The Katmah Experience

Worked a half day today, and left at lunch to head downtown for my appointment at the AT centre. My back pain has subsided a little this week, but it’s definitely still there. I still have an appointment with a specialist next week, but I went in to see my AT so that maybe I could function the rest of the week. She reassessed me, and (to my relief..sort of) said that she still doesn’t think it’s anything more then the little joint in my back and hip acting up. Which is what she first said 7 months ago. I agree with her. She also said that she really thinks I need to take a break from riding. Unfortunately I know she is right, and I’ve been in enough pain the past 2 weeks that I’ve been forced to.

This is so discouraging coming off of a show like I had at Beach. I have a lesson scheduled for Thursday night, and a clinic on Saturday this week. I consulted with my AT on this and brought up the point that it’s near impossible for me to take a full break from the sport when I’m working on two horses for sale by the time I move. That’s quite a bit of money and pressure- too much to sit on the sidelines. She understood and suggested that I try my best to minimize the amount of training I do. Ride in my lesson and clinic this week, but don’t go out and hack in between. And the week after, stay away from riding as much as you can but still be prepared for upcoming Heart of the Continent (a gold level MHJA show). I’m really not sure how I’m going to swing the next few weeks. I’m horrible at taking breaks- and obviously that’s why I come up with stress and overtraining issues.

I’m not so much worried about the fitness of myself or my horse being jeopardized as much as our progress sliding backwards again. I’d like to think that it won’t and that I could take enough time off to heal properly- but is that really the way life works? No. The world keeps turning just as fast even if it feels like your world has been stopped in it’s tracks. Yes I’m being slightly overdramatic. I know. It’ll all be fine and everything will work out eventually. I can’t help but stress a little bit over my progress as a rider/trainer and my horse’s progress as a competitive hunter and prospective jumper when I’ve hardly been able to ride since the last show. I guess we’ll see how my lesson goes on Thursday- and the Curry Clinic on Saturday. I’m determined to do both of these to the best of my ability and hoping that pain doesn’t conflict with my riding too much so I can get the most out of both sessions. I take my riding so seriously that I understand that it is very important for me to take the time to rest my back- because nobody can ride properly OR effectively under any amount of pain- it also effects your horse’s movement and comfort more than we know. So I’m just going to take it one day (ride) and a time and hope for the best results. That’s all I can do. Oh, and stretch. And ice..

PS Thank you to Kiirsten (http://prairienerd.wordpress.com)  for the kind words about my blog and what I’m trying to accomplish in the sport. It meant a lot to read her opinion on what I write, and it also re-inspired my determination to get better physically and within the sport. Us amateur’s gotta stick together- this is more of a team sport then most realize.