Do you ride if you feel unwell?

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now_loves_mares

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I've been battling a really nasty cold all week. As my horse had lost a shoe, this was not an issue, but now she is re-shod I really should ride her. But I feel rubbish, have no energy, am coughing and sneezing all the time, headache, a bit shivery etc.

Now I'm not normally a wimp - when I badly twisted my knee in winter, I was still hopping about in severe pain doing all my yard chores. But I can't decide if I'm being a wuss today or not.

So how ill do you have to be to not ride? Not including hangovers ;)
 
i depends on how i am feeling, i usually tend not to ride my mare if i am not feeling to hot as she is sensitive and would get the upper hand (generally muck about and do giraffe impressions) and i would then spend the next 4 weeks getting her back to how she was before i was ill.
 
Nothing will usually stop me, unless I'm puking everywhere! Usually I just suck it up and get on, and feel a little groggy but happy by the end! The only time I didn't ride cos of sickness was right before a show when I got food poisoning, and after having my appendix removed 2 years ago, and last summer when I caught the dreaded Swine Flu. Apart from that, I've tried not to let anything get in the way of me riding! xx
 
Luckily my horse does not 'need' ridden every day, if he has a few days off it makes no difference. I have a horse and ride because I enjoy it. If I feel rubbish I won't enjoy it so, no, I don't ride if I am poorly!
 
I dont, my horse knows it straight away and is a PITA! He knows he can get away with spinning, bucking etc so completly takes the micky! So rather then let him do that and win because i cant stand up to him....i leave it to a day when i feel right as rain and then i can deal with his tantrums :-D

Hope you feel better soon xx
 
Oh dear, looks like I'm a fairer-weather rider than most of you :o

Skychick, thanks, I hope I feel better soon too! Fingers crossed that tomorrow I feel more human, so the horse can get her big belly refined a little :rolleyes:
 
Yes, the only times I haven't are when I caught swine flu (would have ridden but under quarantine) and when I am physically sick. Currently I have an infected mosquito bite (2 weeks in an exotic country and I'm eaten alive :rolleyes:) my left arm is v. sore but have antibiotics and will be riding tomorrow. I can only ride once a week so just have to grin and bear it :D
 
Nope, no point. If I fel pathetic, and get on and ride, it will all end in tears. Same for my sister- if she's tired or not feeling very well she doesn't ride. If she did, she would get frustrated by Reg's antics and not deal with them as she normally does and it all ends with lots of self-doubt and misery. Not worth it at all.

Lucily, we are tough cookies and rarely ever ill!
 
I wouldn't ride if I was quite unwell as it would be a bit pointless. I currently ride simply for enjoyment (no competing or anything) so it's not necessary to ride all the time. However, if I was a feeling a bit ill around the time I had a lesson booked then I would most likely still go, unless I was well within time to cancel it sensibly.
 
Yep got the dreaded lergy feel ****, pounding head, sore throat, feel weak, but had a lovely hack out today and forgot it for a couple of hours. I have not moved off the sofa since getting back lol, drip fed tea and lemsip for the past 6 hours, proabably do it all again tomorrow - its the lugging tack and grooming that takes it out of you when you feel this way, the riding is the easy part, assuming you have a quiet ride:D
 
Daisy2 said:
Yep got the dreaded lergy feel ****, pounding head, sore throat, feel weak, but had a lovely hack out today and forgot it for a couple of hours. I have not moved off the sofa since getting back lol, drip fed tea and lemsip for the past 6 hours, proabably do it all again tomorrow - its the lugging tack and grooming that takes it out of you when you feel this way, the riding is the easy part, assuming you have a quiet ride:D
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Oh now I feel really bad that I didn't :( She can be quiet, but she can be a bit spooky if she's not been ridden for a bit. I could definitely have managed her in a plod-mood, but not in full Chestnut Mare mode :rolleyes::eek:

Oh well, off to have a shower to clear the airwaves, followed by a restorative glass of blood-tonic (red wine).;)
 
Hey, don't make yourself feel bad for not riding! There are days when none of us are up to it. I think it very much would depend on my illness and the fitness of my horse. If I thought I would really pay the penalty for letting have a day off then I would struggle on or more probably lunge him with Pessoa. If you have a horse that could be difficult, there is nothing worse than getting on and feeling weak and feeble! Dose yourself up, I'm finding red wine is going down very easily this evening!!
 
Riding usually makes me feel better if I'm feeling a bit ill. Don't know whether it's the fresh air or having to focus on something else but usually come back from a hack feeling better than I did when I set off in those instances. If I felt really ghastly I wouldn't though as I tend to assess the way I'm feeling against whether or not I'd be able to deal with anything out of the blue with the horse or if he messed about as my strength and concentration just wouldn't be there. Also if you had something like flu I would say it's the same they tell anyone with it, don't do any physical activity/sport as it puts so much strain on your system.
 
A few yrs ago I was exceptionally tired and my reflexes were not what they should have been. I ended up on the ground whilst jumping. A freak outcome I am sure- But I ended up seriously fracturing a vertebra requiring surgery and titanium rods. I feel that the tiredness probably affected me. I am careful now not to ride when I feel ill. Even though that was hopefully (!) a one-off I wont take the risk. I also don't really believe that it is worth getting on a horse unless you feel strong enough to ride properly. It could well be a waste of time and also send the wrong messages to your horse (regarding what you are aiming for and what you are not). I suppose people that work with horses may not have the luxury of not riding.
 
Yes i tend to, Its my yard so i have to muck out and do everything regardless (currently with a fractured elbow) so riding wont do anymore harm!! and the horses need worked!!
 
It depends.

If I'm at work and something needs sitting on, then I might not have a choice.

My own horse, I tend not to if I'm not feeling well.
 
a good hack is the best hangover cure in the world (plus a macdonalds!)

If im feeling like i have been the past couple of days (virus) then no. When I was gettign over swine flu last summer I thought I was ok and started going out for a hack but it was just the lack of energy that killed me! But I rode with broken toes all last summer and a very bad foot this winter. It depends what your doing if its schooling and you need to be alert and concentrate then no but if its just for fun and a quiet hack then yes
 
I don't. But, I am blessed with a creature who is exactly the same, even if you haven't sat on him in weeks! As I did last year when I tore a ligament in my knee. I rest, get back on later :) xx
 
Depends what kind of ill. If I have a cold, I will probably ride, but if I feel weak because and kind of temparaturey I won't. Also when I'm ill I won't ride in really crappy weather that wouldn't usually bother me.

But cos I only ride 4/5 days a week in summer I just rearragne the dayts I'm riding. I only feel pressured when he's in all the time. Then I just hate riding when ill :(
 
Seeing as I'm ill in some ways most days, I just ride. Either that, or time his day off with my worst day of the week and just hope I feel better otherwise! If not, tough! He rarely gets 2 days off per week :p
Even after breaking my elbow I pretty much got the cast off and went riding! Didn't bother waiting any longer, it was fine. Even rode once with the cast ON :o I'm not stopped easily xD
 
Normally I don't if I am really feeling bad, I may loose school or lunge, or if they are living out, they are fine. I also have several people who like to ride my two.

However, I have spent most of this year getting over surgery and now am on chemo so I am trying to ride twice a week. Either a slow 45 minute hack or 20 minutes schooling. My chest is still having to heal from the boob removal, but I am now cantering and enjoy myself for short period. The chemo also leaves me feeling very tired and off for the first ten days, but the next ten I pick up, and the last five I feel sort of normal, and then more chemo and down I go again.

I hope to start jumping again in June and am still on track for my showing championships at the end of July and August when I will need to jump as we are having a go at hairy working cob classes for the time time.

Roll on July and end of chemo. I still need reconstruction later, but will do that when then I have had a few months of living normally so it won't be too bad to cope with no riding for a while again.
 
Hug and hot choccy to OP! Hope you feel better soon hun :)

I have just had six weeks of illness - hardly rode at all :( I was either at work or in bed. Went to the doc and nearly fell asleep on her desk while she smiled at me and said that there was nothing she could do for a viral cold. My balance was off and there was no chance I could ride the Dizz and stay upright :o. Then I got flu and again, no chance of riding (never felt so ill).

So, in answer to your question OP :) I'll ride when I know I can do okay, and if my horse was the quiet type then maybe I would have ridden a couple of times during that six weeks, but she isn't and it would have been stupid for me to do so, probably would have ended up damaging both of us.
 
Theresa_F - Really sorry to hear you have been so unwell. It must be horrible feeling ill most of the time. Sounds like you are really positive about enjoying your horses (and competing) this year. Good luck. Horses are a good lift aren't they? Take care.
 
Do a quick self assessment of how you will feel if...

1. She is a complete superstar and the fresh air blows away the cold and reminds you why you love the outdoors

2. She is a hyperactive monster for having had a week off and you have a miserable ride with numb fingers and toes

Decide whether either / both of these would put you off riding

Decide which outcome is more likely

Choose whether or not to ride accordingly :) :D
 
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