anyone on here with lupus? and dismounting advice needed please

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bckinthesaddle

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Jun 10, 2009
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just wondering if there is anybody on here who suffers with lupus and how do you manage to ride and care for your horse when your not feeling too good ?

i was diagnosed with SLE about 7 years ago , generally feel cr*p on a daily basis.
i restarted riding last year after quite a big gap which i enjoy immensly but have to cancel lessons occasionally due to joints/muscles hurting.

i have just changed lessons from in the school to hacking ( my daughters dance classes were conflicting with the lessons and this was the only available class) but it is the last ride of the day .

my problem is i have to use the mounting block to dismount 70% of the time as i cant swing my leg high enough over the saddle , need to have something to grab hold off :eek: , but by the time we would get back from the ride everyone has pretty much gone home so its left down to us to untack the horses and take them down to the fields etc.

im abit worried that im not going to be able to dismount at the mounting block on my own :eek:

in my other lesson they understand that i do need to dismount outside the school but this ride is working slightly higher than im used to and its not anyone i know, dont want to be a pain :eek:

does anyone have any advice that could help me in anyway

thanks
 
Hi, I don't have Lupus but I know what it is - I have viral hepatitis which gives me chronic fatigue syndrome and a curvature of the spine and a right hip that's arthritic. I also have a little Arab who needs to be stabled all year round at night so I don't have much choice but to cope! The stablework I manage by doing lots of shortcuts, for instance I use a shavings bed as it's much easier to muck out, and I muck out into an old bucket then tip it in the wheelbarrow, that saves lots of getting up and down. Water buckets I half fill and top up in the stable so I'm not carrying too much weight and I try to avoid the "pendulum syndrome" by taking lots of short rests. As for riding I can get on alright (with a mounting block!) but I can't get off! By the time I've ridden for an hour or so my hip in numb and immobile so I'm teaching my horse to stand with his head up and support me, I can then lean on his neck and sort of roll off because my right leg just wont obey me! The rolling off thing works quite well, I haven't fallen yet but it's probably just a matter of time! Do let us know how you get on, i find the tips fom this section very useful.
 
lupus

have a word with the instructor; if they are taking your money, and know you have a medical problem, it is only right that they help you to dismount safely, and in thier best interests too, as they wouldnt want an insurance claim, if something went wrong and you or the horse got injured.
 
sorry, just want to add;apart from the safety aspect, surely there are staff on hand to see the horses comfortable, after a hard days work?
 
The doctor thought i had Lupus last year after a positive blood result, they tend to call it an auto immune condition now. I tend to catch everything going and get tired quickly. I have had ongoing treatment for nearly 2 and half years to try and find the cause of the joint problems i have etc.

I sort of know what your going through but i have to keep going for my family and to keep my dream of owing my horse alive.

I would try to speak to your RI/RS about how your feeling and see if they can help. Are there no other RS you can go to where you can have a lesson instead of a hack. :)
 
Innocence said:
Are there no other RS you can go to where you can have a lesson instead of a hack. :)
Click to expand...

no , im over the weight limit for every riding school except this one , they have big cobby type horses. i try to lose weight but i cant seem to keep it off and exercise really hurts me (jarrs my bones:rolleyes:) and i eat very healthily 90% of the time.

they are a really good school , to be honest yesterday was the first day on this new lesson ,i didnt ride (joints hurting) but my daughter did and it was only my observations while waiting for her to come back from the ride and after.

i think i will tell them when they are allocating the horses that someone will need be there to help me dismount ( i have managed to dismount properly 3 times in all ....was very pleased with myself lol)

does anyone know of any exercises that i can do to help loosen the muscles on my right leg/hip ?

it took 3 years before i was diagnosed , my doctor called me a hypochondriac !
i was sleeping all the time ( not good with 2 small children and a single parent (at the time) had absolutely no energy , couldnt drive because my hands, wrists and feet were painfull , was having to crawl up my stairs .
 
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i do sympathize with you, as i too have an auto immune disease, (with all of the pain and weakness that goes with it) but riding schools ussually make you fill out a form stating any health problems which you should tell them about, and if they are a good riding school, they should not let you dismount unaided, you should definately tell them about your concerns ie. dismounting ... as for exercises to help you. i have found aqua-aerobics to be very beneficial, as the water takes the strain away form your joints, and helps support you too. you will feel looser, and more energetic, plus it is good fun.
 
I would also recommend the aqua aerobics, my physio has set me specific exercises to do but they are mainly for my back and hips as i have very little movement in these areas. I also get painful feet, ankles and wrists. I really do hope that your riding school can help out with your situation :) x
 
i did fill in the form so they are aware of my problems.

its just that the usual people are not in the yard at the time of this ride.
and none of the riders are anyone who knows i have problems dismounting (other than my daughter who is the youngest )

will look into aqua aerobics today :D
did do pilates but my class has closed down

thank you x
 
i hope im not going on to much, but you really must speak to the staff about this. they have a responsibility to you as the client and also to the horses. ( a riding school is only as good as it's staff) if you cant get to an aqua-aerobics class, you could try some exercises to loosen your pelvis and strentghen your legs, by standing in front (sidewards to it) of a dresser or similar, keeping your top half straight and raising your leg out to the side, hold, and lower slowly. start out gently, and try to do a bit more and a little higher each session. also, facing dresser raise your leg out behind you, keep your leg straight, and you can also do it again leaning forwards over the dresser, to support your lumbar region. and standing sidewards lift your leg and rotate it around to the back, in much the same action that you would use to dismount. do this all gradually. another exercise you can do to improve flexibility, is standing in center of room with hands on hips and legs about 15 inches apart. lean forwards 8 times coming back to upright between each dip. then raise your left arm over your head, in a graceful curve, put your right hand into your waist to support it. and repeat the 8 dips to the side this time. next use both hands to support your waist at the back, and lean to the back 8 times, and then do the leans to the right. this is a gentle exercise, keep it smooth and do the dips to the level that feels comfortable. after you have done the sequence of 8 you proceed to doing it again x4 and then x2 and finally x1, each sequence try to go a little bit faster and lower, but only to the amount you feel comfortable with. this wittles your waistline and makes it more supple. also stand with hands on hips, elbows out and swivel your upper body left to right, keeping lower body facing frontwards. all of these exercises will make you more flexible. you could do the leg exercices lating down too, but i prefer upright. as a professionally qualified holistic therapist and reiki master practitioner, might i also suggest that reflexology may help you, as well as aromatherapy. it might be an idea to ask your local college if they need practice clients. you can get some fantastic treatments for just a few pounds, all under supervision of course.
 
long health story so wont bother now,

pony puts head down when I press his mane, and he feels me get out of stirrups, then, I put left leg over his head and slide down his right side and land on good right leg with left leg off ground (no ligaments).

He is very good and has never in 7 yrs put his head up at wrong time, I think he sees my leg and knows he will get a clout from it if he gets in the way.

Other times I ask him to take me to the wall at the top of neighbours drive when I am too stiff to get off and I slide down onto wall.

All this is on a 11.3 pony, but used to do the same on 14h fell.
 
I have the same trouble dismounting, right leg is stiff and am worried that one day i wonlt get it over the saddle,,,,
ok so just stop, then i make sure Mills head is up,, it won,t work if head is down, then right foot out of stirrup, lean forward and grasp saddle or stirrup leather with right hand, sort of holding on to left side of neck with left hand and roll right leg over back of saddle and slither down,
works for me, but horseys head has to stay up, and they have to stop still,,,,easy when it is your own horse, as you can teach them to do whatever you want,,,,, with an RS horse, you might not get the same horse,,
MM
xx
 
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