Ridecamp: Re: [RC] there is no way that young and small a body can ride astride a horse that many hours without damage

> I'm well aware of the benefits of theraputic riding.  Theraputic
> riding is generally in a ring, and for short periods of time.  Not at
> all comparable to a fifty or 100 mile endurance ride.

I'm working with one little girl right now with cerebral palsy.  LIFE is a
stress for her.  The one time she is free is when she is on a horse.  She
rides for well over an hour, and begs to be left up there when we're done.
She struggles with everything else--on the horse, she no longer has to
struggle.

> Just ride for 8, 12, 18 hours at a time.

Again, Joe, the way these kids bounce off their horses and run off to play
other games, or saddle back up and ride some more as soon as their horses
have passed the final vet check, they sure don't appear to have stressed
themselves much at all.

> In short duration, no.  We're talking about ENDURANCE rides.

Yep.  And if kids don't ride tense (and very few do), they don't have the
musculoskeletal effects that we adults do.  The kids we're talking about
here aren't racing up front--they are moseying down the trail like the
majority of us, and I know I for one find that quite relaxing, unless I'm
just flat waaaay out of shape.

> The main concern is bones and joints, and they are stressed by far the
> most when a small rider is on a horse, with the legs spread wide and
> the calves unable to properly grip the saddle.

Aw, c'mon--there is NO comparison in riding to the stresses to bones and
joints that occur in running or in contact sports.  The stretching issue is
easily addressed by having the kids on horses that fit them, and narrow
twist saddles that fit them.

Heidi


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