My mom and I talked about it, and I’m going to start looking for a new place to take riding lessons in eventing.  But for now I need a place with lesson horses.  After we’re done paying for the current horse bills (Errika’s surgery, Ink’s dentist appt. and sooo on) we’re going to really find out what seems to be the troubles with Ink.  We might even have to take him up to UCD (where Errika went for her surgery) for x-rays and ultra-sound. 

I was asking a lady last week about Ink’s lameness and what she thought might be going on (based on my discription and a video) and she was incredibly rude to me.  I was so upset over the situation I was debating on selling Ink to a home that could follow-up on this lameness.  And after she said that if I’ve had him for a year now, we should already be figuring out what’s wrong, and she was “skeptical” on my story, I cried and cried. 

People don’t understand the situation completely from online.  It’s so much more than what it can appear to be.  A trainer was recently talking to me and he said; “What are the options?  People don’t understand that I can be a little tough on a horse (in regards to his riding).  But what are the options, this horse is living a good life, she’s fed well, exercised, and loved.  She could be a BLM mare on her way to a slaughter house.  And people are worried because I’m a little tough?”  And what are the options?  I’ve had people help me and tell me what might be wrong.  When I told this lady about my other horse going through the colic (which is a WHOLE story in itself) she still thought I was a bad person.  But then again I rescued Ink.  Why am I bad when the racing industry is the one who throws all these horses away, and generally they go off to slaughter?  Why is it that people focus on a horse that hasn’t yet been diagnosed in regards to lameness, when there are countless people out there letting their horses starve? 

Where is my riding going to take me?  That I am not sure of.  Many of the girls I used to ride with in lessons are competing and have gone through their horses.  I wish I could be out there with them, as I know I rode just as well as those people.  But who’s to say now.  I should’ve stayed in my lessons.  It’s a mistake I have learned from.

Where was I now? Oh yes, the doctor visit.. So he gave me a few papers of exercises I could do to help my back, which in all reality wasn’t going to really fix the problem as best as it could have been. Why don’t doctors do the best for you? There are probably some out there, but for the most part they joke you out of things and take advantage of not knowing what they do. He could have said; “what you need is to go to the chiropractor, as medication and other things that I could offer you will not solve or really help the actual problem.” That would at least be the honest thing to say and do.

Up until my 18th birthday I suffered with a horrible neck and back. I couldn’t even walk right, ride right, or carry myself right. My friend told me I rode with head out, and haunched back. Which I never used to do. But I had to relieve myself of the pain somehow, and my body did it automatically.

I had a muscle spasm over a year ago through the left side of my neck, effecting my shoulder as well. It was horrible. I couldn’t even move, walk, without pain. Riding was totally out of the question. I had to hold my arm still, later using a sling, so that it wouldn’t make anything worse. I spent a wasted doctor visit being told what it was, and that was it. Gee, thanks for the help! And this is what we are paying you for? Honestly it was just poposterous.

The doctor also gave me gleam hope that I could ride at higher levels because of these problems I was having. But not once did he suggest a chiropractor. Of course we know why, but how could an honest, helpful, wanting to the best for people, person not?! That’s what really bugs me. They know what you need, but it makes them no money.. I am not saying that all doctors are like this, I am not accusing any doctor but my own, so do not take offense, but if you are however guilty of the mistreating or misinforming your own patient who instill their trust in you, then maybe you need to post a big fat warning say; “I’m only here for MONEY. Not really to help YOU.”

I recently came across this Russian man who was very interesting. He told me his opinions on doctors, and experience, and it sounded no different that what I had gone through.

To make a long story short, the chiropractor helped me soooo much. He is a great man, and has done so much for my well-being and riding. I can sit deep and ride like I used to, now. I feel comfortable and good again. He has a natural and spiritual approach to helping me, and that is just how I like it. None of that forgein medication for me, thank you.

I had, had a bad fall two years before that doctors visit. I do not, and to this day, do not know why I have a bad back now. That fall didn’t cause me any pain after the bruises. I was fine.

All I know is, here I am, with a bad back.

- To Be Continued.

This information was obtained from; Website

The website says the following on the subject of Cavallettis for Dressage horse and rider:
Objectives – “The objectives of these exercises are to improve the way the horse moves through loosening his back (all grids), to teach the horse how to collect and lengthen stride (grids 7,22), to improve his ability to bend and change bend (grids 11,26, 28), to teach the horse to shift his weight in the canter to the hind end (grid 9), and to give a new way to practice some movements (grids 12, 13, 14). These exercises also give the dressage student and horse a change of pace.”

This should be good for Errika. I like the idea of loosening her back and overall it will appear to develop her into a more supple horse.

Theory – “These exercise are based on the fact that the exaggerated movement of the horse through the cavalletti will strengthen the hind leg muscles and will loosen the horse’s back. This will result in an improved ability to move and to shift the center of balance toward the hind end. These exercises also require a great deal of focus on the part of the horse and rider and will improve the ability of both to concentrate. Several exercises will also focus on giving the horse a reason to bend correctly. It is significantly easier to go through curved cavalletti patterns if the horse is bending correctly. Dressage cavalletti can also give the rider the chance to learn to feel if the horse is moving straight, as crooked movement will cause him to move away from the center of the cavalletti while going through the grid. Horses that have difficulty learning that lengthening is not going faster and collection is not going slower will be able to better grasp this concept by using the grids which have longer and shorter stride lengths set in them. The student can also use these grids as a way of learning to feel if the tempo remains the same when lengthening or shortening because the work of achieving the difference in stride length is accomplished by the grid and the rider has more time available to feel what is happening. Cavalletti work can be very useful also when the horse/rider combination is stuck in a rut and needs to do something completely different in order to progress.”

You can see the grids on the website link above.

I think I will start lunging Errika starting with the easiest grid for her level at this point. And then go from there. Once she is doing well, I’ll ride the grids. What fun. I’ll try tommorrow with the things I have.

My new horse joined up. It was one of the happiest moments of my life. And it wasn’t something that I just saw happening, I could feel it too. She would follow me around with her head lowered. Stand quietly with her head in my arms. The first time this ‘hot’ horse ever stood in complete harmony with me. We would do this a lot. It was the best bonding time one could ask for. I saw sides of her I knew existed, but never experienced. After join-up daily, we would spend the remainder of the day in each-others company. My next goal was to be able to move her about with my body, in larger places. Such as, the arena.

Maybe horse ownership isn’t the easiest thing? She’s wasn’t and still is not the easiest horse to ride.
A man came to my assistance. His name was/is Jim. He lived behind where I boarded, with his own little facility. He seemed nice, but full of himself. I give my first understanding of what he taught me, the credit. He helped open doors that needed to be open. This man took me and my horse into the round pen and taught me how to move her using my body. To stop, turn her, and communicate on a deeper level. Maybe this would be the beginning to the new found path..

I managed to ride without the running martingale, and continue to use my hands to bring her down. When I’d use my hands to bring the head down, I’d use the word “head” along with it. That way, possibly, I could use a voice command to communicate instead of this hands thing. I didn’t know what else to do, anyone who helped me really didn’t know what they were advising. But I take full responsibility for not knowing better and taking that advice.

As time went on, I had to learn to lighten my hand and relax my body, so she could do the same. The task wasn’t the easiest…