Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion Sporting ASKickers Horse Riding Anyone?

Any Horse Riding fans out there?

Molly
Keeping on Keeping on

Hi Hi,

I've been on trail riding horses but never at a gallop or faster (what is considered a galluP?). My wife and I love horse riding!

see ya Molly

Yes..I am. I haven't for quite awhile. I grew up with a barn full. I don't have place to have one now, but my husband and I talked about moving to somewhere we could. I don't know if my si joints could take it. It would be worth a try though. I used to show really hard. First the hunter circuit and then the quarter horse shows. My sister and I showed every weekend for years. She went to a college in Ohio that you could have you horse there. I miss the smell of horses and the tack room full of leather.
I also miss riding my horse Petey with no saddle around where i grew up. I got a city husband I'm working on taking to the country.

Hi Peacepiper - had sort of given up on any ASers bein ridin folks. Great. Well, I don't gallop, that aint no fun. That is jes hard out fast stuff. No thanks. I like to ride gaited, soft gaited horses. The Paso-Llano of the Peruvian Paso Horse is my all time fave. Smooth as silk and gentle as clotted cream - with a touch of brandy! IF you ever get the chance...

But sooooo glad to hear from AS horse riders.

Molly

AJ - SI problems are not fun and a trotting horse is about the worst thing for SIs. Soooo, find thee a soft gaited horse. A Peruvian Paso is fantastic, known as the smoothest of ALL the gaited horses, and 'basically' with a locked in gait. IOW - you know they are going to do it! Another great breed is the rocky Mountain Horse or, an RMH X PP - now this is heaven.

I would reaffirm that a trotting horse is not good for SIs nor is a hard pacey lateral horse - as many of the TWH are. Really diff to find a smooth, soft gaited, horse. That is where the Peruvian Paso Horse comes into it own. Unfortunately, the PP seems to run a tendency to problem issues, i.e. breaking down: not solely confined to the PP breed but just a tad too prevelant within the breed. These issues are being addressed, but will take a time to sort - like the eye problems in the AQH. We'll get there.

Another nice horse is the Paso Fino - not show (fino-fino aint no fun - a million steps goin nowhere!) But a decent trail horse, largo. Nice. But, again, it is only really the PP that has the more locked in smooth gait.

I'll check out an see if there is anyone in your area - just to go look at em being ridden would be a fun outing, or perhaps to catch a show?

Great to meet fellow riders -

Molly

AJ. Have just sent you a pm. Have a possible lead to the Peruvian Paso horse for you to go check out...

Molly

I used to ride almost daily back home. My grandfather had some great Persian horses.

Bad knee, sternum and clavicle prevent me from doing any riding now for a long time.

I still hang around horses from time to time in a friend farm north of Toronto and the only thing I can do is walk them.

Ali

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?

Nina!! It's so great to see you! Welcome back... I've missed your valuable contributions to the biologics forum. I do hope we'll be seeing more of you again. Also, it's very good news to read that you're still having success on anti-TNF meds.

Hugs,
mig

Hi Nina - Iceys. Yea. fun horses. Toelt is fab. Owned an Icey once, he did well in our Nationals over here, ran 5th place. Good boy. But then I also had a Peruvian Paso, and could not afford two horses, so sold him. He did well in endurance. Will be in his late teens now. Iceys are strong horses. Not for everyone, can be v. stubborn wee beggars. Missed buying a really nice one not so long ago, still kicking myself. He would have been ideal for me. Sigh. My Preuvian Paso was put down, the dreaded 'condition', DSLD/ESPA. We're working on it but the research programme is a long haul.

I have ridden treed and treeless. Saddle wise, Iceys are notoriously hard to fit. A Reactor Panel saddle is good otherwise a good treeless saddle. My fave treeless is the StarTrekk Comfort, they do a short backed version, which you'd need for an Icey. The StarTrekk is built very like to the treed OrthoFlex (very nice saddle, but too long for an Icey and usually not wide enough). The traditional saddle for an Icey is very flat, I don't much care for them.

I quite like sitting trot and rising trot - trot used to be my favourite gait, until I discovered the soft gaited and paso-llano...now that is sooooo smooth. Saddles for our Peruvian Pasos are wonderful affairs. I have a lovely one that was made for my mare. Really beautiful and so comfortable. A good twist on it, good for the female anatomy - and does not upset the SIs. That's the main drawback on most of the treeless saddles, no twist. the Torsion is horrible. Had one, but had to sell it. Also tried the Ansur, more twist, built very like to a standard dressage saddle. Hated the darn thing, so sold that on as well. IF ever looking for a saddle, ensure that you can have a trial version for a time before buying. Mistakes can be expensive. There is an excellent Yahoo group: treelesssaddles@ All the makes of treeless saddles are covered, great input from the listers. Very detailed and good links and archives. Also two good Icey groups. One group is very moderated by the list owner, Judy Ryder. Judy is terrif, wealth of knowledge. She also runs the gaitedhorse@ group, and a clicker training group: clickryder@

Other Icey Yahoo group is Icehorsesworldwide@ Not moderated. Interesting group with good input. You will find that there is a little friction between the two groups...!

Whereabouts are you based? Are you in Canada - Vernon Farms? That would be Robyn Hood and Linda Tellington-Jones. Renowned Icey breeders and trainers. Forget the name of the chap who is up there - visited his farm and went for a spin on his horses...they were wild!! Not sure if he is still in Vernon, might have moved. Jo Larmour? Think Jo is in the Vernon area. Knew Jo when I lived in Bruxelles. She was a trainer with a Mme (name gone) up in the Ardennes. We had a ball.

Not sure if I have answered your question...??

Helpful tricks? Try out a Peruvian Paso. They won't upset your SIs. Basically a PP does not trot (some do) so your SIs won't be upset. A Rocky Mountain is a good horse, very smooth. Not a Fox Trotter, as although 'sort' of lateral, are not that smooth. A Mangalarga Marchador is reputed to be smooth, have not tried but have watched. Certainly not as smooth as the PP. Still keep coming back to the PP or a good PP cross, say with a Rocky Mountain Horse. Very good cross that. But again, one does need to check out bloodlines and soundness!

OK. Will talk horses forever. Thanks for posting. Hoping that these 'fellas' can get me right so's I can get back in the saddle again. Yee-Ha.

Molly