Roll call...

[cadriver]

[QUOTE=the_other_mother;4452157]
I’ve started driving my horses, thinking that is easier, and it is, to a degree but I get frustrated because I cant maneuver my cart (Meadowbrook) myself and still need help harnessing and unharnessing. I have two saintly Standardbreds, and do a little showing, a little dressage and alot of trail riding.[/QUOTE]

An idea that might help with manouvering your cart. if you can store it with the shafts raised by a pully and you can then back your horse up to the cart and lower the shafts without haveing to pull the cart to the horse. And hopefully you can unhitch in the same spot so you don’t have to move the cart. Being in a chair I can’t move my vehicles around at all, granted I drive 4 - wheel carriages now but the horses have to back right up to the carriage to be hooked. When I did drive a cart I propped it up in such a way that I could back the horse up and drop the shafts down. I also use synthetic harness it is much lighter in weight to put on the horses then leather. Just a few thoughts. I’ve done a lot of stuff with pulley’s to lift heavy things…

Diane Kastama

[WaningMoon]

[QUOTE=the_other_mother;4452157]
First I want to say what an encouragement it has been to me to read all of the previous posts. I sometimes get discouraged by my physical limitations and wonder if I should just give up riding, but after reading this topic and seeing that there are so many others out there like me who struggle with riding, I feel more hopeful. Im in my mid 50’s (as if that isnt bad enough, lol!) and have severe scoliosis w/ rib rotation, have Harrington rods implanted in my spine so I am extremnely fixed and rigid and stiff from my waist upwards. I also have Rheumatoid Arthritis & Lupus which causes me alot of joint pain, stiffness and extreme fatigue. As a result of the scoliosis, I have reduced space in my chest cavity and have only 45% total lung capacity. I get out of breath before Im even tacked up most of the time. Im noticing lately that I can hardly make it once around ring at a posting trot because I cant catch my breath and if I ride more than an hour I sometimes get so stiff that I cant even get off. It’s not even safe for me to ride when I get that stiff, if something were to happen and my horse spooked or took off, I doubt that I would have the strength or flexibility to stay on. I’ve started driving my horses, thinking that is easier, and it is, to a degree but I get frustrated because I cant maneuver my cart (Meadowbrook) myself and still need help harnessing and unharnessing. I have two saintly Standardbreds, and do a little showing, a little dressage and alot of trail riding.[/QUOTE]

Wow, that must be horrible, my best friend has lupus and it is now affecting her heart(sac around it remains inflamed) and her kidneys. They said it was the lupus at the bottom of it all. She has had it for a very long time but it stayed dormant. Not having flexibility from waist up must offer its own set of difficulties. Please consider getting the HINI vaccine since your lung capacity is so much less. REduced chest space is exactly why it is hitting pregnant women so much more.

[Bluey]

Everyone with or without limitations, should remember not to measure what they can do and do against what others can do.
Doing your personal best is all that is asked of anyone in life and all we should ask of ourselves.

Once that is out of the way, the fun begins, as we try to do the best we can and work around what we can’t do.

[islandrider]

Can we change the title to “Horse People with Disabilities?”

I usually don’t respond to gender specific labels but it seems like most of us are women here and horse people would be more inclusive.

[pegasus44]

What a great forum to have!

I’m Peggy, I’m a c4 quad from a riding accident 5 yrs ago. I “rode” a few times afterwards, but it is not functional. I’d love to give driving a try and even talked to DFD a while back. I WILL do it one day!

Anyone have experience with adaptive saddles for quads? I’d love to hear!

In the meantime, I am active with Md Network for Injured Equestrians (www.mnie.net) and several horse groups.

[DressageGeek_Ribbon]

[QUOTE=islandrider;4452931]
I usually don’t respond to gender specific labels but it seems like most of us are women here and horse people would be more inclusive.[/QUOTE]

Had to laugh! I PM’d Mod 1 with the same query!

[Bluey]

Picky, picky.

I bet the moderators are furiously thinking about this already.

I guess that “horsepeople” would have a more pc look to it.
The language, how it is evolving…

[cadriver]

@pegasus44;4454516

What a great forum to have!

I’m Peggy, I’m a c4 quad from a riding accident 5 yrs ago. I “rode” a few times afterwards, but it is not functional. I’d love to give driving a try and even talked to DFD a while back. I WILL do it one day!

Driving is the most fun ever!! If you were close to California, you could come and drive one of my horses… I have cool carriages where the seat lowers so you can transfer right into it and it gives you side support and back support so you don’t flop all around:-) When I drive I am just as capable as anyone else, it has to be about the most liberating feeling. I can go as fast as I want, up hills, down hills, on the beach, as long as I want. I can compete on equal footing with everyone else. I probably drive an average of 5 days a week sometimes more, along with working full time. Sometimes I think damn, its a lot of work to tack up but not really when the 5 year old ducks his head down and shoves it throught the breast collar and practically throws the harness on himself, makes you laugh, and once behind the lines its worth it all. The best part is I have no pain afterwards:-) I don’t have to worry about all those solutions to aches and pains on the other thread:-)

Diane Kastama

[pegasus44]

Thanks, I knew it would be liberating!

I own a cute Anglo large pony that would be great for it, but he’s leased out.

DFD in the US started right here in my backyard, but it’s in KY now. Darn!

[hca86]

[QUOTE=chai;4437479]
I am Sue and I am an apprentice NARHA instucor, going for my certification in Dec. I have been a volunteer in TR and Hippotherapy for 13 years, and I’m trying to decide whether to go back to school for a degree in OT, Nursing, Education or Counseling to further my TR career or become qualified as a Hippotherapy Instructor down the road. I still can’t decide, but I have seen miracles happen with horses. My ultimate goal is to set up a program for abused women and children to help them heal through horses.[/QUOTE]

I am also a NARHA registered instructor.
I think you should go back to school and be an OT! It is the most satisfying decision I made in my life. I am currently it my first year of OT school and am loving it. If you get your masters in OT you can than take the American Hippotherapy Association (AHA) “course” and you can use hippotherapy as a treatment tool.

You are more than welcome to speak to me more about the options that exist. The program I am at is performing some amazing evidence-based hippotherapy research.

[_Teddy]

Hi I am Natasha, I have been riding for 10yrs.

Lets see: I have asthma, my immune system generally sucks so I get pneumonia like every 2yrs because I dont get a cold it goes straight to my chest. I have cystic kidneys(hmm they call it polycystic but I dont fit the description at all and have none of the symptoms- but I think they just put me under that because well I dont fit in any catagory really). I am legally blind in one eye and have balance problems because of that and have joint issues(doing tests now to see if I have OA iin my hands–im only 20yrs old:eek:)

I ride hunters but currently am focusing on dressage(because in hunterland it helps to jump over 2’ and that scares me) I think it would be cool if I could make the canadian paralymic team one day, but for now baby steps on a dressage schoolmaster:D

[chai]

pegasus, I hope you can get into driving because it is so much fun. We lost our driving pony a few years ago and I donated her cart and harness to a local TR program where I volunteer. Driving is becoming more popular in TR programs, so perhaps you can find one through the NARHA website to get started.
hca, thank you for the advice. I’ll send you a pm. Volunteering in Hippotherapy has been one of the most rewarding things I have done and I would love to pursue it.

[Pookah]

So excited to see this forum!! I have been involved with therapeutic riding for 16 years, and currently chair the Board of Directors at the North Carolina Therapeutic Riding Center (NCTRC). I have been an instructor, volunteer, NARHA Region Rep, etc–I believe very strongly in making sure that everyone has the opportunity to benefit from involvement with horses. NCTRC is one of the oldest therapeutic riding programs in the state (since 1977), and we are growing exponentially right now! We have a very exciting opportunity to purchase the facility that we are currently leasing, and for those of you in NC, we are in need of more donors, volunteers, and riders to keep up with our expanded capacity.

[Cheese183]

Everyone just calls me T. I have Stargadts disease which is a form of macular degeneration. I am legally blind.I came from a barrel racing background. Currently I am focusing on dressage with the hopes of eventing. I only plan on getting to the beg. novice level with a slight hope of doing novice. My horse, The Cheese Stands Alone, loves jumping. However the hunter flat classes scare the beejeezus out of me.

[Invite]

Welcome

I wanted to give all you “new to the forum” folks a warm welcome. It’s pretty darn amazing just how many of us have disabilities and keep on trucking. We seem to come with all sorts of disabilities, but I hope we can remain positive and help each other deal with the adversities we face daily!

[DressageGeek_Ribbon]

I think it is also a testimonial to how much horses give back to us.

[Invite]

[QUOTE=DressageGeek “Ribbon Ho”;4462118]
I think it is also a testimonial to how much horses give back to us.[/QUOTE]

How right you are!!

[TrueGrit]

[QUOTE=DressageGeek “Ribbon Ho”;4462118]
I think it is also a testimonial to how much horses give back to us.[/QUOTE]

AMEN!

My main challenge is Ankylosing Spondylitis, a form of inflammatory arthritis affecting main the spine, but can attack all joints. For me, it’s mostly my spine, hips, and shoulders. It can also present with Crohn’s, which is inflammatory bowel disease. My illness has flared in the last few years, the doctors think it was in response to the emotional upheaval resulting from family tragedy. Besides pain, the other main symptom is fatigue.

The only thing that I have found to be motivating enough to keep going is the goal of getting a new horse. I rode through childhood, teens, twenties, and even my thirties until family responsibilities forced me to give it up. I’m now just on the other side of 50 (gasp how did THAT happen?), and I’m looking for “my perfect pony” ( over 16hh, please ), for companionship that one can only get from a horse, fresh air and exercise, to combat this disease - both physically and psychologically.

I’m thrilled to have found this forum - what a GREAT idea! A wonderful source of encouragement and comraderie. Thank you to all who post ( I’ve mostly been a “lurker” ), and the Mods who made it happen.

[system]

Intro

Hello-

My name is Erica Furkis and I am the program manager at LoveWay, INC in Middlebury, Indiana. We are NARHA Premier Accredited Center and I am a registered instructor. As well as managing our 14 horses and taking care of all of the student enrollment, I also teach several classes a week.

Personally, I used to event (up through Prelim) and now my focus is dressage. I have turned my former event horse into a solid 3rd level citizen and we are schooling the PSG now. The barn owner of the place I board at was involved in Paraolympics up until a few years ago, and one of her horses was in the 96 Atlanta games.

I’m glad this sections was started!
Erica

[xsuzi]

Para

I have wondered long at para-equestrianism. In my generic social services experience–as someone seeking aide, mind you, there was a cruel competition of who was most handicapped, or who was “not handicapped enough.”. I am very discrete about my disabilities, because in my local club, we have some mean-spirited people who just think that it’s a way of complaining about poor performance or trying to get a competitive advantage. I am not a professional equestrian, so these accusations hurt my feelings–of course, I want to do well, and do well the right way:through years of long practice. Nonetheless, I am a driver, and if the signs for the cones are too small, i will circle the field looking for the next pair. Okay, oh well. Frustrating, demoralizing–oh! that’s right, this hobby is supposed to be fun. i am hearing imapired, and this is common enough so that usually someone will bellow when the judge is ready for us to enter the arena. It’s tricky in a social setting, because often i am unaware that someone is speaking to me, because I cannot see their mouth and fill in with the sounds (I do not entirely lip read).
Of late, I have been ill, and this has its impact too…especially since it may be a long term issue (go to doc this week).
The point is that I would like to raise my hoof for roll call, although my disabilities are hidden and thus, few folks know. It makes things more difficult and the uncharitable behaviors of folks doesn’t warm my heart too much. I guess sportsman like behaviors does not all the way extend into the equestrian sports, and not very much for a lowly hobbyist such as myself. I am being a bit sarcastic here–it’s a habit, but also I am hoping that some element of better behavior will take root everywhere. Am I handicapped enough for this roll call?