Operation trot.....

First session at the Avon RDA what a fantastic opportunity from the BHS

If you read my blog last month you will know that I was lucky enough to win a competition from the BHS (British Horse society) for a bursary, to help support up and coming riders in conjunction with the Avon RDA (Riding for Disabled Adults). The bursary from the BHS has been allocated to help support riders who don’t have their own horse and who need help to get their foot on the ladder. In my case it will help me follow my dream of Para Dressage. As I discussed in the last blog I broke my back and sustained a spinal injury leaving me paralysed being unable to walk or feel anything from the waist down. This happened in October 2015, Life changing injuries in every way which left me confined to a wheelchair for life. But I have a dream that’s kept me going through all the dark times, I always knew I wanted to get back in the saddle and now my dream is becoming a reality.

I have been attending the RDA in Bristol for about 2 years on and off and also have help and support from Beth Miller (BHSII) my friend and instructor.  I have had a lot of support from the RDA and my Instructor Karen Sheppard has helped me come a long way both psychologically and emotionally. The first time I attended the RDA I had to have an assessment and it was thought that we needed to work on balance and core strength.  This was achieved by using the horse simulator in the walk facility. The simulator is a great big black mechanical horse (I’ve named her Black Beauty!!) By having sessions on the simulator I was able to gain my confidence again and work on my core strength as that’s all that’s holding me up! Obviously due to having had my accident on a horse I didn’t know how I would feel, but I was so emotional and I loved every minute of being back on board. I have now being in the saddle about 2 years but I don’t ride every week and sometimes due to illness and time I don’t ride for weeks at a time.

In 2017 I applied to be classified for British Para Dressage now that I am able to sit up, balance and walk. Following a thorough assessment I have been classified as a grade 2. (This took absolutely ages to get organised probably about 12 months) This means that for competitive riding I will have to do walk/trot dressage tests. This just seems an impossible dream at the moment. I watch riders who are grade 2 and see how fluid and easy the trot looks but I can assure you it’s not easy at all. Having also had a fall in 2018 off Flynn the horse I ride who belongs to Beth Hobbs. I felt my confidence has really had another battering.

This week I went to the RDA for my first lesson with the bursary, I have booked 3 sessions on Black Beauty. I have set myself the challenge of establishing the trot. I am safely walking now and riding independently in walk. But I now need to push myself and trotting is the next step. We have decided to have the simulator sessions in trot. Black Beauty has 2 trot speeds. This week we worked on the slow trot, we did lots of transitions from walk to trot, trot to walk and did some twisting exercises while in trot. I do find this quite hard and faster than I am use to. We discussed that next week I would take my own saddle to use with the simulator and see how I get on and then we can speed up the trot. My saddle has been specially designed by my saddler Paul Allison, it’s a Fairfax design with extra knee rolls/thigh rolls/handle and we are looking at adding Velcro straps. We will see if my saddle fits one of the RDA horses called Robbie that I’ve ridden in the past and then I will be able to practice the trot on horseback!

I have 2 more simulator sessions over the next couple of weeks and I feel that these sessions will really help push me out of my comfort zone before we try it for real on Tommie. I look forward to sharing my trot journey with you all. Thanks again for this amazing opportunity.