Riding for the disabled - Disability is not inability.
I talk extensively about horse and rider alignment and movement and the importance of it regarding function, longevity and health. I have been fortunate in my career to meet some exceptional people. Vicki being one of them, who successfully competed at the para-Olympics in dressage and received a Bronze medal. Her mare “Shannon” a wilful character, a Welsh D mare whose training and care is a testament to her longevity. Now in her thirties I am sure if she could talk she would happily be interviewed on her life story.
The conformation of riders doesn’t always correlate to how a person is in the saddle. Again this comes down to many aspects, individual whole body development, education, beliefs regarding riding and how much work you do out of the saddle to prepare yourself for the body and mind coordination unique to riding. I have mentioned before that there is so much involved in riding than the physical act of riding. One thing that became immediately obvious to me about Vicki was her connection and empathy for her horse. Her determination to understand, help and connect with any horse she rode.
A sound connection in ground work is something everyone should strive for. I noticed with Vicki how this connection nurtured the understanding between horse and rider and a deep care from both parties. Vicki was born with cerebral palsy and I realised through my experiences with her that even structurally we may not achieve complete alignment. However, even in these cases, adaptation can be found when riding to create a more even weight distribution in the saddle through nurtured proprioceptive connections.
Words are powerful, and I was very sad to hear that as a child after many medical and physical therapy appointments Vicki concluded that her body was broken. Restorative exercise work became very interesting when I began working with Vicki. The realisation that parts of her body were available to her, which she had never considered possible was astounding and even breathing patterns could quash her regular muscle spasm attacks.
The strong mental disconnection born through medical diagnosis had set up a situation that lacked optimism, which is understandable. I am not discrediting the medical profession as it would be impossible to document the variations of a condition to all individuals. Diagnosis are powerful and helpful, but they can also be very limiting to some individuals as they live within the parameters of the condition. I am guilty of this myself after a bad riding accident where I incurred nerve damage to a limb I learnt to expect nothing from the area. However, when I learnt to slowly, gently and correctly access areas I regained use in areas unused for decades.
The body doesn’t have a textbook, and I completely appreciate and work alongside the medical profession. There may however be more to your body than you realise. My work guides you slowly into areas reducing the risk of strain, giving you time to compute and understand your body. Giving your body time to connect the dots.
It is very important that you are an active participant. Like learning the aids on a horse, gentle shifts of balance required to produce some moves and sensations that you will never forget. I want you to have the same subconscious knowledge with this work, giving you the ability to always help yourself.
