Health & Horses

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Puzzles

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For people who have suffered from an injury or illness/health condition of some kind, be it mental or physical, how have you managed to manage with riding and looking after your horse? Have you found that it has helped or perhaps hindered you? It's a potentially personal question, I know :o
 
I had agorophobia and very very bad anxiety in 2010 and eventually had to stop going to the yard completely. This was because of the mix of people at the yard at the time with constant arguing ect and the day I realised I couldn't get to the yard without throwing up/dizziness my world literally fell apart and I didn't leave my house for about 6 months after. I only began to get over that all after I got viral meningitis and enchephalitis in jan 2011 and had to go into hospital. When I came out of hospital and found it hard to cope again my pony got very ill with lami so I had to become strong for her and I did :) the yard problems had stopped, and I was so focused on getting mysti through it I didnt even think about my own problems and I've been so much better since then so I owe a lot to my little mare :)
Sorry if that's a bit long, just wanted to explain how horses were the cause and the cure of all my problems! :)
 
I have lost my leg above the knee have kidney failure and many other health issues and from my point of view \i would not be posting this answer if I did not have my horse. She gave me my life back when I thought what is the point of it all I am a freak that does not want to carry on living, she gave me the strenght to carry on and was the only reason for a couple of years that I got out of bed and tried to carry on with my so called life. Ebony also broke her leg two days before they removed my leg, so we have got better together and the bond we now share is second to none. She needs me but she will never know just how much I need her, and to be honest it does scare me as to what I will do if anything was to happen to her. Things now are very di theyfferent to how they were and any daily tasks now are very hard for me to do but I try to do as much as I can it does not matter how long it takes are how I do it or how hard it is, the simple fact is she gave me back my life when really IMO there was not point in trying to carry on. Horses do not judge you like people do and this is the only time that I can say that no one is looking staring or making fun of me, she just takes me for what I am, and I love her for it, sorry to go on but I do feel very strongly about how much horses can help people what ever their own problems are.
 
That's incredible montyforever! My mum is agorophobic but has become so much better, even though it's taken her several years.
ebonyallen - that sounds absolutely horrific :( but thank goodness you have your horse. It sounds like you give each other so much!
You are both so brave.
By all means please write away, don't worry about waffling! :)
 
I had a complete break down mid last year and was signed off work, put on medication and councilling (still continuing). It was when I was off of work I realised (along with my Doc) the I needed something, some focus in my life, because my life, in my eyes, wasnt worth living. I have been riding and 'working' (voluntary) with horses since the age of 6/7 and have always had the urge and need to get back into it. so i got a part loan of a pony and ex-racer. I can tell you now, the medication was not what has got me to where I am now. I loaned for a while before realising I had to have my own, so got my mare early dec last year. My OH has said how relaxed I am and how happy and lit-up I am now I have her, even when just talking about her. I still have councilling and still have a shed load of 'issues' but they all disapear while at the yard, gives me something to focus on, a break from work (I am now back full time, but go up each lunch time) and I am in a new office, who didnt know about my break down until last week,...as they didnt see that I had any issues at all,....because every day I wake up knowing I am going to see my baby, and work pays fopr her, so I just need to smile and let everything breeze over me, because, most of the time, it really doesnt matter! The only thing that held me back, on the occassions where I didnt want to be on this planet any more, was the fear of what would happen to my horse, or the loaned horse and pony, who would look after them if I was gone? Who would love them to that degree? If they went to market,...they may end up in slaughter houses. Horses kept me alive this past year. I am 100x's strronger than I was too. I have so much I owe to them
 
Thanks puzzles :) I honestly think the agorophobia would have come on much sooner and I wouldn't have got over it at all if it wasn't for my ponies!
Good luck to your mum, I have to say being so ill in hospital was the scariest thing I've ever been through, but was so worth it even though it's still a daily task to stop myself from falling back. :)
 
Ta montyforever! :)

It's amazing how much horses give us that nothing else does. We really are as dependent on them as they are of us.
It would be really, unimaginably awful if someone had to give up their horse because of their condition. :(
 
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