Calling all Horse People!

Hi everyone,
I am hoping to talk to some horse people on here as far as how long it took you to get back in the saddle.
I realize I am only going on 4 weeks post op but I was hoping by week 8 or so to try it.
Just wondering what your experiences are as far as getting back in the saddle and doing some light riding.
As far as getting back into competition, (Im a barrel racer) I don't expect that for a while.
Thanks!

	Quote:
Originally Posted by barrelrcr Hi everyone, I am hoping to talk to some horse people on here as far as how long it took you to get back in the saddle. I realize I am only going on 4 weeks post op but I was hoping by week 8 or so to try it. Just wondering what your experiences are as far as getting back in the saddle and doing some light riding. As far as getting back into competition, (Im a barrel racer) I don't expect that for a while. Thanks!

I just had my 6 week checkup last Tuesday and my doctor cleared me for all activities, including riding again. I haven't attempted to get back in the saddle yet, although I am thinking about some night this week. I am planning on just walking for the first night and than maybe a trot if I feel I'm up to it. I have my 3 horses at home and have been mucking since week 4, but having my husband dump into the spreader. I am now mucking and dumping myself. I also was able to get back on the tractor at 4 weeks. My doctor laughed at me when at week 4 I asked if I could please muck stalls as long as I didn't lift the bucket to dump and he said in all his years of practice he never had anyone ask when they can start mucking stalls again. Oh well I guess if you never had horses, you'd never understand.........Hang in there! Hope this longwinded explanation helped!

Finally! I was beginning to thing I was the only horse person here. Thanks for your reply, I think I'll wait until 8 weeks then give it a shot. Only walking to start, we'll see!

I am anxious to start riding again, too. This business of no lifting and the other restrictions are driving me crazy!! I may try just walking on my older horse in another week, but of course someone else will have to saddle her for me!!

Hi Horsey people!
I started walking out on my daughter's pony at 8 weeks postop and was more or less riding normally by 12 weeks. So long as you start out on something reasonably sensible and take it easy to begin with you should be fine. Avoid a horse that takes a real hold to begin with as that does strain the tummy muscles, but I found that the gentle motion of riding helped loosen up muscles I hadn't used for ages and, I think, speeded up my recovery generally. I'm now 5 months postop and am absolutely back to normal, even galloping our rather headless chestnut mare in her new bitless bridle! TAH 4th May 2007.

Crafte, I asked my GYN before they took me in to surgery when I could cut firewood. I think that was a first for him too. But then he knows I'm nuts.