, forward progress I have made over the last year! This is heart breaking. I mean…I love the challenge, the ups and downs. But never, never have I been faced with this serious an injury.
OGP…I feel ya!
Time to whine – I ended up having to go out of town for work Thursday morning, and it looks like the last couple of months of the year are going to be awful. 7 days a week type awful. I have no idea how I am going to find the time to ride. Boo hiss.
ballisticgirl – take care of yourself!
Thank you!
[QUOTE=OneGrayPony;5924011]
Welcome Pasde2! I’ve read your website/blog for a long time - it’s nice to meet you [/QUOTE]
Right back at you! The last few years have been both crazy and busy, but even with no time to play online, I’ve held on to the thought of having - or taking, or making - time to read and post on the COTH forums. I have to say, I’m impressed - what an amazing collection of nice and interesting people!
The re-rider support group idea is brilliant. Even back when I wrote my first book, there were a lot of re-riders who would have loved a group like this; now every passing year sees more and more baby boomers retiring and climbing back into their saddles. And I do mean “climbing.”
Never mind black or brown tack - three things have definitely changed during the time I wasn’t able to ride. I speak for myself here, but so far, the re-riders I work with are all in agreement on this.
Horses are taller, the ground is harder, and somebody has obviously turned up the gravity.
Sigh.
OK, that’s it. I am ordering a protective vest.
I have good news everyone… I finally had a great ride, AND I didn’t fall off! My trainer jokingly said “So the princess is staying another week?” It almost felt like for the first time she was listening to me, and taking my advice rather than trying to figure everything out on her own.
That means of course that I’m going to have an awful ride next week, but I’ll take what I can get.
I’m sorry for all of you having snowy weather! It was 80 at the barn today.
I wonder if all of us re-riders ordered protective vests if we could get a group discount?
“The most effective combination, IMO, is chiropractic to put the bones back into proper alignment, massage to stretch the muscles and fascia so that they don’t pull the bones out of alignment again, and acupuncture to reduce inflammation in the area.”
Yes - I have a chiro that does all 3! BTW - I love my copy of “Rider’s Problem Solver”!!
Glad you had a good ride Luvmyride - I am a big chicken - windy, front coming through yesterday, temps dropping - I just knew if I rode I would have the TB that is monster bait.
I agree - COTH forums are a good source for ears to listen when your non-horsey friends don’t quite get it - plus there is all kinds of entertainment on other unexpected topics :lol: - and great advice for free! Unfortunately some on this forum (not this thread) get a little snarky, but you learn what places to avoid. Most of the time!
Well, my fleece tops are almost out of the dryer - snow or no snow, it’s not deep enough to keep the AWD wagon from heading to the barn. I miss the trails (& even the fields, where B believes he is back at the track), but the dirt roads headed toward them are too slippery. Indoor it is - and snow expected to be out of here in a day or two.
And we’re also figuring out a perfect “treat balance”. I find he is more of a gentleman when they are given in moderation - when I first see him, for something good (mounting block both on and off now!), sometimes on the cross ties (I haven’t mentioned how he lay down on his stomach in the mud in his new blankets - a good 45 minutes yesterday picking off dry mud from legs & belly and it’s still not all gone), and when I leave him.
But he truly is my touchstone. I’m guessing most of us reriders are glad to have found that kind of connection again.
I agree too ballisticgirl you scared me too as did OneGrayPony’s Story!! It stinks being down but take care of yourself!!
I also had a great lesson this week. Things really clicked. I was better able to get the horse on the bit. My postiion also was much better. Still have the creeping leg from time to time that I need to work on- not gripping and letting leg get long! Like you LuvMyRide I am sure my next lesson or ride will not be good!! Oh well it is still progress!!
Take care everyone!! Have a great Sunday! :winkgrin:
CVPeg – hope using the mounting block when dismounting is helping!
I’m going to have to find the time to get out to the barn once a week, becuase without that, I will go nuts! But it won’t be today. All hell is going to break loose Monday, and I need to use today to get out in front of the work load.
I’ll hop in COTH occasionally though, for a sanity break. And live vicariously through the rides of my “re-rider” friends.
