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

[Jackie_Cochran]

I sort of got my lesson today.

It was in the mid-40s F this morning. No big deal, I put layers on and wore my winter silicon full seat breeches which had always kept me warm in the wind even when it was colder. Then I stepped outside, the breeze was sort of brisk but there was not a cloud in the sky, the sun was up, and I figured it would warm up like it usually does.

But the breeze then turned into a COLD wind. I put the far infrared horse gear on MJ including the Incrediwear neck wrap, I figured he would want his lower neck to be warm too. The weather did not seem to affect MJ too much, yeah he was a tiny bit antsy when we started off but Debbie walked around with him so he kept his sanity.

Then the wind got stronger and colder, with ever stronger gusts. Many horses were turned out and the paddocks were full of galloping, bucking and farting horses trying to do airs above the ground. Every time they turned out another exploding horse I turned him so he could see them and we whoa-ed. He was a good boy.

THEN the wind got stronger and colder. The horses in the paddocks decided that they NEEDED to run around even more (I don’t blame them, at all.) MJ was still being good but I started to get the feeling that he was waiting for an excuse to join in the galloping.

I looked at my watch, I had been on his back for 17 minutes. I told Debbie it might be a good idea for me to get off and she did not argue with me about this. We gradually made our way to the mounting block so I could use it to get off with Debbie’s help guiding my right foot down on it. Then I tried to dismount.

I could not for the life of me get my right leg to swing back and over the croup. I tried three times and my right leg moved a fraction of an inch each time, the cold wind had “frozen” my thigh muscles and buttock muscles so they could not work. Debbie used her cell phone to call her DH to come out to help me get my right leg over. He got my leg up enough so I could drag it across MJ’s croup and I managed to get down. MJ was a very good boy all through this. I think he wanted the ride to end so he could get out of that cold wind.

I am so glad that I was in a lesson and riding with a helper on the ground with other people available to help me. If I had been by myself I might still be on MJ’s back.

I am now thinking that maybe I should invest in a wool riding skirt for mornings like this, just to protect my upper leg muscles from a cold, cold wind.

At least I managed to ride a horse today.

[3PonyFarm]

It sounds like it was a good decision not to push it with the cold weather. Let us know where you find the skirt. It sounds warm.

[RMJacobs]

I’m glad you got off when you did. It’s so scary to be stuck on the back of a horse. Unfortunately I’ve experienced it. You have great helpers!

Rebecca

[Jackie_Cochran]

Shannon came by today. While I put the Nunn Finer colored rein markers on my curb rein I am using on my Home Horse Shannon put on my new, shorter, Millbrook stability leathers on my Talavera Potreta saddle for me so I would not have to wrestle with the saddle.

She guestimated the length. The stirrups did hang free but my heel was hitting the platform when I put my weight in the stirrups. I kept my feet in the stirrups for the first 13 minutes, trying to post (I need the stirrup leathers to be shorter), 3-pointing while “walking”, posting some more, balancing, and more 3-point. I am aiming to post for 30 strides in a row now, but I am still at 20 strides for the “walk”.

Then I kicked the stirrups free and put my feet on the platform. I did a few more 30 strides of posting, some walking, more posting, resting, and then more posting.

I lasted for 30 minutes again, yeah!!! Shannon said my side-to-side balance was fine and I was occasionally able to get my front-to-back balance good by sort of perching in the saddle.

After all of this my legs were TIRED and Shannon had to lift my right leg over the cantle. My dismount was truly ugly but I finally got off.

I really hope that me riding my Home Horse eventually pays off with me increasing my endurance in the saddle. Maybe it will when it gets warmer down here. Last week during my lesson I did not feel like I had any endurance at all in spite of working so hard riding my Home Horse.

Shannon shortened the stirrup leathers two holes before she got on and I am going to keep them at this length for next Sunday.

Shannon had fun with the shorter stirrup leathers. She concentrated mostly on working her core muscles.

With the rubber rein markers on my curb rein did not just slip through my fingers like it usually does. I am going to put them on my notched curb rein before my lesson with Debbie, maybe she will stop yelling at me to keep my curb rein from sagging when I have both reins in my hands.

[3PonyFarm]

30 minutes is a great workout!

[Jackie_Cochran]

I had my lesson with Debbie on MJ today.

I did not do that well. You see I have been trying to get the muscles that lift my right leg to the side, back, and over to the left stronger. I have been stretching the big tendon that grips the horse too. I am working both sides. I also wore my Fenwick shorts to cover my hip muscles and keep them warm even though the Far Infrared therapy stuff heats up my central nervous system enough to mess up with the conductivity of my nerves. I did apologize to both Debbie and MJ when I started riding about this.

Debbie was still working on something when I got there. MJ was in the barn aisle so I started grooming him some, starting with the Posture Prep on his back and neck, then brushing his mane, cleaning his head, and I curried him. Then Debbie appeared, she took one look at me and told me to SIT DOWN and rest.

In one way exercising my thigh muscles paid off today, I was able to get off without any extra help to lift my right leg over the cantle. On the other hand I lost even more of my proprioceptive sense because of wearing the Fenwick shorts and that really showed up in my riding. Debbie kept after me to get my torso STRAIGHT instead of slumping from one side to another. My right leg was also wandering around, totally lost while I could not tell very well if my seat was in the center of the saddle from side-to-side.

Debbie had a very good comment today, she said that it was obvious that riding my Home Horse really did not replace riding a live horse. I can do all the work at home but once I get on the horse and the horse moves the little movements of the horse’s back and the push from the horse’s legs tend to throw me off balance.

Some days I just feel like I ride worse than a beginner who has never been up on a horse.

She told me to make sure that Shannon checked how my torso was doing this weekend when we work on my Home Horse.

I made it approximately 30 minutes in the saddle today. I was walking very slowly back to the barn after I got off.

I am TIRED!!!

[3PonyFarm]

Rest up! It sounds like the Home Horse gives you a good workout even if it is not exactly like a live horse. I’m with you on sometimes feeling like a beginner. Things seem like they are harder the older you get. Oh to be young again!

[NaturallyHappy]

@3PonyFarm

Things seem like they are harder the older you get.

I never thought I’d be that person, but I am!

[Jackie_Cochran]

Shannon came by today and I got to ride on my Home Horse. However I have had a busy week, Wednesday was my riding lesson, Thursday I went and voted, and Friday I took a much longer car trip to see my neurologist. My neurologist is encouraged because I am so much better than when he saw me shortly after my fall off the lesson horse. I am not all the way back to where I was before my fall, but I could be so much worse (as in not riding horses!)

So I was TIRED even before I mounted the HH. I only made it 18 minutes today. I was tired, then I decided it might be good for me to use my Equicube–that lasted maybe 3 minutes. Carrying my Equicube really worked my back muscles, I will have to try and do more of it on the HH.

After the Equicube I posted for 30 “strides” with my feet flat on the platform. Shannon said while the HH moved from side to side some while I posted I always returned to center. Then I “walked” in 2-point, and I “walked” sitting in the saddle.

Then I picked up my stirrups. The stability leathers definitely make it more comfortable for my shin bones! I did 2 sessions of posting for 20x, some more walking, then I got too tired to continue. Shannon helped me get my right leg over the cantle when I dismounted.

Shannon seemed pretty pleased with my side-to-side balance today. My front to back balance was not as good, as whenever I sit down in the saddle the HH rocks back.

I really wish I had more energy!

[3PonyFarm]

I am so glad your neurologist recognized your hard work and improvement!

[RMJacobs]

Yay for a good neurologist appointment!

Rebecca

[Jackie_Cochran]

I had a much better lesson today. I rode for 32 minutes.

I did not wear any of my Far Infrared-therapy stuff today even though I woke up with multiple pains. MJ approved of this. He was SO GOOD today!

I did another thing. I finally found which hip pads I had already, the ones that protected my hip joint when I fell off MJ in May. The GeriHip pads are somewhat different now, they feel more like styrofoam instead of the really dense foam of my original ones. I combined both the old and new pads into the pockets and finally my body stopped freaking out about falling off again.

Every time I asked for a turn in place fore or hind he gave it to me, rotating around his fore or hind end. Debbie was pleased with him.

My right leg stayed in place unlike my last lesson.

We had one “odd” occurrence, he noticed the Black Angus cattle on the border of the neighboring pond and for once he fixated on the cattle. He had never fixated on cattle before when I rode him. I do not know if the part of the QH brain that has “cow” finally woke up again or if he thought that the dark shadows looked weirder than usual. He was FIXATED, ignored ALL my aids, and Debbie finally came and got him to follow her instead of standing there immobile.

I did two short posting trots, and for once his back felt like it was not a concrete pillar. I did not need extra help to get on or off of him.

I was happy, Debbie was happy with me and MJ, and MJ sure seemed a lot happier with me today.

[3PonyFarm]

Sounds like a really good lesson day! Good job!

[luvmyhackney]

Sounds like a fantastic lesson and even better day! Love hearing about your riding and MJ.

[Jackie_Cochran]

Shannon came over today.

I lasted 35 minutes on the Home Horse! I posted 35 times several times both with my feet on the platform and with my feet in the stirrups. I also 2-pointed “walking” several times.

Shannon said that my side-to-side balance was good throughout, and that my front-to-back balance is improving.

I carried my Equi Cube for around a minute. So far my back is not hurting from carrying it for around a minute this time.

Then she rode the HH for a while.

Now, for the rest of my post, I have never asked Shannon about her politics or how she votes. I thoroughly approve of the secret ballot and respect if someone does not want to tell me how they vote.

I got into discussing how the economy may be affected IF Trump wins and puts in his desired tariffs. I discussed this because she is 20 years younger than I am and may not remember clearly what it was like before Free Trade became the norm, AND because I lived in countries in South America that definitely were trying to protect their economies from the behemoth of the US economy. Tariffs will make a lot of things much more expensive. I pointed out that most of the hunt seat tack (saddles, bridles, bits, girths) are made abroad. Western tack might be more protected from tariffs since a good bit of this stuff is still made here, and the saddle seat tack also may be protected by domestic makers of their tack.

I REMEMBER how horribly more expensive GOOD (ie European made) tack was before free trade. Non-wealthy people tended to buy the inferior Argentine jumping saddles, bridles and girths, while the cheaper nickel hunt seat bits were prevalent because even when made in Europe they were much cheaper than the stainless steel bits.

Lately I have been TRYING to afford to buy stuff from abroad. My last purchases (notched reins from Hinterland and the Light Rider bitless bridles) from New Zealand finally arrived. I think that I have most of the Fager bits (sold through Sweden though they may be made in Pakistan) that I need though I could use two or three more of their leather snaffles. At least I have the titanium snaffles and double bridle bits that I need. IF Trump wins I will have to hurry and buy all the Back On Track stuff I could use because the cloth it is made from is made in China, and he has been threatening much higher tariffs on Chinese products. Otherwise I am pretty well set up as far as riding horses and the stuff I need for my MS is concerned.

Basically my message was if she needed stuff from abroad to get it before Trump ends up in the White House if he wins. We also discussed how the company she works for will soon need some really expensive machinery, none of which is made in the USA.

It will be much more expensive to live in the USA IF Trump wins the election. Our biggest blessing is that we can produce a lot of the food we eat barring weather disasters, droughts and early freezes. It also helps that we produce oil that we can trade for the oil products we need for transportation. We are not a poor country fortunately, I have lived in much poorer countries where economic dislocations were disastrous for the population, countries that did not produce necessary stuff that other countries NEEDED to buy.

The past few decades we have been living in a fool’s paradise of cheap goods, oil and food. If Trump wins our last few decades of relative prosperity may fade into history as we desperately try to adapt our budgets to the new realities.

Luckily for Shannon she has decent land, she finally finished repairing the house she lives in, and she is developing her land and planting food plants.

I guess my message was that if she needed anything from abroad to buy it before Trump ends up in the White House again. 20% tariffs can really add up.

IF Trump wins go ahead and buy all the tack etc. you need that is made abroad. The prices may skyrocket.

Sorry for the non-riding lecture, but this is important for future planning for all horse people in the USA.

[Jackie_Cochran]

I got my lesson with Debbie on MJ today.

I was not in very good shape this morning after I heard the news on the radio.

Debbie was understanding. Yes, we are very different politically (I do not know how she voted but she is pretty conservative.) What binds our friendship is that we both believe in the supreme importance of good horsemanship and that Arabians are wonderful friends to sympathetic owners and riders.

I just walked. I rode around 25 minutes, just at a walk doing our usual stuff since I was not up to doing anything more.

[3PonyFarm]

I’m glad you got to ride today. I too have friends that are of different polictical minds than me but I am happy that we can put that aside and enjoy the things we do have in common.

[Jackie_Cochran]

Shannon came by this morning to help me ride my Home Horse. I am so glad I invested in the HH since I can “ride” it for free since it is paid for.

I made it to 30 minutes though the last 5 minutes was just me balancing.

I made it up to 20 posts, both with my feet on the platform and with my feet in the stirrups. I also 2-ponted, again with my feet on the platform and with my feet in the stirrups. I “walked” some up in two point.

Otherwise it was just me balancing and “walking”. I ended up with a circle in each direction. After that I was pretty tired.

I used all the rest of the money I had saved up for tack on a pair of the Alupro safety stirrups to put on my Talavera Potrera saddle. When they arrive I will be all set up to ride in it in reasonable safety.

Next will be some BOT stuff I don’t already own for myself. The last time I fell off I was wishing I had some BOT stuff to help the hip joint I fell on so I will be getting the BOT hip/lower back stuff.

[3PonyFarm]

Another good workout! Good job!
Hope you get your lesson this week!

[Jackie_Cochran]

Last night I did not suffer from insomnia.

I got a full night’s sleep.

I woke up OK, ate, started to get ready to ride (slowly), and I noticed that my right ankle was sort of bothering me some, right in front where it bends.

So what, right?

Then I started to get ready for riding. I got my tack together, found what I use as a bit warmer, cleaned my teeth, cleaned my glasses, then I got my riding shirts on (T-shirt + long sleeve shirt) and I sat down for a few minutes. Then I got up, got my breeches, jodhpur boots, half chaps and spurs on. I was running a little late because I just got slower, and slower, and slower, so I rushed to get my bit warmer heated up and on the way I started trembling, my body felt weaker and weaker, and then exhaustion hit, hard.

So I called Debbie, asking her if she would be really busy this morning because I was in no shape to help her get MJ groomed and tacked up, plus I was not sure that I could walk out to the ring since my right leg was threatening to give away. Today I would NEED more help than usual, and it would take me more time just to walk around.

Luckily I got her before she left her house where she was trying to finish some work on the computer. Yes, she would be very busy this morning, and she was understanding (when we started many years ago I warned her that stuff like this could happen, the sudden inability to do anything that takes energy and this is not the first time.)

So I did not ride. I am still shaky at 3:00 PM, and I still feel exhausted.

This often happens when I add something new. My new thing I do reclining in bed for just 10 minutes a day. My son had put me on his Duolingo family plan. I had found a book on Caprilli’s style of riding in Italian, so I started on the Italian. Then remembering that several people had told me that when they learned a second foreign language that they “lost” their first foreign language when they started studying the new one. Hey, with the Duolingo I could add Spanish (my first 2nd language) so I was spending 10 minutes each day since Sunday on it.

That tiny bit of extra “work” drove me into exhaustion, just 10 minutes a day for two days and I feel like someone opened a spigot and ALL my energy just went down the drain.

At least with me the foreign languages seem to take hold in a different part of my brain than where I think in English. I still have the Spanish part of my brain though I am no longer fluent, but I do not have a part of my brain where Italian finds its home. So my brain is having to do extra work building new connections to take in all this new information and this is making me TIRED.

Oh well.

I am determined to learn at least enough Italian so I can read and understand what the Italian books on Caprilli’s method say. I have been having great fun looking at the pictures. These Italian cavalry riders and horses were jumping fences that looked like they took saplings and nailed or tied them together, and these fences were no two foot jumps either (some looked to be at least 4’, often with spreads.) It was obvious that the riders did not “place” their horses at the best place to clear the jumps, in several pictures it is obvious that the horse is taking off too close to the fence, and in other pictures it is obvious that the horse took off too early and was stretching to clear the jump.

Man, those riders had GREAT contact! No matter where the horse took off to jump the fence the riders’ contact was LIGHT, following the horse’s head even when the takeoff was not at the “correct” place. The horses did not show discomfort with their riders, the horses willingly jumped fences that they could just plow through and break the whole jump, and while the riders did not show perfect positions in the saddle they were not interfering with the horse. Yes, I know, only the “best” pictures would make it into the book, but in the best pictures in the book these cavalrymen would not have won any ribbons in a hunt seat equitation class yet their horses cleared these super flimsy jumps, full of wide gaps that jumping classes seem to avoid now, as the jumps were just these thin saplings(?) and did not look very solid at all except for the stone walls.

I wish I could ride that well!!!

So I am going to slooooowly “translate” these books to find out if they have some knowledge that will make me a better rider. I got a really small Italian-English/English-Italian dictionary and I am waiting on a copy of the “International Horseman’s Dictionary” that has Italian in it (I have a copy somewhere of this book that does NOT have Italian in it.) It will take me a while as tired as this additional mental brain building work is making me.

But I have every Forward Seat riding book in English, and I have read and reread them a lot. A different perspective will probably help me more than re-reading the books I have in English since my brain already knows everything in them.

Besides, these Italian cavalrymen have such light contact over the jumps! The only other Forward Seat book I have that has some pictures that show such LIGHT contact is “Forward Freely” by Michael Kirschner who taught at Mary Washington College in Virginia oh so long ago.

I know that I am severely handicapped. I know that I will never achieve perfection in the saddle, I know that I have absolutely no business jumping a horse, but darn it, I just want to be the very best rider that I can be!

In other news I finally got all the fittings I need to use my Talavera Potrera saddle, several dressage girths of different lengths, stability leathers, and now I get to put on my new Alupro safety stirrups! I will be ready to use it in a lesson when Debbie finally gets enough time to help me figure it all out when it is actually on a real, live horse.