Trying to Get Riding Fit with MS at the Speed of a Snail

[Jackie_Cochran]

Today Shannon came by. I managed to stay on my HH for 5 minutes, just sitting still and balancing, with my bare feet on the HH platform.

Shannon said I kept in balance, but she though if I had tried to ride for more than 5 minutes I would have “lost” my balance. She also HAD TO help me get my right leg over the cantle of my saddle when I dismounted since I just could not lift it high enough.

Shannon has used the Posture Prep groomers I got her for herself, her horses and her dogs. Her horses LOVED it, lowering their heads, relaxing their ears, and relaxing their lips. Her dogs, little Chihuahaus, also loved her using the dog sized one on them. So I have good reports on the effects on three species of mammals. I told her how I used mine on my knees as a preventive for knee problems after I have to do the deep knee bends and my knees have not suffered from this abuse.

My Posture Prep has helped my muscle pains in my feet, legs, upper arms and neck. The more I use it the less I have to use it later, as in days later. Like I have hardly used it today while I was using it a lot the first few days.

I LOVE finding new things that work!

[3PonyFarm]

Keep up the good work!

[Jackie_Cochran]

I did not ride my Home Horse on Wednesday because I had yet another appointment for my eyes. My sort of local DO wanted to check my eye out since she was the person who referred me to my eye doctor. She said he did a good job. I am glad I have eye insurance so this appointment cost me $25.00 USD instead of $400.00.

Shannon came by today and I made it a full 7 minutes on my HH, balancing, “walking” a little bit, I “posted” 10 times and I did some 2-point, all with my bare feet flat on the HH platform. At least I could do a little bit more on my HH today.

Otherwise we talked some horse anatomy focusing on where the rider sits on the horse’s back. Because of all our anatomy discussions while looking at the anatomy pictures Shannon is now sitting more forward on the horse’s back, both bareback and with a saddle (the dressage saddle I am letting her use on her TWH mare.)

We also discussed how I could introduce my double bridle to her TWH mare. This mare does not like most bits though she does like the titanium coated Uxeter Kimberwick I bought for the mare. This mare had obviously had her mouth severely abused by a ham-fisted “trainer” using a snaffle, so this mare officially totally HATES snaffle bits.

My game plan right now is the next time I go to Shannon’s place that we use the Posture Prep cross fiber “grooming” tool on her back, neck and some on her head after grooming. Then I will let Shannon bridle her with my double bridle, let her fuss at the bits (Fager titanium Mullen mouth Weymouth curb and Fager titanium Alicia bridoon with a roller on the center link), then Shannon can lead her around in it some, playing with contact with the bridoon for a minute or so, then stopping and removing the bridle, hopefully at a good time. We won’t put on the saddle since I don’t want the mare to think that she will be ridden. Where we go from there will depend on the mare. If she is super fussy the first time we will give her a week (or two or three) to think about it, and try again with just the bridle.

I am hoping that the sheer novelty of having two bits in her mouth at once will distract her from her deep fear of a snaffle mouthpiece. If that does not work I will either try my “magic” Cambridge mouth snaffle (mullen mouth with a low port like the old Weymouth bits we used way back when) if Shannon agrees. I don’t know if the mare would like this bridoon mainly because it is stainless steel and the mare had her mouth abused with a stainless steel snaffle. If that does not work I will gracefully admit defeat and ride her with the titanium coated Kimberwick that she does accept. Hopefully we will get this accomplished before the end of this year.

[3PonyFarm]

Sounds like you had a productive session! Good luck with the mare. I hope your plan works with her. Sounds like a good one!

[Jackie_Cochran]

I went a 6 month appointment with my Neurologist today.

He accepted my hypothesis that the reason why I have been so TIRED since my first cataract operation is that my brain is working really, really hard trying to get a coherent picture from my two eyes, my left eye one with double astigmatism, cataract and myopia, and the right one being the one with the cataract removed with the correct prescription implanted corrective lens.

He held out hope that after my other eye gets operated on next week that my brain will have a lot easier time connecting both pictures and I will be back to my normal (low) energy level.

He formally gave me an oral prescription to get back to RIDING HORSES as soon as I heal from my second surgery. At least in my case of MS he is now a total believer in the efficacy of riding horses for people with MS. As he said he has been seeing me for 5 years and I am always smiling, I can walk, I can see, and I do not have MS exacerbations.

So in three weeks I will be riding a horse again, the weather and the Universe permitting. If I have more energy I will be able to use my Home Horse more so I can start rebuilding my muscles and work more on my balance.

I told him of my recent Home Horse rides, 5 min. and 7 min., and both rides I had experimented with closing my eyes while I was balanced side to side. Both days the HH immediately swayed and moved me to the rear on the left side. He was not surprised by that.

Next week the operation. Then life can start up again.

[Jarpur]

@Jackie_Cochran

he has been seeing me for 5 years and I am always smiling, I can walk, I can see, and I do not have MS exacerbations

That right there is great!

[Jackie_Cochran]

One thing I really like about my present doctor.

He is willing to accept the evidence of his eye even though there has not been a double blind study about a lot of what I do to personally treat my MS.

Of course, exactly HOW could one do a double blind study as to whether horseback riding is good physical therapy for someone with MS? I can’t imagine not noticing whether I were on a 1,000 pound animal or not. Since everybody’s Central Nervous System is not identical how could doctors come up with a list of improvements that “proved” the efficacy? Horseback riding works on many parts of my CNS, walking, coordination and balance are easier to see, but the relaxation of deep tissues is not easy to see or even feel if one’s nervous system is compromised.

I am so glad I found a good neurologist who listens to me.

[3PonyFarm]

That is great! Good luck with the next surgery!

[Jackie_Cochran]

Shannon came by today.

At first I forgot to get my stop-watch going on my watch. By the time I realized this I was already a little tired, from posting 10 times, “walking” and a few sessions of 2-point. Then I rode for another 5 minutes doing the same stuff again.

Today I wore my Ariat Terrain boots, the ones with the thicker soles. I still kept my feet flat on the platform (while trying to keep my weight in my heels) and my body felt more daring today. Or maybe I am just so bored that doing anything was better than just sitting up there balancing. With the thicker soles on my boots I was able to dismount without much outside help, yeah!

Shannon told me each time I asked that my side-to-side balance was fine, and I returned to that balance each time I stopped the walking, posting and two-point.

I will have my second cataract/astigmatism laser procedure on my left eye on Thursday. Then I will have to adjust to my changed focal point in that eye. Hopefully I will be able to read better since I have so many paperback books that I have not been able to enjoy lately.

Thinking back I started to get really tired a month or two ago, right when the cataract in my left eye really started affecting my vision. Maybe, just maybe, I will end up with the amount of energy I had before this started affecting my life badly. I did not have much energy back then, but I did have a lot more energy than I do right now.

With MS exhaustion is always lurking, and no matter how tired I feel I KNOW that it can get worse, much worse. It will be a pleasant change to do something that effectively increases my energy after decades of getting more and more tired from less and less physical effort.

And maybe I will be able to see both the pictures AND be able to read the labels in my horse anatomy books at the same time. I really did not realize what a luxury that was when I started getting my horse anatomy books.

[3PonyFarm]

I bet you will be glad to get the second surgery over with!

[Jackie_Cochran]

On Sunday my lower left jaw’s back molars started HURTING whenever anything touched my last molar. My husband called our dentist right when they opened, we were lucky someone had just cancelled their appointment. I had to wait, 4:30 PM was their only opening, but the office was deserted except for the staff. My dentist was able to take the TIME needed to thoroughly discuss my options for treatment, but said to get my cataract surgery first because the anti-biotic and Tylenol would deal with most of the pain.

I called my eye doctor’s office, they said to go ahead with the surgery and approved of the drugs the dentist put me on.

So I cannot eat or drink after midnight tonight (except for taking the antibiotic). As it all goes well by tomorrow afternoon both eyes will be seeing better than they did a month ago.

Then I have to get the root canals. I really hope my dental insurance covers most of it because the cataract procedures have sort of seriously depleted our savings. I hope that come Christmas I won’t have any medical debt.

My riding teacher called me this morning to check up on me. I told her about the impending root canals, and she just told me to call her about when I am allowed to ride again and we will be back to normal.

I MISS my riding lessons on a real, live horse. I miss grooming my mount. I miss the “discussions” that MJ and I have about how to proceed around the ring in the manner I desire. I miss his willing obedience, intersected with some grumbling about my riding (hey, he is a lesson horse, it is his JOB to tell his rider when and how to improve.)

Then I can buy more horse anatomy books!!!

[3PonyFarm]

So sorry you are now dealing with dental issues too! That isn’t fair. I hope everything goes well and you are back to riding soon!

[Jackie_Cochran]

I got my left eye done today. Unlike the last time, when I did not seem to notice anything during the procedure, I noticed most of it.

My eye doctor said to wait for at least 2 weeks before getting the root canals, just as long as he told me to wait to ride horses.

This eye was done for reading focus. I hope when my eye calms down I can read better. The eye doctor did note that I should be able to see my horse anatomy books better., and I sure hope he is right about this!

I get to take another longish drive to my appointment with him tomorrow. I am going to be exhausted when I get home tomorrow.

One thing I noticed about the Tylenol. I am cautious about medicines, so I only took half the recommended dosage. Yesterday afternoon I was hurting so I took the full recommended dose. I ended up staggering, my thinking is less sharp, and I am now thinking that I never saw any warning that Tylenol causes neurological difficulties.

Luckily I seem to able to adapt to taking just one Tylenol because my eye doctor specifically told me not to take anything else for any pain right now.

Once this is past I am returning to my old, reliable aspirin. I have been taking aspirin my whole life and I NEVER had any neurological problems from it.

To keep my sanity and get my horsie fix I am reading “The Great Match Race” by John Eisenberg, about the match race between American Eclipse, a Northern horse against Sir Henry, both American TBs in 1823. Those horses make today’s TBs look like WIMPS. Four mile heats with maybe 30 minutes of rest between the heats, and some races ended up needing FIVE four mile heats to determine the winner, TWENTY MILES at racing speed in one day. These horses were trained hard to get fit enough to be able to stand this incredible athletic feat.

To quote the book page 102, “Johnson (the Southern trainer) put his six finalists through the hardest training they had ever experienced, with no let up. They ran every day but Sunday, covering miles and miles. Then on Sunday they raced.”

“He varied their routines. The toughest were the “bottom building” days which consisted first of marathon runs lasting anywhere from 8 to twelve miles, then a break followed by a second shorter run at a faster pace… Then there were “speed building” days consisting of four or five sprints lasting from one to three miles. “Chase days” were for developing competitiveness: a horse was started far behind a pack of opponents and was urged to catch up.”

These horses were trained HARD.

The early American TB race horse was a horse that was expected to be able to run at racing speed for miles and miles. Truly iron horses.

[3PonyFarm]

I am so happy for you that the eye surgeries are done. Hopefully the dental procedures will go smoothly.

[Jackie_Cochran]

I saw my cataract surgeon today and my eye looks fine. He said that I probably will need glasses for distance and to deal with my D.O. about them when I see her in two weeks so she can check my eye out.

I can see so much better. I am getting used to reading with my new vision. I am taking this slow, my eye will be adapting to the new configuration for a little while.

[RMJacobs]

I’m glad you are done with the eye surgeries.

I have put off my follow up for way too long. I had quarterly visits with the surgeon in the year following the surgeries, but then when we moved, I didn’t have a new opthalmologist. I finally got off my butt and scheduled an appointment to make sure everything still looks OK. I had to schedule it months in advance. My last follow up was in February 2022. I know, I’m bad. I just had so much health stuff to deal with since we moved that this just had to wait.

Rebecca

[Jackie_Cochran]

I have had a really tiring week.

Monday we had to get me to the bank to get money out to pay for implanted lenses, two pairs of eyeglasses, and to pay something on my first root canal. I got TIRED.

Tuesday we had to go to my regular eye doctor for a follow up visit on my cataract surgeries and to prescribe me reading and distance vision glasses. Luckily my frames are still good so my eye insurance paid for a good bit of it but we still had to come up with $$. She said that my eyes were healing up well.

Then yesterday I had the first of two root canals. I really liked this endodontist, I finally realized that just like people can be born doctors there are people who are born dentists. My regular dentist seems to be one, and this endodontist is another. My endodontist uses a technique that really reduces the pain of the novocaine shots, had good music on, and while his singing along was not perfect his good cheer and obvious desire to help his patients made it the most “pleasant” root canal I’ve ever had. Of course even with dental insurance we had to pay several hundred dollars. We are perilously close to maxing out my dental insurance this year so I may have to wait until next year for my second one, bummer.

I have not been on a horse since Oct. 4. I have not been on my Home Horse for two weeks. First my front-to-back balance got worse. Now my side-to-side balance is getting worse. I NEED to get back in the saddle again!

I am amazed that so far we have been able to find the money to pay for our sizeable co-payments, but our savings have been sadly depleted. I still have to hold money back to pay for the second root canal in case my husband does not make enough money for us to afford it during the end of year/beginning of the next year financial squeeze.

In the meanwhile Fager is finally selling my preferred titanium Weymouth curb bit, the Victoria, again. Right now I have what I need for a double bridle for the two horses I have available to ride. However a third horse may soon be added to the roster. I can make do with what I have right now but I could end up having to switch bits on one of my bridles, just an additional hassle when my fantasy is to have everything all ready for any possible variable that lets me use the titanium bits. Hopefully I will someday during the next year have enough extra money to buy two of the Weymouths and bridoons from Fager. Then I will be set for horses whose mouths are 4 1/2" to 5 1/2" wide and I could sort of make do for a horse with a 5 3/4" mouth.

Or I could decide that this would just be a unneeded luxury since I all would have to do is switch bits and maybe the reins.

I do not want to ride horses taller than 15.2 hands, but I have learned through experience that when I ride other people’s horses I sometimes have to ride equine behemoths. I am lucky right now, the biggest horse I’m riding is 15.1 but that could change without much warning.

At least my body is still fit enough to be able to do the full knee bends when I have to pick something up from the floor. That helps make up for the occasional staggering.

[NaturallyHappy]

Hugs to you!

[RMJacobs]

That all sounds exhausting! I’m glad your eyes are healing well, and the first root canal went so well. When I read about all the dental stuff folks have to do, I do not miss my teeth at all!

I am finally seeing an opthalmologist on December 1st, and I’m a little nervous about what he might find. I’ve developed a new floater in the past year, and I hope it isn’t indicative of a problem. I saw the guy who did the surgery after the first floater appeared, and he said that one was fine. But since then, I’ve gotten a pretty big one in the other eye. I’m still seeing very well, so most likely it’s nothing to be concerned about.

I had two medical appointments yesterday and one today. It all felt like way too much, even though one was telehealth and I was just sitting at my dining table for it. I hate how easily I become exhausted. If I did all the stuff you did recently, I’d have to take a nap.

Rebecca

[Jackie_Cochran]

I got the “Neuroathletics for Riders” by Marc Nolte book as an early Christmas present (my son asked me what I wanted and said to go ahead and read it.)

In it he writes about the visual system. “…no other system sensory system sends as much data to the brain. If the data is fundamentally defective, or cannot be processed or integrated successfully, it requires energy, and sports–and life in general become more strenuous, and potentially even painful. I’ve known numerous clients whose energy levels have increased considerably as a result of visual training.”

So yes, my uneven vision between my eyes has been exhausting me and my brain.

When my lenses come in for my reading and distance glasses my eyes should be operating at an equivalent level of visual acuity. Hopefully I won’t get so darn tired just looking at stuff, and hopefully my brain will work better, my curiosity will recover, and I will be able to retain more of what I read.

I might even be able to ride centered on the horse.

This is one reason why I do NOT go in for heavy contact (to me it gets heavier at around 2 ounces of weight.) Currently there is no way I can guarantee that I am staying centered on the horse and I refuse to nag the horse to correct something that is MY FAULT.

When I keep my contact light the horses seem to be sort of willing to work with me. I get cussed out with heavier contact and I do not blame the horse for pointing out my riding defects.