Horses and OT(to Kathe)

[Guest guest]

--- In , Kathe Sabetzadeh <lv2ryd@...>

wrote:

>

> :

>

> I spent about an hour yesterday grooming only one

> horse - and the amount of hair I got off would have

> made a small blanket! I don't clip, I just use the

> shedding block and brushes. Takes forever on a couple

> of my guys!

My lungs can't take that! I hope I can learn to manage RA as well

as I've learned to manage my asthma. But since I've had astham

since I was a small child (it's actually WAY better now than when I

was younger) it wasn't something I had to " get used to " like RA, it

was always just a part of me. I ALWAYS use a horse vac to groom,

and have them clipped so I I don't have to breathe in all that

shedding hair.<g>

> Good for you to ride again! and it is smart not to

> overdo and then find yourself in more pain. Little by

> little, and day by day, do what your body will cope

> with, and hopefully, with time, you can build up the

> amount of time you can ride again.

I felt really good today,(well, comparatively... I still needed to

take a nap, but...) so I don't think I over-did it yesterday.

Monday is one of the days that the girl who half leases him in the

winter rides, so it's my turn again tomorrow. I'm looking forward

to it.

I'm feel really up-beat today. I had OT and PT this morning, and

saw a different OT person than I've had for my previous

appointments. When I saw her, I realized that she goes to our

church. Not only that, but she rides! Not only that, but her mom

runs a threapeutic riding program, and is well versed in adaptive

equipment. The OT person who had been working with me until now had

suggested that she work with me because she would understand the

issues a ride has better.

It was great. First, she strongly encouraged me to go ahead and get

the new horse this spring, for all the reasons we have discussed

here. She said, as far as she is concerned, as long as riding is OK

with my doc, (it is) the benefits far outweigh the difficulties.

She knew exactly what sorts of things were likely to be difficult,

and was great at helping to problem-solve them. She came up with

all sorts of good ideas for lessening the strain on my hands during

barn work, grooming, etc. (some I already do because of past hand

problems, but she had other great ideas)

I know that people here keep saying that you can have " a life " with

RA, but until today, it felt like it wouldn't be MY life anymore.

Today I felt like there was a possibility that I CAN learn ways to

continue to live _my_ life.

> Love Oliver's registered name - where did you come up

> with " Oliver " ?

He's named after Oliver Twist, who was certainly another " thief of

hearts " .<g>

karen