Thursday, March 22, 2012

Recovering.........Sort of...............Part 2



Part 1

There was something else besides getting horses outside that was gnawing at me. More than anything else, I wanted to ride. When and how were a big question but the need to feel myself in the saddle was overwhelming. My soul screamed for it.

My surgeon was actually encouraging me to get back on a horse. His goal for me was to have it done by January. I didn't really trust his recommendation since he openly admits he's terrified of horses and knows nothing about riding. I wasn't convinced he fully understood what riding might do to my body.

Even though it was clear he wanted me to take it slow I was worried just the whole process of getting the horse ready and getting myself into the saddle might be more than my body could endure. Considering the level of my pain most days I couldn't help but be afraid of making it worse. Despite my fear my spirit pined for the feel of a horse beneath me and that longing led to planning.

Usually when I've gone a stretch of time without riding, I will lunge my horse first, no matter who the horse. Just a little go round to test the psychological temperature of my horse and a chance for the horse to stretch.

I've never really seen Legs do anything during one of these tests to make me think this practice was necessary but considering he'd not seen any kind of work since last June I was thinking the horse deserved the chance to express some displeasure over this hiatus so getting him saddled and lunged were the first things on my list.

Having already been warned about lunging horses too soon, I figured I would need help with that task. It was a no brainer I'd need help with saddling too. I have lost so much muscle expecting myself to lift something as heavy as a saddle above my head would definitely be too much.

Every time I thought I had help available to accomplish these things something would happen and those plans would fall through. That's the only reason I didn't ride in January as the doctor had suggested.

By the middle of February my hopes of riding had been dashed so many times I decided to heck with those plans. It looked like the only way I was going to get on a horse was by doing it myself, just as I have always done.

To be continued.......

Part 3

8 comments:

  1. I'm hoping everything went okay, but I've got a feeling it didn't.

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  2. OK....so, I'm thinking that in the next episode of this post we will be reading about your efforts (huge efforts, at that) to get the horse ready. I will have to wait to see if I am right!

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  3. a bit scared of where this is leading , I do hope it went well

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  4. Oh I wish I lived closer and could come down and help you. I can see you wanting to get back on, I know I sure would.

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  5. I don't like where this is heading!

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  6. I sure hope you did get to go for that ride!! And can't wait to hear about it!

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  7. I hope it all went well and too bad you are not closer to some of us readers. Plenty of us would have chipped in to make sure things went well for you and the horse. Another cliffhanger... GAH!

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  8. I'm worried about where this is all going. . .

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