[Doodle]

Hello. Just thought Id give a wee update. I went to a dressage competition yesterday which I was really nervous about because It was a different venue, and a potential reason for murphy to miss behave but he was very good especially for mounting and dismounting! And we managed to get 1st, 2nd and a 6th so I was quite pleased! Have another one this coming friday, its a RDA (Riding for the disabled) qualifier, to qualify for the championships in gloucester (Hartpury College) so fingers crossed!

[twisted_ophelia]

Emma, that is awesome!!! Congrats on placing--and winning!!! I am sure you will do amazing this Friday. Keep us posted and put up some pics! I miss getting all decked up in my show gear!

The weather has been beautiful here lately but unfortunately I am having a small pressure issue on my bum so I dont want to spend TOO long in the saddle but I did manage to ride outside yesterday for a while. I decided to leave the open fields that I normally ride around in and do some exploring through a small forest. Teddy had a small panic attack at a fallen log and too much brush hanging down and started to spin and prance. That wasn't so fun since if I fell off, it would be a LONG way back to the barn, dragging my ass through the fields. No thanks. I managed to get him to walk relatively calmly out of the woods and decided it was time to head back to the barn. Normally I ride outside with at least one other person for safety reasons. Going on hacks with other horses helps him keep his wits about him and not lose his marbles. Riding outside is so lovely and peaceful despite the spooking potential. I love spring and summer!

[Doodle]

Well tomorrow's now out the window, I fell off today for the first time and have damaged my cruciate ligament. but its so swollen that they cant be sure till it goes down, so ive got a lovely splint on and lots of elevatation

I was riding in the arena practisinf tomorrow's dressage tests and he got spooked by the dogs, spun to the left and I kept going. Id managed to grab round his neck, at which point I was already out the door, and my right knee was over bent and then I must have twisted it! and then gravity took over and I landed on back! with murphy looking at me like I was stupid lol! Im sooooooooooooooooooo pissed off! Cos now im gonna be off riding for a while and stuck indoors!

Rant over

[twisted_ophelia]

Oh my God, Emma, that's awful! How are you feeling? That actually sounds really similar to one of the times I feel off in January (fell off twice that month, in the span of like two weeks, second time knocking me unconcscious). Teddy spooked at a barn cat and I went over the side of his neck, managed to grab mane on my way down which pulled my body into a weird twist, landed on my back/butt and did more damage to myself than if I'd just let myself fall. I pulled some ligaments in my back. And Teddy looking at me like I was stupid as well.

When will you be allowed to ride again? I totally sympathize with not being able to be in the saddle. The pressure issue on my ass is being a real bitch. I'm very impatient when it comes to my body and when I have to it causes those types of limitations. I hope you feel better soon.

[Doodle]

Im feeling a little less pissed off today lol, Still have a fat knee and its still sore but not as much, and I can bend it slighly more than when it first happened. Hoping I wont need an operation! And I have no Idea when Ill be back on board, my leg hasnt been officially diagnosed yet, seeing an orthorpedic specialist on wed at a fracture clinic, so will hopefully hear whats happening then, and will bombard him with questions! Did your pressure sore stem from the bruise you had?

I hate when I have something that limits my independance. I have a full length splint on so having to get a hand to the toilet and the shower. Although today I managed to get out shower and to bed on my own and I managed to get my sock on lol! which is better than a poke in the eye with a burnt stick!

[twisted_ophelia]

Doodle-86, on Jun 1 2009, 09:28 AM, said:

Im feeling a little less pissed off today lol, Still have a fat knee and its still sore but not as much, and I can bend it slighly more than when it first happened. Hoping I wont need an operation! And I have no Idea when Ill be back on board, my leg hasnt been officially diagnosed yet, seeing an orthorpedic specialist on wed at a fracture clinic, so will hopefully hear whats happening then, and will bombard him with questions! Did your pressure sore stem from the bruise you had?

I hate when I have something that limits my independance. I have a full length splint on so having to get a hand to the toilet and the shower. Although today I managed to get out shower and to bed on my own and I managed to get my sock on lol! which is better than a poke in the eye with a burnt stick!

Aw, hugs, Emma! Are you keeping your knee up and elevated? Icing it? Hopefully your knee injury is minor! I have a messed up right knee that happened pre-SCI that gives me trouble now. I tore the ligament in it a loooong time ago and sometimes it pops out or twists if I'm not careful. Sometimes I'll notice it's slightly swollen after riding. Total pain the ass! Anyway, my point is that if he recommends surgery, you should do it. It's a real bother having a messed up knee and an SCI because I'm not always aware if I've injured it. I can feel pain below my injury but it has to be severe and that's how I'll know if I've REALLLY messed up my knee somehow. It's annoying to have to be cautious and aware of it. And kind of gross since I'm always having to pop it back into place, haha.

Yeah, my skin issue is a result of the bruise from falling out of my truck. I still cringe when I think about how totally embarrassing that was! These things just seem to take so long to heal. Not being to ride as hard and long as I normally do in the last while is probably what's causing Teddy to act out and misbehave. He really needs a good daily workout so I've asked some of the teenage girls at the barn to give him workouts and runs on the days I can't make it up to the barn. He just needs to burn off all that extra energy somehow. Kinda like me They do say horses take on the characteristics of their humans and vice versa....

[Doodle]

Hey Mimi or anyone who may have advice. Im thinking of trying to ride again end of the week or beginning of next week. Do you think I should wear a knee support or anything? As I remember you saying your knee plays up on you a bit after you have ridden - mimi! Its feeling loads better, but all I need is to damage it further! What do you think??

Emma

[dancin' johnny]

I can answer this one Doodles, yes!

[Doodle]

Thank you for your wise words!

[twisted_ophelia]

Doodle-86, on Jun 24 2009, 06:50 AM, said:

Hey Mimi or anyone who may have advice. Im thinking of trying to ride again end of the week or beginning of next week. Do you think I should wear a knee support or anything? As I remember you saying your knee plays up on you a bit after you have ridden - mimi! Its feeling loads better, but all I need is to damage it further! What do you think??

Emma

That's probably a good idea, just get something to hold it steady and in place while you ride. Are you just gonna get on and walk him around? You might not need a knee brace for that but it's always better to be safe than sorry. I have an old pre-SCI knee issue (tore some ligaments) but I don't usually put a sports brace or anything on it. Your injury is fresh and healing though so it's wise to keep it protected. Try it out and see how it goes, maybe? Have you ridden since you got hurt? You must be going stir-crazy at this point.

[StillFingers]

Lovely topic, keep it glopping along...I luv horses and I'm blonde


Blonde Riding a Horse

A blonde decides to learn and try horse back riding assisted without any experience or lessons.

He/She mounts the horse with great effort, and the tall, shiny horse springs into motion.

It gallops along at a steady and rhythmic pace, but the blonde begins to slip from the saddle.

Out of shear terror, he/she grabs for the horse's mane but cannot seem to get a firm grip.

He/She tries to throw his/her arms around the horse's neck, but slides down the side of the horse anyway.

The horse gallops along, seemingly oblivious to its slipping rider.

Finally, giving up his/her frail grip, he/she leaps away from the horse to try and throw him/herself to safety.

Unfortunately, his/her foot has become entangled in the stirrup.

He/She is now at the mercy of the horse's pounding hooves as his/her head is struck against the ground again and again.

As his/her head is battered against the ground, he/she is moments away from unconsciousness or even death when Todd, the Wall-Mart Manager, runs out to turn the horse off.


I'm an equal opportunity offender

This post has been edited by StillFingers: 24 June 2009 - 06:20 PM

[Doodle]

Hahaha. I almost thought you were talking about Mimi untill the end. Ha im joking!

[twisted_ophelia]

Doodle-86, on Jun 25 2009, 01:28 PM, said:

Hahaha. I almost thought you were talking about Mimi untill the end. Ha im joking!

I thought he was talking about me too for a second there--the blonde bit and the falling off bit sound exactly like me! How's the leg, Emma? Did you get to ride and try out the knee brace?

This post has been edited by twisted_ophelia: 26 June 2009 - 04:28 AM

[StillFingers]

[Doodle]

The knee brace seems to be doing thr trick, havent had any problem with the knee after ive been riding - thankfully! Everything seems to be going back to normal now, there was a moment when i thought it was never going to heal!! Its still slightly swollen but seems to be going down the more im doing with it, which makes sense i guess!!

[Trinity]

Doodle-86, on Jul 4 2009, 03:25 PM, said:

The knee brace seems to be doing thr trick, havent had any problem with the knee after ive been riding - thankfully! Everything seems to be going back to normal now, there was a moment when i thought it was never going to heal!! Its still slightly swollen but seems to be going down the more im doing with it, which makes sense i guess!!

Nice one Emma! Just make sure you do loads of stretching and ROM with it, don't let it tighten up as it heels.
Any plans for more dressage events?

This post has been edited by trinity: 04 July 2009 - 02:48 PM

[Doodle]

I have been trying Trin, got a physio appointment on the 20th July for me knee, so will see what they think of the progress. I dont think ive lost any ROM so fingers crossed! No Dressage comps coming up at the moment, i have a few lessons planned one with the scottish para rep and another with a listed international para judge

And most exciting im going to Hartpury College on the 14th, 15th, 16th of july to get internationally classified which will hopefully get me into funding for travelling and training, and then eventually compete abroad! And it will also confirm my grade of disability!

Have u any plans to have another ride this summer?!

[twisted_ophelia]

Doodle-86, on Jul 4 2009, 10:25 AM, said:

The knee brace seems to be doing thr trick, havent had any problem with the knee after ive been riding - thankfully! Everything seems to be going back to normal now, there was a moment when i thought it was never going to heal!! Its still slightly swollen but seems to be going down the more im doing with it, which makes sense i guess!!

I'm so glad you're back up and riding again, you must feel a 1000 times better just to get up on Murray! :-) Knee injuries for us or for able-bodied people take a while to heal in general. When I tore my ligaments, I was still AB and the healing process was long, same with anyone else I know who has torn ligaments in their knee (seems to be a common thing) but eventually they do heal. I know some (all ABs) who've had surgery to fix it and they are as good as new now so if you do decide to do the surgery, it may help to know that friends of mine who've had it have all healed 100%.

I'm just about to head out to the barn. I'm thinking I'm going to give Teddy a bath today. He doesn't mind getting bathed--until you hit his neck with the hose and then he dances circles and gets all grumpy. He's like one of those kids that doesn't like to dunk their head underwater in a pool! But he's coming in from the paddock just caked in dried mud and it's disgusting. Much easier to spray him with the hose than try to get it all off. I can't even reach his back so someone has to help me groom him and we both just end up covered in mud dust. Yuck. Ah, summer at the barn!

Speaking of shows, I let one of the girls at the barn enter a few local shows with Teddy. She entered some Hunter classes and he did beautifully over the fences (I believe she entered the 2'6") category but at ALL THREE SHOWS he threw her off in the flat class once they were all asked to canter. She was fine, her pride was injured, but that horse is so not a hunter. Total jumper all the way. I wish I could enter into jumper classes with him and I'm trying to talk her into doing it but she's not really feeling brave enough. I miss showing!!!! :-(

[twisted_ophelia]

Posted some pics of Teddy to my twitter:

http://twitpic.com/anrln

http://twitpic.com/anrpo

You guys should be able to view them without twitter accounts!

[Doodle]

twisted_ophelia, on Jul 17 2009, 06:11 PM, said:

Posted some pics of Teddy to my twitter:

http://twitpic.com/anrln

http://twitpic.com/anrpo

You guys should be able to view them without twitter accounts!

He's a handsome boy! Very shiny aswell, I really need to get some pictures of me riding! Oh I when I was down at Harpury College at the festival of Dressage last week getting classified, I got to watch another para riding, she was from canada, Lauren Barwick shes a t11 - t12 i think! Was interesting! Not sure if you have heard of her mimi!

[twisted_ophelia]

Doodle-86, on Jul 22 2009, 10:32 AM, said:

twisted_ophelia, on Jul 17 2009, 06:11 PM, said:

Posted some pics of Teddy to my twitter:

http://twitpic.com/anrln

http://twitpic.com/anrpo

You guys should be able to view them without twitter accounts!

He's a handsome boy! Very shiny aswell, I really need to get some pictures of me riding! Oh I when I was down at Harpury College at the festival of Dressage last week getting classified, I got to watch another para riding, she was from canada, Lauren Barwick shes a t11 - t12 i think! Was interesting! Not sure if you have heard of her mimi!

Aww, thanks, yeah, he's my sweetheart. His coat got REALLY shiny after I put him on a probiotic supplement, canola oil in his feed (grain), and occasionally use Vetrolin on his coat to keep the summery dust and bugs off. It's incredible, sometimes when he's in the sunlight and I've spent lots of time grooming him, his coat glitters a bit gold.

Anyway, I'm off riding for a few days this week because we had a ridiculously bad fall on the weekend. He also fell. I felt it was time I try to jump a bit higher. My ex was with me and I got him to raise the fences up to I'd say about 2.5 feet (I have only done about 2 feet post-SCI) and I guess Teddy got excited because when he went in for the jump--we started at a nice controlled canter--he rocked way back on his haunches and sprang up like a rocket which I SHOULD have expected because I know how he jumps but it caught me off guard. My balance sucks so of course this threw me down onto his neck, I tried staying on but I came off right over his head sort of right in front of him as he was landing and the poor thing, I tripped him up and down he went on top of me. I landed sort of on my side and I know he tried so hard not to step on me but he was so off-kilter that he couldn't balance himself either and his barrel landed on me. I was lucky because I didn't get hit with his hooves, not even when he was getting back up. He was so shaken up, standing there over me shaking like a leaf, he didn't even keep running like he normally does when I fall off. He was okay though and I was okay as well. I insisted on calling the vet first and then we went to the emergency room and I was checked out, no broken bones or anything, my helmet stayed on and my head didn't get hit. I think what saved my ass is the super soft and deep arena footing we have. Had that been on hard ground, his weight would have totally smushed me. I'm still just really sore. He's happy as a clam right now I'm sure as he gets to spend a few days hanging out with his buddies his paddock on vacation! I thought was my ex was going to lose it having to watch that and he didn't know until he got to me if I was alive he said (lol), the fall probably looked WAY worse than it actually was since neither of us got hurt.

I have heard of Lauren, yeah. Name sounds very familiar. I'm not really involved at all in the paraequestrian stuff because I don't do dressage but I think I recall seeing her name in some of the magazines I get from various Canadian equestrian federations. She does dressage, right?

This post has been edited by twisted_ophelia: 22 July 2009 - 05:29 PM

[Doodle]

You seriously are a crazy mofo!!!!!!

Glad you and teddy werent badly hurt! I havent jumped since last year, will try it again before the summer is over. But i think after the fall I had it might be a bit less confident, but after i hear what you have been doing i think im being stupid. lol.

Yeah Lauren is into Para Dressage!

I havent got any pictures of me jumping, i was just looking back at ur pics. I did take a picture of what i was jumping, and they are pretty miniscule lol.

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[twisted_ophelia]

Doodle-86, on Jul 22 2009, 02:01 PM, said:

You seriously are a crazy mofo!!!!!!

Glad you and teddy werent badly hurt! I havent jumped since last year, will try it again before the summer is over. But i think after the fall I had it might be a bit less confident, but after i hear what you have been doing i think im being stupid. lol.

Yeah Lauren is into Para Dressage!

I havent got any pictures of me jumping, i was just looking back at ur pics. I did take a picture of what i was jumping, and they are pretty miniscule lol.

Yeah, I get told that I'm being stupid when I jump Teddy but to me, I just can't imagine NOT jumping because it was such a high for me pre-SCI. Back then I probably would have jumped anything you put in front me of me and for me, it's like I compete with myself and need to prove it to myself that I still can, know what I mean? Falling off certainly doesn't do me any good and I seem to scare the shit out of people because my closest friends and ex are ALWAYS on my case about being "more safe" but riding isn't a safe sport anyway, SCI or not ;-) But, if you don't feel confident jumping again, don't do it. I've always found that if I'm nervous going into a jump, that's when things are most likely to go wrong. And jumping post-SCI is all about trying (sometimes rather desperately) to maintain that balance. I grab mane but if I'm not perfectly balanced, or if he isn't perfectly balanced, I will come off. Luckily, I have perfected the art of the ragdoll fall, haha. What you were jumping isn't miniscule! We all have to start somewhere and that's what I started off jumping when I started jumping again. I'm going to re-attempt my higher jumps once I'm a little less sore. I can do the bounce, I can do oxers, but I'd like to get up past two feet.

This post has been edited by twisted_ophelia: 23 July 2009 - 04:40 AM

[Doodle]

I wanted to revive the topic. I have a couple of updates, I had a lesson today with an international para dressage judge, it went very well, I have some footage that if I can some how manage to get it on here I will! So the knee is back to as being as good as new - THANK GOD! I have a competition coming up in October The Scottish Dressage Championships (For the Riding for Disabled) which Im looking forward to since I never got to the one I wanted to in the spring after I fell off! And after speaking with my para rep, we have decided for me to try for a junior international competition next summer, although It will be held in the UK, im still excited as it will be the first international thing Ive ever done!

Mimi, I hope everything is doing good with you and teddy!

[twisted_ophelia]

Doodle-86, on Aug 14 2009, 02:18 PM, said:

I wanted to revive the topic. I have a couple of updates, I had a lesson today with an international para dressage judge, it went very well, I have some footage that if I can some how manage to get it on here I will! So the knee is back to as being as good as new - THANK GOD! I have a competition coming up in October The Scottish Dressage Championships (For the Riding for Disabled) which Im looking forward to since I never got to the one I wanted to in the spring after I fell off! And after speaking with my para rep, we have decided for me to try for a junior international competition next summer, although It will be held in the UK, im still excited as it will be the first international thing Ive ever done!

Mimi, I hope everything is doing good with you and teddy!

Oh that's awesome!! I'd love to see the footage. PM me for my email if you can't upload it to the forum. And I'm so glad to hear your knee is better as well! That is so amazing about you going to the international para circuit! Is attending the Paralympics something you'd want to do?

I'm just enjoying summer with Teddy. I've given up on him wearing a cribbing collar. It started to rub his skin really badly and I decided to take it off. He's actually barely cribbing now so it seems to have helped curb the habit. The first day he cribbed like crazy and, of course, got (minor) colic. Then he sort of stopped and once in a while I see him crib when I'm with him. He has lost a bit of weight but nothing major. Weird how horses are. I'm working on jumping higher right now. I'm slowly raising the fence inch by inch and I want to try and consistently get back to 2 1/2 feet-ish by the end of summer. Consistently meaning that I stay on, lol. And stay balanced. Then I'll try for 3 feet. I can do the bounce pretty consistently now (a teeny bounce) which is good.

[Doodle]

The video camera has decided to not work, it needs to go in for repair. Im hoping that doesnt mean the footage has been lost, I wont be very happy!

Anyhoo going to Paralympics is definately something I want to do - One can only dream haha!

I've been thinking about asking for another jumping lesson, as Im quite curious about jumping out of the canter but Im scared that I will get catapolted out the front door! But I would like to be able to atleast jump 2ft thats my goal for the end of the year! I will be happy with that, I think any higher and Id probably scare my self shitless haha and im definately leaving the bounce for my next life! If you ever go for the 3ft make sure you get it on camera!!!

Hey thats good that teddy has slowed down with his cribbing but not so good about the minor colic, skin rubbing and slight weight loss, but atleast those things can get better!

[twisted_ophelia]

Doodle-86, on Aug 16 2009, 06:12 AM, said:

The video camera has decided to not work, it needs to go in for repair. Im hoping that doesnt mean the footage has been lost, I wont be very happy!

Anyhoo going to Paralympics is definately something I want to do - One can only dream haha!

I've been thinking about asking for another jumping lesson, as Im quite curious about jumping out of the canter but Im scared that I will get catapolted out the front door! But I would like to be able to atleast jump 2ft thats my goal for the end of the year! I will be happy with that, I think any higher and Id probably scare my self shitless haha and im definately leaving the bounce for my next life! If you ever go for the 3ft make sure you get it on camera!!!

Hey thats good that teddy has slowed down with his cribbing but not so good about the minor colic, skin rubbing and slight weight loss, but atleast those things can get better!

Oh no! Hopefully the footage is all still there.

I bet you could definitely make it to the paralympics, especially if you have already caught the attention of the paraequestrian folks. A jumping lesson with your coach? Or jumping with advice from me? Welllll, you'll probably not get catapulted. Do you have full ab and trunk function? If I can stay on without proper trunk function, I bet you can too. It's quite scary to go to the higher heights at first and I had a nasty fall off of him a couple weeks ago (I fell underfoot, tripped him up, and he fell on me, did I tell you that?? It sucked!). Since I started that blog of mine, I'm trying to get more pictures of the various sports and whatnot that I do so yes, I will definitely get some pics of him jumping. It's SO hard to get good jumping pics because it happens so fast. My problem with the higher jumps is the landing. He already jumps so huge and gets so excited. That horse is a pure jumper. Not a good calm hunter, definitely not a calm dressage horse, and he didn't do well as a racehorse--he only wants to jump! And not only that, he bucks when he's proud of himself after doing well with a big jump! It's bizarre! He only does it on the bigger jumps and it's quite a struggle to pull myself up and not let him take off at a crazy canter after landing. I think I may ask to 'borrow' one of the calmer horses in the barn for the first time I do 3 feet-ish. I've been wearing my protective vest for any jumps over 2 feet now. Better safe than sorry.

As a funny little aside, one of the girls at the barn asked me if she could show him on the local schooling summer hunter/jumper circuit. Oh man. Like I said, that horse is so not a hunter. He does great during the jump class (except for one show where he did the buck and she fell off!) but as soon as she went into the flat classes, he bombed. He just gets so excited by the other horses, his head flies up and he doesn't do the nice level hunter frame and you get the picture. After three shows, she was done trying to show him as a hunter, hahahah. I had warned her! I told her she should just go jumper where it doesn't matter what he looks like, and she doesn't quite have the nerve to enter the jumper classes yet. With him, it's all mental. Once he loses his mind a bit and gets overwhelmed or overexcited, it's VERY difficult to bring him back. I love that horse but man, he's weird.

Anyway, I'm thinking that him being on an excellent probiotic supplement now is what's helping with the cribbing. Plus, he wore the miracle collar for I think it was a good 6 months and wasn't able to crib so he got used to not doing it. I've NEVER seen anyone ever break a horse of a cribbing habit but I'm definitely glad it's lessened. The rubbed skin is healing up nicely. His weight is always up and down which is common with Thoroughbreds so I think he'll be okay. No colics since that first one!

Whew, that was a mouthful of a post!

Edited to add that I scrolled up and yes, I told you about the bad fall in a previous post. AND mentioned the shows the girl at the barn entered.

This post has been edited by twisted_ophelia: 16 August 2009 - 05:02 PM

[greybeard]

twisted_ophelia, on Aug 16 2009, 05:57 PM, said:

It's SO hard to get good jumping pics because it happens so fast.

A lot of digital cameras will take a series of stills with one press of the button. Mine will do up to 15. Alternatively get someone to take a video clip of the whole jump and use a graphics program to pick out a few single frames. Either way, you'll probably get some good pics of the action.

This post has been edited by greybeard: 16 August 2009 - 05:07 PM

[twisted_ophelia]

greybeard, on Aug 16 2009, 01:07 PM, said:

twisted_ophelia, on Aug 16 2009, 05:57 PM, said:

It's SO hard to get good jumping pics because it happens so fast.

A lot of digital cameras will take a series of stills with one press of the button. Mine will do up to 15. Alternatively get someone to take a video clip of the whole jump and use a graphics program to pick out a few single frames. Either way, you'll probably get some good pics of the action.

Video is a good idea, definitely. My camera makes movies. The series of stills sounds interesting. I'll have to read the manual for that camera because I don't use it to it's full capabilities and it is a good camera. Thanks G!

[Doodle]

A jumping lesson from my coach! But advice from a fellow para wouldnt go a miss! Yeah landing is what gets me to, trying to hold on and not flop onto his neck! I have full abs, but nothing in my lower back which is what makes me flop alot! Murphy doesnt usually buck, he occasionally does when hunting or cross country but I have no hope of doing that any time soon so think im safe for now. Although there was one time I helping a riding school ride out, and was at the back and he lost the plot in the field and I was like ragdoll on top as he launched, bucked, launched, bucked lol! Thats been my only experience of bucking post injury!

Yeah you did tell me about the fall and the fact that a girl was going to be competing him in hunter classes!

I maybe said before but have u tried that disgusting stuff that u spray on the door or area where you put teddy to see if that stops him through taste! It works for some horses!