L
30 / Sport and Trail Magazine
ast year, I decided to breakout of my comfort zone and attend an IMTCA schooling challenge at Bolender Horse Park. I had been contemplating adding IMTCA into
takes
our training repertoire and when the opportunity arose, I took it. With my trail pony buckled in, we hit the road. Of course, I had no idea it was best to arrive the night before or that I would be stuck in traffic, or that there is a course walk through at 8 AM before the challenge. We did everything wrong. We got there as the classes started. I quickly unloaded my 4-year-old horse, threw a saddle on and got lost in our first class. I was Not surprised. Seeing the course for the first time at an actual challenge can do that to you. Despite all that, it was a blast. Rio was willing and notwithstanding my stupid mistakes and getting lost on course, people treated us kindly and supported us. I know we looked like the clueless wonders we were, but all in all, it was worth every penny and now I have a great story! Mark sat down next to us a lunch that day and in casual conversation said that when coming to an event you should know the rules before you go... oops. It made me giggle. Probably not the response he was looking for, but I owned it.
Oh, and did I mention, Rio is blind?
-Lynda Allen
The day I met Rio will be forever imprinted in my mind as a moment that changed my life. I had no idea at the time how far he would come, or how far we would come together. All I knew was that he was an animal that needed help and my heart went out to him.
As an Animal Massage Therapist, I have had to ask myself, “What does rehabilitation truly mean?” Is it behavioral, structural, spiritual, or a little bit of everything? The day I met Rio, he was in a small pen lying on his side. He was underweight, rose grey from lack of nutrition and his feet were a mess. Most significantly, there was no spark of life in his eyes. He wasn’t my first rehab and will not be my last. He has though, taught me more than any other horse.
Rio is blind. In one eye he has enough vision to see shadows but in the other eye, he sees nothing at all. He wasn’t born blind, but rather blinded by a cruel hand.
Having been pulled from a kill pen in a low-income area where kindness had not been granted to him, I could relate. When we met, I was in pain as well. I had been in a terrible riding accident. I suffered from physical injuries and endured months of rehabilitation after neck surgery. What devastated me even more was that I discovered that I had lost my confidence in my own riding and handling skills.
Rehab for Rio and me, even if I didn’t know it at the time, began in small increments. We had to work on building trust in ways that others would consider unconventional. I am not a professional trainer and I would never claim to be but something inside of me was compelling me to work with Rio. I knew in my heart that I had to give it a try.
Initially, we worked 2-3 days a week for ten or fifteen minutes at a time. I started with using a massage technique called passive touch. Gently, I would lay one hand on him but when I tried to lay both hands on him he would become frightened and retreat. I understood his fear and reminded myself to be patient and start at the beginning.
Sometimes in the healing process there is an “ah-ha” moment. The moment when you suddenly know that everything is going to be okay. One day, Rio decided that he wanted to play with his stall neighbor. This was a huge step for an unconfident horse who was used to being picked on. They ran around together kicking up their heels for fifteen minutes. I thought, perhaps if Rio and I can do liberty together, that would be fine with me. I never dreamed that he would one day be a horse that I could safely ride.
Rio gave me the strength that I needed to overcome my insecurities, and I gave him patience and helped him find his confidence. We were meant to be together. He taught me that what is broken can be mended. He gave me continued passion for rehab and healing animals. He is my solace, my partner in crime, and my miracle.
I love trail riding, working through obstacles with my horse and just having fun. Despite Rio’s blindness, he is willing and interested when we are working together. I realized that he had to have something to do. He may be a blind horse, but he is still a horse.
We began our trail journey in the arena, starting with poles and in-hand work. Lunging was a challenge for him, especially on his completely blind side. With mutual trust, we slowly worked through it. We began to try simple trail obstacles. He loved the challenge of figuring them out! I decided to see how he would feel being ponied out on the trail, and again, he thrived from the challenge.
After two years of ground work, in-hand work, and ponying him through new environments, I decided to try what I once thought wasn’t ever going to be an option. I decided to ride Rio. Last spring, I sent him off to a trusted friend and trainer, Donald Weeks. I had been working exclusively with him for two years at that point and we had a wonderful bond, but it was time for Rio to learn that other people were kind and could be trusted as well. While he was in training, I had some work of my own to do. I had to regain my confidence as a rider and deal with the anxiety that I’d been facing ever since my horse accident a year before where I damaged several discs in my neck and shattered my shoulder.
I have developed a deep love for IMTCA. It’s all-inclusive. All disciplines and horses are welcome, even the broken and the lame can join in, even if not under saddle. Just because the body is broken doesn’t mean that the mind is. Horses thrive on “working,” or having something to do, something to challenge them if not physically, then mentally. Rio and I began our journey with IMTCA, and every day, he amazes me with what he can do. Without sight, he relies on me to guide him through the challenges, and together, we figure it out! When people watch us work together, they often don’t even realize that he is blind.
I truly believe that owning and working with horses is a privilege, and for those of us who are blessed with these four-legged angels should do all that we can to raise each other up. I have never found a more positive horse environment than what Mark and Lee Bolander have created with the IMTCA. I feel blessed to have them as coaches through this journey that am taking with Rio, and I invite you to give it a try with your horse. Our journey together continues!
BLIND AND CRUSHING IT
An IMTCA Story
The day I met Rio will be forever imprinted in my mind as a moment that changed my life. I had no idea at the time how far he would come, or how far we would come together. All I knew was that he was an animal that needed help and my heart went out to him.
As an Animal Massage Therapist, I have had to ask myself, “What does rehabilitation truly mean?” Is it behavioral, structural, spiritual, or a little bit of everything? The day I met Rio, he was in a small pen lying on his side. He was underweight, rose grey from lack of nutrition and his feet were a mess. Most significantly, there was no spark of life in his eyes. He wasn’t my first rehab and will not be my last. He has though, taught me more than any other horse.
Rio is blind. In one eye he has enough vision to see shadows but in the other eye, he sees nothing at all. He wasn’t born blind, but rather blinded by a cruel hand.
Having been pulled from a kill pen in a low-income area where kindness had not been granted to him, I could relate. When we met, I was in pain as well. I had been in a terrible riding accident. I suffered from physical injuries and endured months of rehabilitation after neck surgery. What devastated me even more was that I discovered that I had lost my confidence in my own riding and handling skills.
Rehab for Rio and me, even if I didn’t know it at the time, began in small increments. We had to work on building trust in ways that others would consider unconventional. I am not a professional trainer and I would never claim to be but something inside of me was compelling me to work with Rio. I knew in my heart that I had to give it a try.
Initially, we worked 2-3 days a week for ten or fifteen minutes at a time. I started with using a massage technique called passive touch. Gently, I would lay one hand on him but when I tried to lay both hands on him he would become frightened and retreat. I understood his fear and reminded myself to be patient and start at the beginning.
Sometimes in the healing process there is an “ah-ha” moment. The moment when you suddenly know that everything is going to be okay. One day, Rio decided that he wanted to play with his stall neighbor. This was a huge step for an unconfident horse who was used to being picked on. They ran around together kicking up their heels for fifteen minutes. I thought, perhaps if Rio and I can do liberty together, that would be fine with me. I never dreamed that he would one day be a horse that I could safely ride.
Rio gave me the strength that I needed to overcome my insecurities, and I gave him patience and helped him find his confidence. We were meant to be together. He taught me that what is broken can be mended. He gave me continued passion for rehab and healing animals. He is my solace, my partner in crime, and my miracle.
I love trail riding, working through obstacles with my horse and just having fun. Despite Rio’s blindness, he is willing and interested when we are working together. I realized that he had to have something to do. He may be a blind horse, but he is still a horse.
We began our trail journey in the arena, starting with poles and in-hand work. Lunging was a challenge for him, especially on his completely blind side. With mutual trust, we slowly worked through it.