Scoliosis and riding

From: Anne-Marie

Hello!

I am currently reading your book entitled Horseback Riding and I really enjoy it very much. But I don't find the answer to my main question. I am born with a scoliosis and hyperkyphosis (many hemivertabrae). I do not experience pain and I even took riding lessons (English style) when I was 13. After 2 years, I quit because I was becoming scared of some horses and the teachers I had did not show me real horsemanship. Today, I am 43 and visit many barns because I would like to take riding lessons again.

Do you think that riding on a Western saddle is more safe? That I will feel more secure?

I would like to do trails and may be some dressage (if everything goes well after a while). The Western world, here, is rougher (the category of people is not as well educated...). So on that side, I am a bit reluctant. On the other hand, I would certainly enjoy the outdoors and the comfort of the Western saddle (I have had a pony for 2 years, riding Western). But for sure, SAFETY is my main concern.

I read that injuries happen more easily when falling from a Western saddle because of the horn. Conversely, the English saddle would be smoother in case of a fall. But I believe that it must be easier to fall with an English saddle.

Taking all this into account, what would you suggest ? Is there any reading regarding the handicapped (my both legs are OK except that my right calf is weaker). Oh yes, I forgot to tell that I took jumping lessons (3 feet approx.) when I was 14. I do not intend to jump anymore, because it seems to be a risky business. So I intend to do flat work.

I hope very much that I will have an answer to this letter, since we do not have resources here for the handicapped (other than the mentally disabled).

Anne-Marie

Let me start by reminding you that I am not a doctor of medicine, much less a scoliosis specialist. I've had students and friends with scoliosis, I am familiar with some hippotherapy and therapeutic riding programs, and I can direct you to others who may be of more use. But do bear in mind that every case of scoliosis is unique, and that you'll do best to gain your own doctor's and therapist's support before embarking on a horseback-riding program of any kind.

Scoliosis and riding - it's a combination that has to be approved (or not) by a doctor on an individual case basis. Some doctors advise against riding for their scoliosis patients, other doctors advise against riding post-surgery; still others see it as an extremely useful form of therapeutic exercise, both pre- and post-surgery. Much depends on your individual situation, health, and strength. The answers you get to your questions will also, to some degree, depend on the doctors you consult! If your doctor doesn't approve of riding for patients with scoliosis, don't give up - find another orthopaedic specialist and get a second opinion, and a third if necesssary. Although there may be valid medical reasons to forbid certain patients to ride, don't give up just because ONE doctor, perhaps one unfamiliar with horses and horseback riding, advises against it. If you can find a competent specialist who understands both scoliosis and horseback riding, you'll have a valuable ally in your search for a useful riding program.

You don't need to be Superwoman to ride a horse well. Good riding is not a matter of brute strength and force, but a question of timing and subtlety. However, it's not possible to have good timing or subtlety without also having good body control. This does not mean that you need to be a decathalete to be a good rider, but it does mean that there is a clear connection between (a) riding ability and body control, and (b) safety and body control. Thus, anything you can do to increase your fitness, especially in your trunk area, will help a great deal with your riding.

The real key to the physical aspects of riding is not super-strong legs or shoulders, but good control of your trunk. For a good rider, the body itself, seat and weight and balance shifts, is the primary aid - the legs and arms are much less important, secondary aids.

You won't need strong aids and you won't need to overuse your aids - riders whose aids are too strong, and riders who overuse their aids, are effectively "shouting" at their horses all the time, much to the detriment of their riding and the annoyance of their horses. Good riding is primarily a matter of posture and balance, with a lot of very small, controlled movements to aid communication. POSTURE on horseback matters very much indeed, and posture is, as you know, a matter of constant concern to individuals with scoliosis. All of the riders I know who have scoliosis agree that there is nothing like riding to help with their overall posture, as they are constantly making small corrections.

I know that I'm only now getting to the real point of your question, which was whether you would do better to ride English or Western. My answer to you is this: The question of "English or Western" isn't really relevant at this time. What you need to find is, first, a good hippotherapy (a form of physical therapy in which the horse itself is the primary piece of "equipment") or a therapeutic riding program where you can start to ride (with your doctor's approval) in conditions that are designed to keep you safe whilst doing the utmost to help you developing your flexibility and strength. Hippotherapy is especially useful if you haven't been on a horse in many years, as it will enable you to redevelop your muscles and your balance without having to be responsible for the horse's movements, direction, or speed.

If you were my student, I would probably try to find a hippotherapy program for you first, then a therapeutic riding program, and put you into ordinary riding lessons later, when your fitness and balance and flexibility were at their best.

A Western saddle does give you more to hold, but also puts more layers between you and the horse. That makes it more difficult for you to feel and react to the horse's movements. If you enroll in a hippotherapy program, you'll probably find that you will be sitting on the horse bareback, on a sheepskin or some other form of pad, so that you will have the best chance of feeling and responding to each of the horse's movements. Many therapeutic riding programs also use this method for at least some of the riders, some of the time. The problem, of course, will be what to do if you cannot find a hippotherapy or therapeutic riding program - in the programs, the horses, the equipment, and the physical therapists all function together in an environment that is as safe as possible. I wouldn't suggest starting your riding program by going for a ride - prepare yourself by doign some other things first.

Some exercises commonly recommended for many people with scoliosis will also help with your riding - swimming, for one. Yoga can also be very helpful. Obviously you would NOT, under any circumstances, want to ride in a brace - the risks are too great. But if you can ride without a brace, then it would be worthwhile doing other things that will help you strengthen your trunk, especially your abdominal muscles.

It's been thirty years since you've ridden, so please take your time and get as much professional advice and help as possible. Your body is older, stiffer, and more delicate than it was when you were 13. It's true that in those years we have made some real advances during that time in terms of rider safety equipment - don't even THINK of getting on ANY horse unless you are wearing a properly-fitted and properly-adjusted helmet that meets the latest ASTM/SEI standards - but you cannot afford to take unnecessary risks. You are wise to be thinking of trail riding and dressage - but the ideal sequence, to my mind, would be hippotherapy, then therapeutic riding, then basic dressage lessons, then trail riding AND dressage, forever. ;-)

You are also wise to decide not to jump, but remember that most falls happen at walk and standstill, so don't assume that you'll be less likely to fall just because you aren't jumping. Again, anything you do that helps your overall balance and fitness will help.

When you DO start riding again, if there are truly no hippotherapy or therapeutic riding programs in your area, you had better be well-prepared both physically and with useful information that may help keep you safe. Find a good, experienced, safety-oriented riding instructor with calm school-horses, and explain that you will be quite happy to spend your first ten lessons on the longeline at a slow walk, doing gentle exercises. Whatever you do, don't be in a hurry to make up for 30 years off the horse, and don't be in a hurry to ride as you remember riding when you were 13! It's not realistic and it's not safe. Like everything else to do with horses, the slow, careful way is the best way. Remember: Things Take Time.

You have now reached the end of the advice that I feel competent to offer! Here are some online resources for you. There are others, I'm sure, but these are the ones with which I am most familiar. The more information you have, the better you will be able to help yourself, and the better you will be able to evaluate the help that others offer you.

You'll find Scoliosis mailing lists and all manner of information, as well as a large online community of individuals with scoliosis, at

http://www.ai.mit.edu/extra/scoliosis//scoliosis.html

and at

http://www.scoliosis-world.com/

One of our most useful resources in the USA is NARHA, the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association. You can contact NARHA and ask for information about programs, therapists, and reading material.

North American Riding for the Handicapped Association P.O. Box 33150 Denver, CO 80233, USA

Telephone (800) 369-7433 FAX: (303) 252-4610

You can also contact NARHA online, at

http://www.narha.org

Ask about purchasing a copy of the NARHA Guide - it's full of helpful information about therapeutic riding in general, and also about how a therapeutic riding center should be run. NARHA also publishes conference proceedings, and you should be able to purchase a copy of the Proceedings of the Ninth International Therapeutic Riding Congress. I believe that these very useful articles and abstracts are available on paper and on tape.

Another useful source of information is STRIDES Therapeutic Riding; you can find information about STRIDES at

http://www.instanet.com/~sert/physical.html

You can write to the organization: STRIDES Therapeutic Riding P.O. Box 572455 Tarzana, CA 91357-2455, USA

You can also contact STRIDES by e-mail: strides@onebox.com

In the UK, you would want to contact the RDA (Riding for the Disabled Association), which exists to help individuals with all manner of disabilities enjoy and learn about horses and improve their riding skills. I don't know whether the RDA is online, but you might want to do a search and find out.

There are some useful books available, also. The ones I've found most helpful are:

"Aspects and Answers" This is really a book aimed at riding instructors, but would also be very useful for an adult disabled rider trying to figure out how to evaluate the suitability and safety of her riding instruction. You can get this from

The Cheff Center for the Handicapped Box 171, RR1 Agusta, MI 49012, USA

"Riding for the Disabled" This book by Vanessa Britton discusses therapeutic riding and the various approaches taken in different countries. In the USA, this book is published by Trafalgar Square Publishing; you should be able to find a copy easily.

Good luck, Anne-Marie! Please let me know what you decide to do, and whether you have any difficulty reaching any of the resources listed above. Perhaps someone in your area may be inspired to establish a therapeutic riding center. ;-)

Jessica

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