Multiple Sclerosis, Equine Therapy, and Politics

[Jill]

I saw this yesterday afternoon and absolutely agree with Neil Cavuto, who has MS himself.

With everyone here having a soft spot for horses and a first hand appreciation of what horses can do for all kinds of people, I wanted to share it along.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP87uCO1aAQ

... Shame, shame, shame on MSNBC... again!

 

[Flying minis]

I was diagnosed with MS in 2005. I didn't think of horseback riding as therapy at that time, I just knew that I had been out of showing for too long, and wanted to get back into it while I could, since I realized I didn't know what the future might hold. . . So I bought my saddlebred, and then my minis. Is it my therapy? Absolutely! Does it help with my MS? Absolutely! The riding definately helps, and working with the minis does too. Staying active is a huge part of working through this disease, within the confines of what I'm able to do. I'm lucky, my disease is non-progressive and my symptoms usually not too severe, except when I have flares. I know what to do to manage it, and ensure that I take precautions when needed.

When I was first diagnosed, I asked my specialist if I could keep trail riding horses - he said then it was a proven therapy for MS patients, and likely was helping me at that time, even though I didn't know it (it took me 2 years of having symptoms before final diagnosis) BUT take precautions such as using a helmet, know if I needed other equipment to manage symptoms (I have a cooling vest and other apparatus I use), etc.

Amazing how our equine friends can help us in ways we might not even know at the time, huh?

 

[Jill]

Horses really do change lives in ways I don't think people can understand if they've never been involved with these amazing animals

 

[susanne]

I may be stretching the topic a bit, but it saddens me whenever I read or hear of someone giving up their horses due to health problems or age. Granted, my abilities far outweigh my disabilities, but with the health problems I've had in recent years, our horses have proven to be the most positive force in my life. I cannot imagine life without my horses and will move heaven and earth to keep them as long as I live.

I would love to see an organization amongst able-bodied horse owners, perhaps within the breed registries, to help people keep their horses whenever possible. Whether it be due to illness, disability, or simply age, something as simple as setting up efficient operations or assistance with more difficult tasks would take little time or money and would mean so much to the people who could then keep the horses in their lives.

 

[Riverrose28]

I have dial up and can't watch the video, but I do live near an equine therapy center, they do wonderful work, especially with the mentaly impaired. As for myself, I have severe OA I know first hand if is wasn't for my little equines, minis, I'd be in the house all the time, sitting! These little guys get me outside, with the exception of 100 degrees or more, and get me moving. Not to forget my love of showing, so here goes more movement, bathing, clipping, training. I don't show much anymore, but I still groom and get the horses ready for my daughter and Granson to show. God Bless these little horses!

 

[tagalong]

I have volunteered and instructed with Therapeutic Riding Programs for 25 years. Lives are changed - one stride at a time and little miracles happen everyday.

Hippotherapy - is not just another name for dressage. It is not even therapeutic riding. Hippotherapy is using the horse as a base for regular therapy - think of it as a moving, warm mattress that the therapist uses as a stand for therapy. The rider does not guide the horse in any way.

Therapeutic or adaptive riding involves the rider as an actual rider even more - using their skills to direct their horse.

Great vid from our center...

[/media]


Ann Romney has higher level dressage horses - maybe in their retirement years one of them can be a therapeutic riding horse in a program. Several of our best horses are ex-high level dressage horses.

 

[Miniv]

It's a common fact in the horse industry that horses big and small provide amazing therapy, both on the horse's back and off.

 

[tagalong]

Agreed, Miniv - I just wish more non-horse people realized that!

 

[muffntuf]

MS can be lived with, if I didn't have my ponies and minis, I would be in a wheelchair. I too function 95% of the time well - its when a flare comes through and kicks my arse that it sucks. I power through them though most of the time.

I may not run the rail as well as others - but I do it and love it!!!

OOOH - cooling vest - tell me more!!!! I have been looking for cooling therapies for the heat of summer!

 

[Flying minis]

I have a passive cooling vest - which I wear when I'm just working outside, the weight is a little heavy, but it has phase-change gel pads in it - which will "freeze" in a cooler at a horse show! My saddlesuit is actually cut to accomodate the vest (which makes me look a little like a linebacker, but that's ok.) What I usually use though is a "hot ice" system - polar therapy. Breg makes them, I found mine on ebay actually. It's a small cooler you fill with water and ice, and it has a pump in it. there's a hose that goes from the cooler to a pad (various pads available, I acutally like the shoulder pad better than the backpad because it covers more surface area). I "strap on" the pad (usually using vetwrap) under my clothes, then tuck the "tail" of the hose from the pad under too. I "plug in" to the cooler before and between classes to cool down.

The cooler I have can either be hand pumped or electric pumped, so if there's not an electric hookup near the arena, I just hand pump it (in which case I put the pad direct on my skin, because it doesn't pump as fast, so it doesn't get as cold). My poor saddlebred, he's used to coming out of the arena, and standing with a little cooler on his butt while I "pump" : )!!

Google Breg active cooling and you'll get info on the cooler / pad setup, go to mscooling.com and you'll get all kinds of other cooling products available!

You're in MN? Would love to meet you sometime and share coping strategies for horse shows! Feel free to PM me.

 

[muffntuf]

Wow Thank you so much! I had not thought of using a cooler system to keep my thermostat in check outside! What do you do in the ring then - looks like this can be hooked up while you are sitting around, but when in the ring - can you freeze the vest and walk in the ring and then when you get back out - plug yourself back in for awhile?

 

[Flying minis]

Mine generally stays pretty cool for the length of time I'm in the ring - but having said that, I won't go in those huge showmanship classes that last more than 30 minutes.

I think I'm going to do PMC Showmanship at Nationals - just because of the ring time - I can't handle an hour standing in a Showmanship class. But otherwise, even for my riding classes, I unplug right before I go in, plug in right when I come out - and even with the whole shirt, vest, and long jacket I can stay cool enough - even when it was nearly about 85 outside.

 

[muffntuf]

We are most likely going to see 100+ temps in Tulsa. Hopefully it won't be like Ardmore - it was 120 in the building where my stalls were. It was horrible - ponies were hot and some got too hot, had to do a lot of cooling showers for them. Don't want to see that again this year.