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| Hello Julia have you had your hair done??? Neigh looks Nice... |
January has been a bit of a slow month, the weather has
been really getting me down and the mud!!! I can’t go anywhere in my wheelchair
doing the things I love without getting covered in mud. I’ve had to dig out my
over-the-top water proof trousers, to keep me clean, but let’s just say it’s
not easy getting these on now!!! As I
mentioned last month I was so pleased to get my classification Grade, and I
have been researching the dressage tests that I will have to be able to ride,
let’s just say it’s the trot thing that’s concerning me… Ha ha ha
I am still waiting
for the hoist to be installed near the arena, As I have said before this will
make it so much easier for me and also open up the possibilities for Beth Hobbs
to welcome other para riders to her yard and individuals who may have
difficulty perhaps mounting their horse to be able to come to her yard for
teaching. The possibilities are endless and we are just at the beginning of the
journey!! It’s very exciting.
Unfortunately my recent RDA session with Nick Rogers
South West para coach was cancelled this month, but hopefully this session will
be re scheduled soon, and I will look forward to this! I am trying to work with
the instructors at the RDA regarding
them coming out to Beth’s yard to see how me and Flynn are getting on
and we are also hoping to take Flynn up to the RDA to have some sessions in the
indoor school. (This would be great as having an outdoor arena to ride in does
make it difficult at times as it’s been so cold and wet recently, all these
ideas are in the pipeline so fingers crossed)
I haven’t been successful in securing a dressage saddle
yet, but I am still working within the leg up for talent scheme and am still looking
at options that would work for me. The best thing this month is the partnership
that is growing between me and Flynn. He defiantly has become a lot more
forward with me, and accepting my aids and what I am asking of him, even when I
do get a little bit excited with the whip... Bless him; he sort of does a
little scurry away underneath me! I do find holding the whip difficult and they
still twist in my hands, and I end up waiving them about sometimes. But Flynn
has got used to seeing the whips and feeling them on his side, considering he
was a bit whip shy before I started riding him he is so good now.
On Monday the 29th Jan it was arranged that Julia Mottram
my equine physio would come out to the yard to do a ridden session with me and
Flynn again. Well Monday morning didn’t go quite according to plan for me and
some days just don’t!! I ended up at the vets with my dog Alfie as over the
Weekend he managed to cut his lip/gum and after a weekend of muddy walks and
lots of licking, by the time I saw it on Monday it looked pretty gunky! Well he
had to have his beard trimmed and he was prodded and poked, he was so good. The
area was infected so antibiotics and anti-inflammatories for a week for Alfie.
The weather was really horrid and was raining and really windy so after a para
team discussion about what we should do, we made an executive decision not to
ride, this does disappoint me, as I really look forward to my lessons. It’s the
only time every week I get out of the confines of my wheelchair and I feel free.
You wouldn’t believe how it makes me feel.
We have been making really good progress with the riding
so to keep things on a high; we decided using the hoist in the car park to
mount in these winds was not a good idea. The wind may easily blow me in the
hoist making it difficult to make a safe landing onto Flynn. Sometimes I forget
that we must risk assess the situation before deciding to ride. The rain also
doesn’t help. It has been so cold lately
that due to my injury I have been suffering with leg spasms also due to the
very poor circulation from my waist down, I feel freezing to touch and my legs
and feet are like ice which is not good for my muscles to be so cold. I don’t
actually feel cold which is quite weird.
I wonder if thermal leggings/jodhpurs and socks would make me more
comfortable?? Roll on the warmer
weather that’s what I think...
Julia asked to see
Flynn on the lunge, Good job Beth was around as I haven’t ventured into the
arena in my wheelchair! Due to the dip down into it. I would probably tip out
my wheelchair at that bit. Not sure I would do well lunging, (but it’s
something to think about having a go at??) Beth said Flynn doesn’t really like
being lunged and he was quite lazy today. Beth had to get the schooling whip
and chase after him!! Julia wanted to
see Flynn walk, trot and canter on both reins so she could watch his movements
and assess him.
For today’s session we normally allocate about 60-90
minutes, so he can be treated and we can talk through what Julia does and why it’s
necessary and discuss homework and how we can help improve Flynn’s stiffness
and maintain the work Julia does with him .Julia suggests regular
physiotherapy, check-ups and treatment can improve the comfort, behaviour and
performance of the horse. By having regular maintenance physio it improves
muscle balance and symmetry. This is something that is proving to be really
important for me due to my balance being poor, I think Flynn looks to help me
and this probably compromises his symmetry. Once the initial assessment of
Flynn’s movements was done, it was back onto the yard for Julia’s verdict and
treatment.
Julia palpated the muscles and landmarks across Flynn’s
spine looking for irregularities and signs of dysfunction. Flynn looked to be
showing signs of being stiff on the left side, and all up through his
neck. Julia worked through a combination
of physiotherapy, massage and trigger point release. Paying particular
attention to the myofascial release.
Myofascial release uses sustained hands on pressure into a fascial
restriction for several minutes in one area. Myo means muscles and fascia means
the connective tissue of the bones, nerves, organs and muscle’s. This treatment
benefits Flynn with any inflammation, muscle and nerve pain he might have, by
using the heat from the hands to create change, it can help to reduce
inflammation, strengthen and elongate tissues, which will help increase power,
strength, endurance and metabolic efficiency.
I think Flynn is starting to enjoy his sessions with Julia.
And after a while he looked like he’s falling asleep. After the session we
debrief and have been given some homework to do of carrot stretches and work
on schooling with lots of bending. I
think Beth will have to school Flynn to get him working and bending, and let’s
see if she can get him a little suppler.
Today my daughters
horse Spot was going to start sessions with Julia as well. Beth was worried that spot’s pelvis could
have been out of alignment, as she felt unbalanced under the saddle when she
had ridden Spot, but lucky for Spot all was ok, and she too enjoyed a physio
session. Spot is 22 so she is allowed to be a little stiff. Stella absolutely
adores Spot; Riding has really helped Stella come to terms with my accident and
how life changing a spinal injury is. The accident has caused a huge ripple
effect with so many family and friends being affected. Being around horses
again has helped Stella and me come to terms with me being in a wheelchair.
(EAT equine assisted therapy is a treatment that uses equine environment or
activities in order to promote physical and emotional growth in people
suffering from trauma, anxiety and depression) This environment is helping
Stella so much.
My daughter Stella
is really keen to see what Julia’s Job entails and has arranged a week’s work
experience and is really looking forward to this later on in the year. Julia is very knowledgeable and excellent at
what she does. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her. The fact that Julia is
trained in human physiotherapy and equine allows her to tailor the requirements
to you and your horse and set specific achievable goals. Flynn and I can’t wait
till our next session; we have so much to work on. Thanks Julia your
amazing.
Lots of things are progressing on the home front, I have
taken delivery of a skip to sort out the last 10years of junk that I don’t need
in the house anymore and am sorting things out to keep or throw away. Let’s be
honest most things can go into to skip as if I haven’t needed them in the last
2 years I don’t need it!!! I am cleaning out the garage and getting rid of the
furniture so we can start the big build in early 2018.
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| OMG where to start!!! |
I am extremely appreciative of every single person who
over the last 18 months has helped with some form of fund raising. They have
all contributed to making my home a more accessible place and keeping my mental
health intact. I have worked so hard at keeping it all together all be it
sometimes this has proved rather difficult.
I have been able to tile and paint the en-suite, paint and carpet the
hall, stairs and landing, build, decorate and floor an office space, Have an
amazing holiday which after 25 years of working for the NHS was extremely
necessary, and when you think what we have been through as a family, it’s a
small price to pay to be together making new memories.
The help from friends
and sponsors who have supported my para riding so far it has been fantastic. This has provide me
with a lorry hoist, hat, air
jackets, SW para training coaching
sessions, BD classifications applications, Private consultations for spinal reviews and so
many more amazing things to come. I can’t wait for the developments during
2018. Let’s just say when the chips are down you certainly know who your
friends are!! So much is happening lately that I am here there and everywhere,
and with the help from so many amazing friends there is actually no stopping
me. Well I think you would agree January has been pretty busy. So let’s make
sure this is the best start to the most amazing year as we go into 2018.
Bring it on!!!
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