Should we request a sub-forum for disabled riders/owners?

Native Pony

Native Pony

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There are many people out there who have horses but are challenged in some way. Some will consider themselves disabled and some will not. Some will find a way of continuing to ride and others will have stopped. I am wondering if I am on my own in wanting to connect with other riders who have had to overcome challenges in order to keep up with their way of life with horses. We could learn a lot from each other.

I'd be interested to hear what you all think?
 
I think it's a good idea. I'm not disabled, but I can see how it would be helpful to have sub-forum, especially as that way threads won't get lost in the chaos of the tack room and people will be able to find them more easily! We have sub-forums for loads of other things, I don't see why there can't be one for disabled owners/ riders.
 
Very surprised by the attitude of "admin" towards all of the requests for even a separate section for disabled riders/owners. It's quite disgraceful to be honest. Even able bodied riders will suffer injuries, either short term or life changing and having the knowledge base available in a separate section is invaluable to all. I've had a life changing fall and find I have to adapt my riding significantly and love to find out how para riders manage with much more serious issues, I also love hearing about products that are not promoted mainstream that can help so many people, after reading a few articles on para riding I found correct contact reins which are an amazing invention for me as I now suffer arthritis in my hands and they allow me to continue to ride with much more ease.

Come on Admin!! This is such a worthy request to have a separate section.
 
Didn't someone ask this before and it really divided opinion about splitting those with disability from those without?

As an RDA volunteer and trainee coach, I don't teach my riders any different than I would an able-bodied person, I merely adapt to their individual situation, but not having threads lost would be a good plan!
 
Strikes me that surely we should promote to 'treat everyone equally' and in that sense I'd be concerned that a separate forum area would ostracise those who used it. Just my opinion. :)
 
teapot said:
Didn't someone ask this before and it really divided opinion about splitting those with disability from those without?

As an RDA volunteer and trainee coach, I don't teach my riders any different than I would an able-bodied person, I merely adapt to their individual situation, but not having threads lost would be a good plan!
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Yes, I linked to a couple of threads above.

I'll just repeat my previous suggestion: that an attempt is made to re-use one of the boards that has little or no traffic: careers and education and video vault would be obvious candidates. Then if one of those became heavily used it might be possible to persuade the powers that be to change the name. I'd go for C&E myself.
 
LHIS said:
Strikes me that surely we should promote to 'treat everyone equally' and in that sense I'd be concerned that a separate forum area would ostracise those who used it. Just my opinion. :)
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I can't see how. There is no rule to say you can't read other forum areas so how does that ostracise anyone? I would have thought it would be helpful to have the threads in one place, like you do with say, the dogs section. In fact, talking to a trainer who works at a very high level with the Paralympic team helped me with some of my own thoughts about riding. If horse and hound won't do this, I do know a new website which is starting up and they would absolutely put this on.
 
I think maybe it should be called "health and wellbeing" or something similar. There are a lot of people who post about things like M.E, fibromyalgia, chronic back pain etc in addition to those with issues that may be regarded from a traditional perspective as being more akin to "disabilities". If we use the term "health and wellbeing" rather than "disabled riders" it woulf be more inclusive and less like a sub-category of rider type.
 
Luci07 said:
I can't see how. There is no rule to say you can't read other forum areas so how does that ostracise anyone? I would have thought it would be helpful to have the threads in one place, like you do with say, the dogs section. In fact, talking to a trainer who works at a very high level with the Paralympic team helped me with some of my own thoughts about riding. If horse and hound won't do this, I do know a new website which is starting up and they would absolutely put this on.
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I can see both sides so half of me is 'great idea, means those with a disabiliity (and I use that term to include anything that makes riding harder) can have their threads, posts and ideas not lost amongst the 'can someone recommend me a new rug' et al; BUT, the other half of me says those threads are just as important in comp riders as someone doing their BE Novice report. BD and the Para side of Team GBR are working SO closely together at the moment to promote getting disabled riders out at BD competitions at all levels for example, that it seems a shame to seperate a thread on 'how do I get my horse into corners more when my right leg's got no feeling' from any other riding thread. Or a handy trick to ease doing stuff in the winter when you've got a hand devoid of any feeling, well I'm sure able-bodied riders would be interested in that, so why shove it away into a seperate forum which probably won't get the traffic 'Tack Room' or 'Comp Riders' do?

I was talking about RDA teaching with a very abled bodied person who knows a thing or two about horses, more talent in their little finger than I ever will etc this week when it came to reins and contact and all I can say is that we firmly agreed able bodied teaching and riding can take a lot from RDA/para riding and teaching, and vice versa.
 
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Fun Times said:
I think maybe it should be called "health and wellbeing" or something similar. There are a lot of people who post about things like M.E, fibromyalgia, chronic back pain etc in addition to those with issues that may be regarded from a traditional perspective as being more akin to "disabilities". If we use the term "health and wellbeing" rather than "disabled riders" it woulf be more inclusive and less like a sub-category of rider type.
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I was thinking this too. Have to remember as well that it's not just physical issues that prevent people at times. Mental issues can often be worse, such as having had a fright or a*bad fall, it can lead to you feeling worthless and depressed.

I do agree too that a thread for disabled riders does seem to be ostracising them slightly. I know that's not the point of it but it kind of looks that way.
 
I work in an inclusive school, where kids permanently in wheelchairs and with life limiting conditions are in mainstream classes. Kids with stomas are fed in class, kids with tracheoctomies are connected to the machine to clear their pipes in class. No-one even looks round, it's just normal.

Whilst I like the idea of a health/well-being section, I don't think a separate section is ideal. This forum should, IMO, be inclusive.
 
cinnamontoast said:
I work in an inclusive school, where kids permanently in wheelchairs and with life limiting conditions are in mainstream classes. Kids with stomas are fed in class, kids with tracheoctomies are connected to the machine to clear their pipes in class. No-one even looks round, it's just normal.

Whilst I like the idea of a health/well-being section, I don't think a separate section is ideal. This forum should, IMO, be inclusive.
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Sounds fab!

There's no doubt a reason why the RDA tagline is what it is too.
 
Sounds a great idea - there are many out there that are challenged by various disabilities, would be a great way to sound out ideas and help each other - posts go so fast through the normal forums
 
teapot said:
Didn't someone ask this before and it really divided opinion about splitting those with disability from those without?

As an RDA volunteer and trainee coach, I don't teach my riders any different than I would an able-bodied person, I merely adapt to their individual situation, but not having threads lost would be a good plan!
Click to expand...

LHIS said:
Strikes me that surely we should promote to 'treat everyone equally' and in that sense I'd be concerned that a separate forum area would ostracise those who used it. Just my opinion. :)
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Thse 2 posters sum up my view perfectly. As a former school SENCO and a RDA volunteer, I would be very wary of anything with marginalises disability and allows/encourages some HHO members to ignore the entire board.

However, as someone who has had to make minor changes, such as bendy stirrups, after injury and as I get older, I, too, can see the great benefit of having an obvious place to find recommendations for equipment etc. What about a sticky at the top of Tackroom, as a compromise?
 
Pearlsasinger said:
Thse 2 posters sum up my view perfectly. As a former school SENCO and a RDA volunteer, I would be very wary of anything with marginalises disability and allows/encourages some HHO members to ignore the entire board.

However, as someone who has had to make minor changes, such as bendy stirrups, after injury and as I get older, I, too, can see the great benefit of having an obvious place to find recommendations for equipment etc. What about a sticky at the top of Tackroom, as a compromise?
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Like this idea. A specific place for tips on adaptations to make things easier would be great. Like a lot of oldie types on here some of my bits don't quite work as well as they did and I've made some adaptions to tack, equipment and techniques - be good to hear other ideas.
 
Since disabilities take so many forms ,I think a separate forum is a waste of time and divisive.I have also observed a general decline in ths HHO site with increased numbers of forums . Time to weed out at least half the ones we have already and not add to the ever growing list.
 
Why not just put a sticky thread on "old & injured rider tricks" or similar, so everyone can avail of the ideas?

I don't like the idea of a separate sub forum for disabled riders - it creates a separation.
 
Think we are divided into two thinking camps here - one who is averse to the word 'disability' being in the title for PC reasons and those who think that that forum would get overlooked by other 'able bodied' readers.

I too think the best solution would be to have a sticky thread with a title that doesn't necessarily stipulate disability (whether it be physically or mentally) but something that relates to all. As someone posted RDA riders are probably some of the best taught so we could all learn from them.

Do think it's a good idea though - we all need help at times (even though some of us don't always like to admit it!).
 
Mike007 said:
Since disabilities take so many forms ,I think a separate forum is a waste of time and divisive.I have also observed a general decline in ths HHO site with increased numbers of forums . Time to weed out at least half the ones we have already and not add to the ever growing list.
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Not quite sure which ones you would get rid of because after having looked at them all they all relate to different subjects and have a lot of posts? None are duplicated per se. It is helpful when looking for particular advice eg, new riders or hoof care that we can go to that particular forum I think to group any together would be confusing and would take ages to trawl through a particular question you wanted answers to. Just my opinion.
 
Princess16 said:
the best solution would be to have a sticky thread with a title that doesn't necessarily stipulate disability (whether it be physically or mentally) but something that relates to all. As someone posted RDA riders are probably some of the best taught so we could all learn from them.

Do think it's a good idea though - we all need help at times (even though some of us don't always like to admit it!).
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How would a sticky thread work? Is it subdivided into specific threads?

It is interesting how some of us seem actually nervous about names/labels. The reference to injured riders is a good one but where does that leave those who are neither injured nor old?

The US site Chronicle of the Horse has a category for disabled riders with a subheading that it is for para-equestrians, therapeutic programmes and rehabbing riders. Pretty much covers all bases and doesn't offend, I don't think. They share a lot of useful tips but it would be so good to have a UK forum for this too.

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?102-Equestrians-with-Disabilities

Before I encountered significant issues myself the need for a dedicated forum had not occurred to me I am sorry to say. Now though, I am aware of the effort that must be put in to specific searches to find discussions that might help. If there was a place to look it would be so much easier and while there, perhaps other threads would catch the eye and provide benefit that would otherwise be lost in the swell of general threads.
 
Absolutely brilliant idea once it is decided how it will be worded and what format it will take.
Some of us have worked out . with lots of trial and error, how to make things easier for ourselves without having to compromise our horses care -
some of us are still eager to learn more.
I think it is a fab idea and am happy to share shortcuts/ alternative ways of doing things learned due to health/physical issues.

(Thank-you for raising the issue again and for including those useful links) :)
 
Princess16 said:
Not quite sure which ones you would get rid of because after having looked at them all they all relate to different subjects and have a lot of posts? None are duplicated per se. It is helpful when looking for particular advice eg, new riders or hoof care that we can go to that particular forum I think to group any together would be confusing and would take ages to trawl through a particular question you wanted answers to. Just my opinion.
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Which ones would I get rid of ? Hoof care and new riders would be the first to go!Not because I have no interest in hoof care or lack respect for new riders .Far from it! I simply wouldnt seek out questions on hoof care to answer ,or new riders to comment to. If however someone came to "Tack room" and asked for an opinion of hoof suplements for example ,it might catch my eye and I might respond .I would then talk at length about essential amino acids ,and sulphur and bore everyone to distraction . But the point is that I wouldnt go looking for the question.
The same is true for new riders . We all know the trials and tribulations that horses bring (except possibly the new riders) but I am not going to go looking for an opportunity to answer questions.However if a new rider posted that they thought their horse might have colic ,in the tackroom ,I would answer like a shot.
I guess we all use this site in different ways , butit seems to me that there was more life in it before the introduction of so many separate forums .
 
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