Last January, the muscles in my left leg and groin tore while I was riding my horse, Okido. I ended up face planting in the dirt. I had to have help to get up and limp out of the arena as my poor horse stood there staring at me in total surprise. What happened? he seemed to be saying.
Needless to say, my leg and groin hurt like hell for about the next month. Riding was out of the question. Walking around was a huge chore. Finally, after a few months I was back riding again but I wasn't myself. I thought I'd never be me again.
My trainer recommended physical therapy after a second fall, due to lack of balance, landed me in the dirt again. (Even though I actually felt more normal after. The fall must have been the chiropractic adjustment I needed!)
Anyway, off to PT I went. I stayed with it for two months, and the therapist gave me a bunch of yoga-like exercises, as well as work with weights in the gym to do on my own when he determined I had graduated.
Throughout all this, I felt like my riding was sliding backward until I realized that we had gone back to the basics, and I started seeing the benefits. As a result, I'm more centered in the saddle, balance from my seat and legs instead of my hands (well, most of the time), and am more relaxed. I continue, to this day, and probably for the rest of my life, to do the exercises my therapist gave me. I'm also content to focus on the basics which is making me a much better rider and from which I will begin to advance at a faster pace in the future (one can only hope).
My point in sharing my little fiasco with you is that it never hurts to take a step back... no matter what it involves... riding, making a relationship work, perfecting your career, or just about anything.
"Pausing to refresh" comes to mind. So, take stock of the things you're hell-bent on accomplishing. Reflect a bit and make sure you aren't rushing it or going about it in the incorrect way.
You'll be glad that you did.
Til Next Time,
Carol
Needless to say, my leg and groin hurt like hell for about the next month. Riding was out of the question. Walking around was a huge chore. Finally, after a few months I was back riding again but I wasn't myself. I thought I'd never be me again.
My trainer recommended physical therapy after a second fall, due to lack of balance, landed me in the dirt again. (Even though I actually felt more normal after. The fall must have been the chiropractic adjustment I needed!)
Anyway, off to PT I went. I stayed with it for two months, and the therapist gave me a bunch of yoga-like exercises, as well as work with weights in the gym to do on my own when he determined I had graduated.
Throughout all this, I felt like my riding was sliding backward until I realized that we had gone back to the basics, and I started seeing the benefits. As a result, I'm more centered in the saddle, balance from my seat and legs instead of my hands (well, most of the time), and am more relaxed. I continue, to this day, and probably for the rest of my life, to do the exercises my therapist gave me. I'm also content to focus on the basics which is making me a much better rider and from which I will begin to advance at a faster pace in the future (one can only hope).
My point in sharing my little fiasco with you is that it never hurts to take a step back... no matter what it involves... riding, making a relationship work, perfecting your career, or just about anything.
"Pausing to refresh" comes to mind. So, take stock of the things you're hell-bent on accomplishing. Reflect a bit and make sure you aren't rushing it or going about it in the incorrect way.
You'll be glad that you did.
Til Next Time,
Carol
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