Why do people think disabled people riding horse can’t be disabled ? In relation to the UniLad post re the para show jumper

[Mary3050]

Afternoon all,

I got sent a article from UniLad about a Para Show-jumper . I have followed this girl for a while and seen her at shows . I am no jumper so I think she incredible to do what she does with her disability’s. Weather or not you think the taking her mums doctor to court over her birth defect is right or not. As a disabled person and also a disabled person that rides it’s the comments under the article that got me and they are things that people say regularly when they find out you ride but are disabled.

On the post the comments are pretty bad I won’t repeat these could be trigger warnings for some . Others are essentially saying that she should be greatful she isn’t worse off. Go look at para-Olympians to see actual disabled people. She not disabled if she can ride a horse.

Then there’s the usual comment like if she can afford a horse she is privileged and shouldn’t be moaning. The normal must be her parents money. She only taking the dr to court to fund her expensive hobby. Essentially the normal crap is horse riders get .

The comments I get regularly relating yo
- You can’t be that disabled If you can ride a horse
- Your pain can’t be that bad if you can ride a horse ? what you don’t see is the amount of pain killers I take and how much time I spend in bed
- You should get a job and stop claiming disability to keep your horses

Then people have commented on her social media pages saying she is disgusting.

I don’t get why people think that having a disability means you can’t ride . Or that you don’t work .

 

[nikicb]

Link please.....

ETA I'm quite sure I wouldn't agree with the article from what you say, but would like to read it before making that decision.

Don't worry - I found it.....

https://www.facebook.com/uniladmag/posts/9322146847808291

I follow Evie on FB and all I can say is that I admire her resilience immensely. As for the article and some of the comments, well.....

 

[MuddyMonster]

I would pay absolutely no attention to the comments on Unilad's FB page, personally.

 

[Mary3050]

Link please.....

ETA I'm quite sure I wouldn't agree with the article from what you say, but would like to read it before making that decision.

https://www.ladbible.com/news/news-...QUqEvelL7SuR8R3IBuMesCloZ-szFuZ2M--OQGdv2FJRA

 

[Mary3050]

I would pay absolutely no attention to the comments on Unilad's FB page, personally.

It got me thinking about the comments people say the whole you aren’t disabled if you can ride a horse things

 

[Mary3050]

Link please.....

ETA I'm quite sure I wouldn't agree with the article from what you say, but would like to read it before making that decision.

Don't worry - I found it.....

https://www.facebook.com/uniladmag/posts/9322146847808291

I follow Evie on FB and all I can say is that I admire her resilience immensely. As for the article and some of the comments, well.....

Me too I think she amazing but I think the comments show some of the issues with people disability’s face .

 

[honetpot]

I think people have preconceptions about illness, disability and many other things in life. If you do not look, in pain, sad or moaning all the time, you can not be in pain, have grief or have problems. My mum could understand a broken leg and how it would affect you, but no sympathy with a migraine that made you unable to see, think or not speak in gibberish.
I have a friend you has a lot of metal in her legs from a riding fall, some days she has real trouble walking, and sitting, and her pain is controlled, she manages, but never goes away, but she makes herself walk and she gets asked what's wrong with you?
Some of us are like old cars, running with a bit of TLC, but if we went for MOT, we would be scrapped, even if the body work looks fairly good.
I read this today, and thought how true it is of a lot of conditions, if we look 'normal', we are expected to function to someone else's expectation, when many are trying to get along with unseen or not understood disability.
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/...orkers-long-covid-are-being-dismissed/620801/

 

[nikicb]

Me too I think she amazing but I think the comments show some of the issues with people disability’s face .

Yes, I agree with you. My sister (born in mid 60s, sadly died a couple of years ago) had various disabilities from birth (both mental and physical), so it's been a life long theme for me. Perhaps that's why I am not surprised by the tone of some of the comments.

 

[hobo]

I did not read the comments but I was very sad to see that she is suing the doctor though is it really true. I did greatly admire her but not now but I am also not sure if it is real. I still wish her all the best with her riding but not with her court case.

 

[Mary3050]

I think people have preconceptions about illness, disability and many other things in life. If you do not look, in pain, sad or moaning all the time, you can not be in pain, have grief or have problems. My mum could understand a broken leg and how it would affect you, but no sympathy with a migraine that made you unable to see, think or not speak in gibberish.
I have a friend you has a lot of metal in her legs from a riding fall, some days she has real trouble walking, and sitting, and her pain is controlled, she manages, but never goes away, but she makes herself walk and she gets asked what's wrong with you?
Some of us are like old cars, running with a bit of TLC, but if we went for MOT, we would be scrapped, even if the body work looks fairly good.
I read this today, and thought how true it is of a lot of conditions, if we look 'normal', we are expected to function to someone else's expectation, when many are trying to get along with unseen or not understood disability.
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/...orkers-long-covid-are-being-dismissed/620801/

Totally I should be in a wheelchair . I occasionally use my crunch’s so because I don’t look disabled and my condition is very rare people think it’s made up .

 

[Mary3050]

I did not read the comments but I was very sad to see that she is suing the doctor though is it really true. I did greatly admire her but not now but I am also not sure if it is real. I still wish her all the best with her riding but not with her court case.

I suspect that there is probably more to the Story than report . For all we know there could have be a test result or something that showed this before she was born. I have had doctors that have made mistakes which has physically and emotionally damaged me . One in particular has results that suggested that their was an issue. He repeated this test 3 times it was high every time he did nothing . Said that what I felt was in my head. Turns out it wasn’t and earlier treatment would have prevented so many issue I now have . But because I have a rare disease the lack of understanding was a massive issue . Not a lot I can do about it

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I suspect that there is probably more to the Story than report . For all we know there could have be a test result or something that showed this before she was born. I have had doctors that have made mistakes which has physically and emotionally damaged me . One in particular has results that suggested that their was an issue. He repeated this test 3 times it was high every time he did nothing . Said that what I felt was in my head. Turns out it wasn’t and earlier treatment would have prevented so many issue I now have . But because I have a rare disease the lack of understanding was a massive issue . Not a lot I can do about it

Unfortunately, the only way , or at least the most effective, quickest way to get monoliths like the NHS to change is to go through the courts. If you have evidence that consistent test results have been ignored, if you were to sue the doctor who ignored them, other doctors would be more likely to be more careful in future. I have had similar experiences with GPs trying to tell me that symptoms were not real, until eventually it was proved that they were, when a more knowledgeable doctor got involved. Fortunately the consequences for me were not especially serious but even after the diagnosis, I had a nurse trying to tell me that it wasn't the case. .

 

[ycbm]

She won.

 

[shortstuff99]

I wondered if this case was a bit like how in America insurance would only pay if you sued. So she had to sue to get an insurance pay out?

 

[ycbm]

She sued an NHS doctor, the NHS (meaning taxpayers) will pay.

I'm very conflicted about this, I can see several sides to it, including hers.
.

 

[Cheval Gal]

I get it.

I have a disability, yet I fight through my constant pain and fatigue in order to have horses in my life. There are days I may need help as I simply cannot do what needs to be done, but those are days where my body overwhelms me to the extent I cannot move. It is a fragile balancing act of knowing what I can cope with, whilst always putting the horse's needs first.

It sadly does not surprise me that an article like this generated ignorant comments. Very sad.

 

[Widgeon]

I think there's also an element of the media (and the kind of people who comment on uniLad's FB page?!) wanting a nice simple narrative for everything, particularly people who appear in public or have public profiles. Everyone must be purely good or purely selfish / bad. By sticking her neck out and fighting her corner in this case (that as ycbm says, has several sides to it) the rider in question is not fitting the "role" of the courageous, inspirational, victim of circumstances para-sportsperson. She also appears to be wealthy, talented and pretty, so again, not exactly fitting into the box that some people seem to expect / wish her to fit. This seems to to happen to other people as well, when they refuse to conform to stereotypes - they get attacked - we can probably all think of other examples. There isn't much room for nuance in modern media and social media, including the idea that people are all complex multifacted individuals. I hope I've made some sense there!

Unfortunately, the only way , or at least the most effective, quickest way to get monoliths like the NHS to change is to go through the courts.

Sadly I think I agree with you here. I don't know the details of her case but if her mum was given poor or inadequate advice then I have complete sympathy for them taking the route they are.

She won.

Presumably she was awarded money? I hope it makes her life slightly easier than it otherwise would have been.

 

[I'm Dun]

Unless you are in a wheelchair or using some sort of disability aid, no one thinks you are disabled anyway, so this is nothing surprising. Disabled people are supposed to sit in their wheelchairs at home and not make a nuisance of themselves by trying to live their lives.