Here’s another gaited horse rider, although I started riding gaited horses very recently (this fall). As a kid, I was a pony rider, and then I didn’t ride for a couple of years due to fear of horses after a riding accident, and because of the AS. I missed the horses, but didn’t want to start riding the “big brown ones”, and I didn’t want to be the only adult among children and ponies either. I also wanted a sure-footed and soft-gaited horse. Most of the gaited breeds are very uncommon here, but luckily we do have lots and lots of Icelandic horses and even riding-schools with only Icelandics.
My doctor is very encouraging and even has a couple of other patients with miscellaneous rheumatic diseases, including AS, that also ride Icelandic horses. I had to wait a while until I was doing well enough, though, and I also need extra frequent dosage of my meds (anti-TNF) to be able to ride and to sit on a horse in the first place.
Tölt is great for me since it’s so smooth. Sitting trot is uncomfortable and posting trot is too hard on the knees. Haven’t tried much canter/gallop with an Icelandic except for a few steps, but I think it’d be uncomfortable both for me and the horse. Flying pace I haven’t tried yet, although I inadvertently got to try piggy pace.
The Icelandic horses I’ve met so far from the 2 larger farms I’ve been to have been really relaxed and well-behaved, and easy to handle. They are very fun to ride, though, and the tölt can be surprisingly fast!
Have you discovered any helpful tricks for AS’ers Molly? Do you prefer to ride bareback or with saddle?
