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| I absolutely love this horse |
As
we enter Autumn, it’s a good time to look back and wow what a summer we have had!! I actually
can't quite believe that the summer holidays are over and the children have
gone back to school. My daughter Stella is going into year 10 at school, which
means she will be starting her last 2 years and concentrating on GCSE’s. I know
she is not looking forward to not spending as much time at the yard, as she
loves being outdoors and riding her horse spot, (which she has on full lone
from Beth Hobbs). Her and spot have a great relationship now and it’s been a
joy to watch them coming along together over the summer. But I won’t miss the
early morning nagging me to get up and take her to the yard!! It’s supposed to
be the holidays!! Oh I forgot no such thing when you have horses!!! But we love
it and have had some amazing hacks over the summer, with Stella on Spot, me on
the batec and Alfie the dog… he is starting to love Spot and Super Flynn...
Alfie especially loves the small Shetland Buzz who is extremely mischievous.
Harry
my son, has had his GCSE results, and has now decided that college is the way
to go!! He is interested in accountancy and business, as he spent the summer
working in an accountancy firm in Cheltenham, gaining experience and being
paid! He likes the money!! Also he has managed to get a job in our local farm
shop The Poplars!!poplarsfarmshop.co.uk He has been paid and says it’s been busy!! Good Harry
welcome to the real world!! If he gets an apprenticeship and starts earning he’ll
be making more money than me, I made him stress as I said oh good you can give
he some money for board and lodging!! I
don’t think I’ll see any of the money!! He’s also back training at Frampton
rugby and has his first match this weekend. Good luck to them, I can’t say I am
looking forward to the winter season, sat on the side lines in all winds and
weathers, I love watching Harry play, but the wheelchair complicates matters at
times as can’t always get to venues, and being cold, wet and muddy is a
problem..
I
still continue with my physio, weekly sessions at the Gym, with Seona and
Frampton fitness is great fun, I do work hard, and I push myself all the time
to achieve the best, with work to strengthen my core. Some of the positions I
get into are hysterical. I do lots of
balancing on the gym ball and floor work, I still want to be better and
stronger, but I don’t want to build my top half as already starting to look
like a body builder!! Which I think is disgusting!! But I try and remind
myself, I need muscles and to be strong to be able to lift myself, which is a
great feat, as swinging this body around takes some strength. We have started a
get fit and lose weight for September; I have been measured all over, but would
be interested to know how much I weigh?? Perhaps going to a weigh bridge or
something!! Ha … as obviously can’t stand on the scales I have no idea how much
I weigh, at least we are all told muscle weighs heavier that fat…
I am
also working hard at trying to use my stand frame myself, I just can’t quite do
this yet on my own, My Physio Sally from Sirona care and health come out to
assist me and we are practising doing the buckle up and standing without
holding on!! This absolutely kills me at the moment, it hurts my hands/wrist as
my carpel tunnel symptoms are quiet bad at the moment, and I’ve previously had
2 x hydro cortisone injections, and have exercises to do to help with the
discomfort. But putting pressure on my wrists causes me so much pain… I think I
will need to book in for another review/injection. I really want to achieve this soon as the
benefits of the stand are really worth going through this. I want to be able to
do some upper body exercise while standing straight. My physio Sally will help
me towards this goal.
I am
still continuing to write a monthly blog for Your Horse magazine, this is very
popular as has a really wide audience. I love reading my own blog, funny as
that sounds!! and look forward to it coming out. I can forward it via social
media, and my Facebook.so it gets read by loads of people. This blog that I
started doing last year, about my Para journey... has had over 13,246 views,
which is amazing. I think that sometimes it’s like a counselling session; it
gives you the ability to get things off your chest and write them down, this is
especially good when things haven’t gone right and I’ve felt fed up with
things, by looking back over and reading some of the things I’d written about
in my blog I think I’ve achieved loads and I surprise myself. It is good for
your mental health to read inspiring events, or remember things; I’ve done on
my own or as a family. Well done me!!! Pat on the back!!! It’s nearly 2 years since this life changing
event, and I am proud of my personal achievements and my amazing children. A spinal injury is extremely
complicated, as I mention before.
My
leg up for talent programme is taking me some time to get going with, legupfortalent.com the idea
is that I have been selected as a leg up for talent star on the sponsor me
direct social media programme, it uses Facebook as a platform, to gain 10
sponsors and helps to work with sponsors to advertise for them and in return
help me, I am still looking for local businesses who would be able to sponsor
me, god only knows how many companies I have written too!! Probably about over
100, it can be quite difficult when all the time you get rejections, “no sorry”
letters. I have made a point of not letting this bother me now and use it as
their loss…I am working with Dolphin mobility dolphinlifts.co.uk who provided the hoist, which is
fantastic, I am so grateful for their support with this leg up for talent
venture.
My
special friends are putting a syndicate together to work as one sponsor for me,
which I am really grateful for… as every bit helps. My Equine physio Julia
Mottram is coming to meet Super Flynn for the first time soon, and has kindly
offered support for me and Flynn with physio. I have done a separate blog for
these sessions. I can’t wait to start blogging about how the physio will improve
both Flynn and mines position.keystonephysiotherapy.co.uk
Beth
Hobbs has also come aboard my social media marketing program (leg up for
talent) and has already given me so much support, Obviously we know that Beth
Owns Super Flynn! And super he is, he just keeps amazing us with his calm
attitude to my riding and he’s so willing to learn. We are hoping to be able to
have regular lessons now, once we have established a day and have secured a para team to assist. I am so excited and grateful for all the help
from my amazing friends. Flynn says neigh too!! Thank you all…
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| First meeting with Dolphin mobility |
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Flying high!! Beth
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My
hoist training continues with the Para hoist, and whoever we can rope in...
Flynn is standing really still now and is so calm and relaxed he is a dream.
While we fly about above his head, and landing on the saddle, or maybe not!!!
Depends who is steering!!!! I need to now buy myself some special whips, ones
like I have been using at the RDA so I can start working with using these
instead of leg aids. It is quite hard to hold these whips in your hands as well
as the reins and think all the time about using an arm with the whip to ask for
the impulsion or movement, something your leg would normally have done, when
the RDA said to me forget everything you knew about how to ride, as it’s like
starting to ride a whole new way they weren’t joking. I have
been passed on the name of someone who makes these bespoke whips; I have been
in touch and now am onto the next phase of designing my own whips.
The
day has finally come and at the Avon RDA avonridingcentre.org.uk and I have ridden Robbie a real horse.
I was able to wear my new hat sponsored by Pat and Gordon Butters which I love.
Robbie was so calm and stood like a statue, I had a private lesson which
involved being hoisted on in the main area. I absolutely loved it. At first I
was a little unbalanced and when Robbie was stopping and starting I need to
work on staying balanced. When we were keeping walking it was easier. My dad,
Stella and friend Michelle came with me to watch this fantastic event, they
filmed me and watched me trying to steer round some cones and walk straight. When
it was time to get off I didn’t want to, the session went so quick. I am hoping
that I can now combine my simulator lessons with regular riding lessons. But I
have to now get this weight done, so the RDA can pair me up with a suitable
horse. I also have to fit into what sessions are available.
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| RDA riding Robbie for the first time |
Coming
up in October I have a simulator session with Nick Rodgers who is one of the
south west para coaches, I have met him before a few times when I have attended
BD dressage training days. This will be great to work with Nick as am hoping he
will be able to give me alternative exercises and ideas on how to improve my
position. This is a new venture for the RDA so I hope these sessions are
stimulating!!! ha ha. One thing at the Avon centre is that the access is quite
difficult, heavy doors to open and ramps, steps and a small lift, a combination
of these small issues make the whole centre not that accessible or disabled
friendly. The centres are hoping for a grant towards the work for alterations
to the building and have asked me if I will attend a meeting with them to help
highlight these problems. I will defiantly attend so I can be a visual voice
for the centre. Let’s hope they win some funding.
We’ve
had fun at the yard with a dressage free style competition for the kids which
me and Flynn gate crashed... I’ve written a separate blog about that!!! We are
also looking forward to our mounted assessment with Julia Mottram Equine physio
in the next couple of weeks and more riding sessions in the school. We may need
to look at getting another hoist fitted up in the arena, we won’t have to buy
the whole thing again, just bits if it… Am sure Beth’s Dad Ian has some two by
fore he can nail it too!! But might have to do some fund raising to help pay
for this item .All sorts of other things are starting to come together now and
am busy chasing up my classification status with British Dressage, of which I
have had a reply this week saying they are on it!!. Also I am busy in my new
job which I love wellspect.co.uk , and chasing potential sponsors for the leg up for talent
program. As always if anybody is looking to invest some finances into a social
media marketing venture, I will advertise your business or company in return
for financial support. Don’t forget to keep following my journey at
myparajourney.blogspot.com and reading all about us in your horse magazine
monthly blogs too. I think our adventures could also do with an utube channel
so might have to look into this!! This will certainly challenge my IT
skills..ha ha. As always I love putting events down on my blog as it’s such a
great way of seeing how far I’ve come. My passion is getting exciting now as I
am pulling it all together and the progress is immense. Thank you for
continuing to follow my journey.
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| The smile says it all, So happy xx |
