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 Member
Posts: 40
Location: Louisiana | Last July 3 i had to have a tumor removed from my brain, mu left ear had to be layed over and a hole drilled thru the skull to get to it. Took a while to be be able to do normal activities, rode my motorcycle, drive the lawn mower. Then i decided to try to ride one of my race horses. I found out quick that mu balance couldnt hold on to that kind of power so i sent 2 off to be retrained and bough a super nice TWH for me to start riding on and rebuild my balance and confidence on. I do good on him and he isnt scared of a thing but even with him running my right foot will come out of the stirrup.
What are some exercises that i can do on him to regain my balance and muscle memory, seems like my reaction skills are very weak as well...
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
 
Location: SE Louisiana | If you have to start from scratch... You have to learn by falling off. I don't know how old you are.... But if you are older than 28... I recommend you skip that part..
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Member
Posts: 40
Location: Louisiana | I have been riding pretty good bit on my TWH 5 to 6 times a week. Just having issues with my timing. Back before i was breaking my own race horses and they could get pretty bronky and stayed on fine. Now tho i dont think i could hang on one if they turned to fast on me.
Im 40 |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | I can relate. I had a ginormous acoustic neuroma removed from my head in 2008, right after the birth if my 2nd child. My vestibular (balance) nerve was removed from that side as well as the hearing nerve (so I'm single sided deaf too). My facial nerve was severed and grafted back together. I had to learn to walk all over again and the first month felt like I was running on a flat tire.
The more you make yourself do, the better off you will be. Balance improves by movement. I started out using the balance board on the wii fit doing yoga. I was back riding my old retired horse 2 months after surgery and since I had sold everything but him before my surgery, not knowing what kind of recovery to expect, I started prospect shopping a month after that, which involved getting on several young horses. I think I rode 13 and bought 2 that year.
I am not as good a rider as I used to be, but I have come a long **** way. I can stick on spooky horses, bucking horses, tantrum throwing horses, fast running hard turning horses. It's not always pretty, I'm not always perfectly in the middle, but I have learned to compensate pretty well. I have come close to falling off a couple of times, but it hasn't happened yet. My big weakness is forward--I have a tendency to tip over on my face, but it has gotten much better as time has gone on and rarely happens anymore.
So there is hope! Start small and build up, push yourself a little more and a little more. You will have to get out of your comfort zone to see real improvement, but you don't have to expect it to be fast. You had brain surgery, that's kind of a big deal just to survive that whole experience.  |
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Expert
Posts: 1314
Location: North Central Iowa Land of white frozen grass | Buy one of those big trampolines and that will help a lot. It will help you with balance and timing. |
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Regular
Posts: 51
Location: CA | I think riding bareback is the best thing for improving balance.
These exercises are also really great too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGaxScBVI5E
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Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana |
That's how I learned to ride... It was all about balance and reading the horse's body language and knowing which way it was going next. Sure, I hit the ground.... often.... Horses are inherently dangerous animals... We all understand that... Some people will learn from their mistakes and try again... Others will send an animal they can't control off the the slaughterhouse and buy a pony. or jump on the internet and brag about how they saved someone else's life by sending a horse off to slaughter.... Yeah.. Some horses are not made to be dominated... And some are looking for a leader.....
Some of the people here.... Simple humans.... Think they are Alphas.... (until they meet one)
Then it's HITLER!! OFF TO THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE!!! |
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  Fact Checker
Posts: 16575
Location: Displaced Iowegian | komet. - 2016-04-23 1:36 AM That's how I learned to ride... It was all about balance and reading the horse's body language and knowing which way it was going next. Sure, I hit the ground.... often.... Horses are inherently dangerous animals... We all understand that... Some people will learn from their mistakes and try again... Others will send an animal they can't control off the the slaughterhouse and buy a pony. or jump on the internet and brag about how they saved someone else's life by sending a horse off to slaughter.... Yeah.. Some horses are not made to be dominated... And some are looking for a leader..... Some of the people here.... Simple humans.... Think they are Alphas.... (until they meet one ) Then it's HITLER!! OFF TO THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE!!!
What does the OP's question about learning to ride have to do with sending horses off to slaughter??????
I do agree with the premise of riding bareback to work on balance. |
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 More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
Location: Riding Crackhead. | komet. - 2016-04-23 1:36 AM That's how I learned to ride... It was all about balance and reading the horse's body language and knowing which way it was going next. Sure, I hit the ground.... often.... Horses are inherently dangerous animals... We all understand that... Some people will learn from their mistakes and try again... Others will send an animal they can't control off the the slaughterhouse and buy a pony. or jump on the internet and brag about how they saved someone else's life by sending a horse off to slaughter.... Yeah.. Some horses are not made to be dominated... And some are looking for a leader..... Some of the people here.... Simple humans.... Think they are Alphas.... (until they meet one ) Then it's HITLER!! OFF TO THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE!!!
what the hell is wrong with you? |
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Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | No way would I ride my spook butts bareback.  |
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Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | NJJ - 2016-04-23 9:36 AM
komet. - 2016-04-23 1:36 AM That's how I learned to ride... It was all about balance and reading the horse's body language and knowing which way it was going next. Sure, I hit the ground.... often.... Horses are inherently dangerous animals... We all understand that... Some people will learn from their mistakes and try again... Others will send an animal they can't control off the the slaughterhouse and buy a pony. or jump on the internet and brag about how they saved someone else's life by sending a horse off to slaughter.... Yeah.. Some horses are not made to be dominated... And some are looking for a leader..... Some of the people here.... Simple humans.... Think they are Alphas.... (until they meet one ) Then it's HITLER!! OFF TO THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE!!!
I do agree with the premise of riding bareback to work on balance.
OOOhhhh!!! I used to have a teacher that told us... "Throw a stone into a pack of dogs.... The one that yelps is the one that got hit!" Is that the ONLY thing you got from my post? |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Ride your horse in your saddle to be safe, but dont use your stirrups, try to balance your self without stirrups in a trot and lope, this will help you to regain balance also. Good luck to you  |
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Fact Checker
Posts: 16575
Location: Displaced Iowegian | komet. - 2016-04-23 10:49 AM NJJ - 2016-04-23 9:36 AM komet. - 2016-04-23 1:36 AM ONE That's how I learned to ride... It was all about balance and reading the horse's body language and knowing which way it was going next. Sure, I hit the ground.... often.... Horses are inherently dangerous animals... We all understand that... Some people will learn from their mistakes and try again... TWO .... Others will send an animal they can't control off the the slaughterhouse and buy a pony. or jump on the internet and brag about how they saved someone else's life by sending a horse off to slaughter.... Yeah.. Some horses are not made to be dominated... And some are looking for a leader..... Some of the people here.... Simple humans.... Think they are Alphas.... (until they meet one ) Then it's HITLER!! OFF TO THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE!!!
I do agree with the premise of riding bareback to work on balance. OOOhhhh!!! I used to have a teacher that told us... "Throw a stone into a pack of dogs.... The one that yelps is the one that got hit!" Is that the ONLY thing you got from my post?
Apparently, you are not quite as smart as you think you are.....two issues addressed there.....so I "got" both.....IMO, you must suffer from "little man" syndrome...... |
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Expert
Posts: 1531
Location: Oklahoma | Yoga, a mini tramp in house to jog on; wear a helmet; do tons of trail riding w hills ; swimming ; go bareback in a roundpen w a helmet and practise stops, turns and gait changes - safer there than elsewhere.
It often takes a year or two to regain balance which is more of a brain/nerve thing but your muscles have memory so you can regain with work. It is important to have high dosage Vit C,( kills nerve pain, helps healing) and collagen works amazing if you can afford it. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 618
| Exercise YOU! Find a personal trainer or join a facility that offers a multitude of training classes and do them all. Yoga, cardio and weight training. Or, you can try buying DVD, like from beachbody or join an online gym. I've done a multitude of the BB workouts and can help you with one that might be good for your fitness level. I DONT SELL IT just know the programs work. I'm also a cert personal trainer. Conditioning and training yourself WILL help you physically and mentally. I admire your perseverance!!! |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| iloveequine40 - 2016-04-23 5:44 PM Exercise YOU! Find a personal trainer or join a facility that offers a multitude of training classes and do them all. Yoga, cardio and weight training. Or, you can try buying DVD, like from beachbody or join an online gym. I've done a multitude of the BB workouts and can help you with one that might be good for your fitness level. I DONT SELL IT just know the programs work. I'm also a cert personal trainer. Conditioning and training yourself WILL help you physically and mentally. I admire your perseverance!!!
Agree and also riding with out stirrups snd don't give up!! |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 489
| Totally agree with the yoga and personal fitness. Yoga really helped my strength, core and balance. I had to basically step away from riding for several years because of life getting in the way. My 44 year old butt stepped back on a colt and things are sure not the same anymore. I can't even imagine how things must have changed for you.
I've started taking lessons once a week at an English barn. Getting on a very consistent moving horse (and work on a lunge line) has really helped my balance and timing come back quicker. If I can drop my stirrups and ride the postage stamp, a barrel saddle is no problem. I think it is happening much quicker than if I tried to do it on my own. Not to mention that I'm learning more about how to get better collection from my horses from the English perspective.
Kuddos to you for trying. Good luck! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 725
| I would suggest this only if you have a safe, reliable horse to try it on.
http://www.barrelracingtips.com/bareback-balance-for-barrel-racers |
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Veteran
Posts: 285
| I don't know what your are going through, but God Bless You. I'm so happy to hear you are going well after all you've been through! I'm not an expert, but I think just going out and riding consistently will help. Over time your muscles will get stronger. I also recommend excerising. Hit the gym, do yoga to help strengthen those muscles. I should actually be doing it myself! Good luck to you! |
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 Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | Since you have ridden before it will be easier to get it back.. but your core needs strenghtened as well as balance .. id start baby steps.. just ride for fun.. wear helmut please !.. and then when your ready no stirrups and practice trot walk and lope.. when your off horse do exercises to improve your core.. because with that it will make you stay balanced ..Komet all your posts were a bit out of hand on this type situation.. im sure you meant no harm but maybe reread the posters issues.... glad your on the mend poster. |
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Expert
Posts: 1226
| Wow what a comeback story. Good for you. Maybe find a good trainer that can really give you confidence. And of course a quiet well minded horse |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 623
Location: /ARKANSAS | I was told to use a rocker board, it helped a lot and one of those big balls to balance sitting |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 623
Location: /ARKANSAS | I could not walk, I staggered and would fall if I tried to dodge anything, that was the scariest time. It took me five months to get back riding. |
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 A very grounded girl
Posts: 5052
Location: Moving soon..... | Just be patient. It will all come back to you. |
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 Bulls Eye
Posts: 6443
Location: Oklahoma | I second wearing a helmet. Also, stand on the edge of a step (preferably with a rail) on your toes and drop your heels. This will help with calf strength. Yoga for core strength. |
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 Sock eating dog owner
Posts: 4557
Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah | It will take about a year before you equilibrium come back to you. Try riding a bicycle to speed up the process.I took a blow from a hammer and still not quite right 10 years later. Now it's mind over matter. You can do this. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 499
Location: ARKANSAS | i can relate, in october of 2014 i simply picked up a hay bale and shattered a disk in my back..i had surgery Febueary 9th,2015, again on August 13,2015, and finally had a spinal fusion December 14, 2015..this time i was on a walker for 3 weeks and could barely get around. ALL this time there was no riding, 6 weeks after my last surgery my dr released me and told me i could go back to riding. i got my retired barrel horse out and started riding him, and WOW, i found i had no core strentgh, no balance, no muscle tone, no nothing...and this was just at a walk...it has now been 4 months since my surgery and i am riding my younger horse, and i am trotting him, but i have not loped him yet. i know it wont be long before i can lope him..its just gonna take time. It is a really LONG RECOVERY after being down as long as i was but i have the will and determination to get there..oh and i am 59 years old...
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 Brains Behind the Operation...
Posts: 4543
Location: Arizona | Everyone has already mentioned great exercises, just thought I would suggest finding a good vestibular therapist. My boyfriend suffered a fall down a flight of stairs to a concrete floor almost 2.5 years ago. He had no skull fracture or any other broken bones thank God, but was knocked out and has continued to have lingering effects from the concussion (balance issues, muscle weakness, migraines, nausea, dizziness, word recall, tinnitis, etc). We saw huge improvements when we found a vestibular therapist for him to work with. Might be something you've already done but thought I'd mention it anyway. Good for you for getting back in the saddle! |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | Good for y'all!!! The ones who posted who have overcome these obstacles and physical issues---I have nothing but respect and applause for y'all. I have a very high AK amputation on left leg, and it makes me feel like I'm never ever centered in the saddle. I have yet to take a horse at high speed (for me!!) in circles or tight turns, but I'm gonna get there!! Slow and steady is what I think it all boils down to. Again, kudos for having the guts and fortitude to say "I got this". . . . |
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Advice on learning to ride again..