Thursday 31 March 2011

2011

The year it changed.

Made a conscious decision to surround myself only with people who enhance my life.

No longer read blogs of people that drain positivity from me.

On the 19th Feb I did an NLP day and realised that whilst I may have a positive attitude I also need to accept that others have a different world view. That doing others down only does me down.


People are odd

People reveal themselves in so many ways; seriously is it 'normal' to sweep up in the stable block using someone else's broom (presumably so you don't get your own broom 'dirty') then sweep the detritus into someone else's stable.

Then on your last day empty the contents of your feed bin, not into the rubbish but over another person's possessions?

Nowt so odd as folk






Sports Injury Physio Treatment 3

So two weeks since last treatment, arm not feeling so good this morning (pooh picking last night?) and that coupled with high winds I skipped riding.

So arm not good but not as bad as it was prior to treatment and pain in neck left side and right side.

Facet joints in neck possibly source of pain, well since they were free'd off neck feels better.

Ribs 1,2,3 left side were stiff so they were mobilised and again I was rollkur'd

Treatment next week and John thinks that should be it, will need to do neural stretches for about the next three months.

So carry on pectoral stretches x6 and neural stretches x4

Tuesday 29 March 2011

29th March Schooling

What did I do (on both reins)?
Long rein
Pick up walk, add in halts.
Trot large and loose
SI long side, straighten canter large, trot at C
What went well?
Long rein work
Came out more forwards than yesterday.
What went less well?
SI long side, straighten canter large, trot at C
What were the problems?
Initial lack of softness
Holding in canter
How did we deal with the problems?
Trot -> walk -> trot for softness
Thinking of rhythm and imagery to help with holding in canter
Base of neck is it mobile?
How well did I ride?
Mixed bag felt my legs were better, canter not as good as yesterday but was determined to crack right canter and for him not to break and that we achieved.
What should I learn from this?
I can do stuff on my own, it may not be as good as when Clare is there but unless I do actually do it on my own it will never be as good as when Clare is there. It is all the small steps that will add up to the longer journey.

Monday 28 March 2011

Sunny Monday

Outline lesson schema (all work done on both reins)
Started off on long rein
Picked up walk did some halts, moved off into trot.
Trot large and incorporate some circles, send trot forwards on circle.
SI long side, straighten canter large, trot at C
Add in canter circles
canter down centre line -> halt
walk to canter
trot large & canter large
What went well?
Long rein work
SI long side, straighten canter large, trot at C
final trot large& final canter large
came out soft
What went less well?
Canter circles
Need to remember initial trot work is to loosen C up and is a chance for me to address position.
What were the problems?
Initial lack of forwards
Overriding canter transitions
Holding in canter
How did we deal with the problems?
Trot -> walk -> trot for softness & trot -> halt -> trot for forwards
Walk to canter to help with over riding transitions
Thinking of rhythm and imagery to help with holding in canter
Base of neck is it mobile?
How well did I ride?
Not my absolute best as legs flailing in desperation at canter. I know intellectually this doesn't work, yet it still gets trotted out as a possible solution. Softness was good right from the start, I did feel once I settled into lesson that my hands were better and right hand whilst still being a work in progress is progressing.

Lovely day

Had a good lesson of which more later, Carol came over to meet Chorrie and we turned him out walked back up the track hatching a plan, then went to see William and Rhia then off to the pub with Clare.

Had a lovely lunch with Clare and Carol then sat outside with Carol in the sunshine and made *that* phone call.

Fingers crossed it works out as if it does it'll make a goodly number of people happy.

Back to yard for boy wonder farrier, then quick rush home to dogs.

I so love having such good people in my life.

Sunday 27 March 2011

Just back from Ashen

Just back from a weekend at Ashen on the Rider Performance and Psychology course; mind blowing.

Would recommend anyone who seriously wants to be a better rider goes.

My head is spinning with all the information and the possibilities that lie ahead.

2011 is the year of change; game on

Friday 25 March 2011

Canter canter

Today's lesson was mostly canter.

Did some travers in walk he does like travers :-D also did travers on the diagonal aka half pass.

Interesting that canter on a circle my seat fails me but in a straight line I'm ok and yes it is me because Clare rode him Wednesday and she doesn't have this issue so definitely me :*) Not enough spare neurons to canter and circle!

When he engages behind he tends to look to the hand to support him, so try not fix the hand but keep it soft especially the right when it is inside hand. Shoulder in useful.

Exercise was forward trot short side pick up canter down long side forward trot short side counter canter down long side. Also when in true canter flexion both side.

Only use one leg at a time (me not him!!)

When he is forwards don't pull the bleeding reins!

Thursday 24 March 2011

Why I love my yard

The lovely school, all year round turn out, a sane knowledgeable and nice yard owner, nice liveries, the loo :-D, Julian putting the bucket out when he was doing cow work.

Good stuff

Wednesday 23 March 2011

Four years ago today 23rd March

I had my now beloved Chorrie vetted, rang the bank and transferred the money and his lovely now ex-owner J offered to pop him back for me.

J is fab especially if you consider that it is a six hour round trip.

Every year since then I've sent her a bouquet of flowers to say thank you because I can't believe how I lucked out back on the 17th March 2007 when I went to view a horse for sale.

I walked into a stable where a bay horse was eating from a hay net tied to the back wall, he turned around, looked at me and whickered. He had me at hello and that feeling has deepened over time.

I am so lucky he is beyond amazing.

I love you C Bun Happy 4th Anniversary

Mummy

xx

Monday 21 March 2011

Spring Lamb

So lesson at home today and had asked Clare to help me with the pole work suggested by my physio.

So went to get some poles out only to discover jump stands thrown all over poles GRRRRR so ended up having to take jump stands down to get at poles and then of course put them back tidily so poles at front. So if someone now wants to use a few poles they can without having to wrestle with jump stands and of course if you're using jump stands get the poles down first.

Simples

So put five poles out stomped (!) back and tacked up Chorrie.

Clare set poles out in circle and a single pole to halt over which improved the Just William attitude :-)

Walk over poles then trotted over poles then canter trans after poles on both reins.

Canter poles great fun the boy likes canter poles, then canter poles with two parallel poles and a pole on top to trot over did that right rein then changed to left rein and he did a massive WTF went to trot veered left realised he was going to hit pole on ground so did Spring Lamb leap, I lost a stirrup and totally forgot to grab the grab strap but did remember pull up in straight line.

Really chuffed I didn't lose the plot and carried on

Go me!

Sunday 20 March 2011

Lesson at New Yatt

So Clare Goldie lesson at New Yatt I am .starting to notice of late that my lesson recall is getting worse and much larger granularity. I am hoping this is a good sign; anyway given I can recall what I had for breakfast it is not faulty memory (Katharine!)

Started off as always in walk adding in halts, then onto walk piris and a happy pony. By this time we had an audience and C was certainly playing to the gallery and strutting his stuff.

I find him so much easier away from home in a lesson, OK my half pass leaves a LOT to be desired but it is a work in progress, at the end he was powering from the back end.

Turns out I was riding round blissfully unaware Clare was asking me 'How does that feel' I ignored her several time until I finally became aware of my surroundings.

Interesting I have no canter problems away from home, which just goes to show I can do it, just need to believe I can.




Video Feedback - Catheine

Hi Alexis,

I would experiment "within" your own body. To soften your own spine and sit with
Feel, more smoothness, when landing deeply, taking time, without "hitting" down
on his back.

Try this as a start, and feel and focus on how the horse responds of this little
change (albeit an important one), feel how he uses his back to join in with
yours. He may slow right down, even walk, but do not kick him forward, just
gently ask for a soft trot again. etc. That would be my first stage, allowing
this feel of this more supple back of yours to spread throughout your whole
body, to the lower legs and hands, but this is a later stage.

First I would be careful of being more aware of the "back of your body" to allow
the horse's energy to pass through you, never mind if things are untidy for now.

When making a change, I would wait for some time for the horse to respond.

He may not respond immediately, as he is "used" to move with the "old" you and
may have to think a bit of what is going on. :)

In short, smooth yourself and do much less if you can. Let the horse do the
movement and focus on going with him, for the moment, till you get your "inner
feel" more relaxed and more established.

Catherine

Saturday 19 March 2011

London 19th March 2011

  • Went to town today and saw after a rather nice lunch in Bistro 1 and too large a glass of wine - felt so sleepy
  • :-)

  • Michael Landy: Art World Portraits NPG 19th March 2011 - didn't enjoy
  • Hoppé Portraits: Society, Studio and Street NPG 19th March 2011 - good
  • Ida Kar NPG 19th March 2011 - good
  • Jan Gossaert's Renaissance National Gallery 19th March 2011 - brilliant

Bangs head

So apparently my video shows:-

On the other hand I am a Dressage Judge and so I am used to assessing a horse in
5mins but I do have the benefit of seeing the horse directly in front of me.I
did see some irregularities in the horses paces and also the pelvis of the horse
did drop on one side more then the other. The horses paces were very earthbound,
the impulsion from the hindquarters was poor, the horse was not working over his
back and he was on the forehand. However the rider showed that she had an
understanding of arena craft and from what I could see the horse did appear to
be accepting the contact. The level the horse is competing at may be slightly
different to the levels down under but I would say that he would be competing at
Preliminary level.

At Preliminary level in Australia the National Equestrian Federation states that
purpose of a Preliminary level test is to confirm that the horse's muscles are
supple and loose and that it moves freely forward in a clear and steady rhythm,
accepting contact with the bit.

In the working trot I would expect to see good hock action with the hock lifted
clearly up and forward, unfortunately on the video I did not see this.

Friday 18 March 2011

Nicky Desailly - Visit 5 - 18th March

Bit tight behind poll both sides, right more than left (ties into my bad arm?) tight left gluteals, so as usual on a diagonal.

Great to trot up clearly a happy jolly boy (!)

Small circle on hard moving well

Recommendation

4 to 5 trot poles fanned out on a circle
Hamstring stretches
Carrot stretches

Thursday 17 March 2011

Sports Injury Physio Treatment 2

So second treatment and things are looking much better, so much better in fact I can go back in two weeks.

Not had the persistent numb heavy arm the whole week, occasional heaviness usually towards end of working day but doesn't persist overnight.

C4 ok, C3 a bit 'tight', sternoclavicular joint much better, right shoulder girdle better.

Apparently my right shoulder girdle being pulled forward will put my pelvis out on the left hand side. John thinks Chorrie will notice a positive difference once I'm sorted :-)

Carry on with neural stretches 15 reps four times daily, now add in pectoral stretches six times daily.

Video Feedback

From Heather Moffett of Enlightened Equitation about


Alexis,

My wretched broadband is crap at the best of times but has been partivcularly
erratic tonight. Have only so far managed to download a few secs, but you are
behind the movement in rising trot, and looks like you may be slightly crooked.
You need to allow your upper body to incline more forwards from the hip in
rising trot ( only time this should be the case)-you are too upright- in order
that the pelvis can move forwards and back on an equal arc'.

Will try to download more tomorrow.

Heather

Ok have now seen the rest of the video, but it is so distant that I can only go
by the few fleeting seconds that you are closer to camera!

Definitely behind the movement in rising trot. As I said in the earlier post, I
would ask you to incline your upper body slightly forwards from the hip as you
rise, but even more especially in the sit phase. If the horse has big movement,
the impetus of the stride will bring your torso upright in the rise phase, but
it should be the horse's movement that determines this, not you. The whole point
of rising trot is to relieve the horse's back of weight and to make trot less
tiring for the rider. If you are having to thrust your pelvis in order to keep
your body upright throughout the phase of the stride, you will be using a lot of
unnecessary energy, and also if you are not quite in sync, causing the horse to
slow down. This will then cause you to have to use more leg, which you are
having to do by the look of it.

The use of the leg is too obvious, and slightly backwards kicking in movement. I
would correct this by asking you to think of lowering your little toe, and in
doing so, closing your calf muscle momentarily and then releasing again. In this
way, you retrain your legs to use the inside of the calf in a very subtle way
which is not even visible to the onlooker.

Your horse's walk is in danger of being two time, in fact is, in a few strides.
Which test was this, and which walk was this meant to be?

In canter, partly because the horse is on his forehand, you are not able to
adhere softly to the saddle, so your butt is slightly leaving it and slapping a
bit heavily on landing. This will not help the horse to lift his back and will
add to his being on the forehand- a bit of a vicious circle really.

If you refer to the clip I posted earlier in this thread of me working with the
simulators, have a look at the canter one, which shows and describes the
'backwards circle' made by the pelvis, pivotting on the seatbones, which is the
correct absorption/synchronisation of the movement with the horse, in canter.
Actually it is more of an ellipse than a circle, but a student said to me a few
months ago, 'Is it a vertical ellipse, or a horizontal one?. Wow, I hadnt even
thought of that! The more collected the canter, the more vertical the ellipse,
the more extended, the more horizontal the ellipse. Fascinating yet so simple!

So if we could get you absorbing your horse's movement more correctly and more
softly, he would be encouraged to lift his back and forehand and make it more
comfortable for you too- win, win situation! I would do this in the same way as
I suggested in an earlier post, lots of transitions, preferably walk to canter
if your horse does it, and maybe 8-10 strides, back to walk, or trot if the
canter walk is not yet established. Walk again, back to canter, and so on. I
would be doing a fair bit of rein back to trot too, to get him more up off his
shoulders. This would then help the canter.

Be VERY careful NOT to tip forwards on the first beat of canter- this is so
common, and sets up a sort of pendulum swing of the shoulders for the rest of
the canter which is hard to correct. The lower back has to flex as part of the
backwards ellipse of the pelvis. This shortens and lengthens the spine by the
same amount that the horses back is rising and falling, and allows total soft
adhesion to the saddle with the shoulders staying very quiet and almost still.
Hope this helps!!

Heather

Definitely behind the movement in rising trot. As I said in the earlier post,
I would ask you to incline your upper body slightly forwards from the hip as you
rise, but even more especially in the sit phase.

Sorry, meant to elaborate on this. By coming back to the saddle with pelvis
slightly inclined forwards, you are ready to receive the forewards and upwards
push of the horse, rather than having to make this or contribute to it, at
least, yourself. If I ride the simulator and get the student to place their hand
under the back of the saddle, and rise to the trot returning to the saddle
pelvis upright, the hand is squashed. If I try to return to the saddle upright
by strongly controlling my descent, I end up behind the movement and the maching
starts to go out of sync, and I then have to thrust the pelvis forwards and back
to catch it up again.

If however, I land with my pelvis slightly in advance of the vertical, the
student barely even feels me touching down in the saddle, the momentum takes my
pelvis forwards again and I have to do almost nothing. This is the whole point
of rising trot, to make it less effort for both horse and rider. I have so often
transformed a 'lazy' horse in trot, simply by getting the rider to incline
slightly more from the hip- horse just says 'thank you very much, now I can
move' and the trot transforms.

I expect I will have a lot of disagreement over this from other experts, but all
I know is, it works for every rider I teach. One of the first things I noticed
in Anja Beran's book was that she taught RT exactly as I do.

Heather



Wednesday 16 March 2011

Glutton for punishment

So having had a think skin moment over some comments posted about


on a uk-based mailing list with a very few active members that I've known on-line for years, I've now asked on a USA based list for someone who can correct faults rapidly (Heather Moffett) what she'd do with me.

Can't decide if I'm mad or what? I know Heather will be kind am just wondering who else might weigh in with their views ...

In for a penny in for a pound

How do I love thee

let me count the ways

Fred - I love you because you're cheeky and nudge me when I'm tack cleaning outside your stable and you think you're being ignored. I love that you come over to me in the field for a cuddle when I turn Chorrie out, but most of all I love you for being there when I lost Skunk and giving me someone to carry on going to the yard for; without you I'd have given up for good.

Chorrie - I love that you chunter at me, I love that you turn your head to watch me walk down to you in the morning, seeing your face over the door makes my heart soar. I love your kindness and I love that you taught me it is possible to love again after great heartache and loss.

My two bay boys I love you

xx

Tuesday 15 March 2011

So Proud- his name in lights

Chorrie has his name in the WORC newsletter for coming third on the 27th Feb at Worton Park in each of his classes :-)

Videos are here


Monday 14 March 2011

Bounce that bottom

So lesson on Friday rode on my own Saturday sans spurs, worked on quick transitions and canter transitions using outside leg. Transitions were quicker and better :-) canter still something of a work in progress. Sunday went visiting LM back to yard for late lunch, mucked out pooh picked, cleaned trough, cleaned bridle then my visitor arrived :-D Put the world to rights over a cup of tea.

So onto my lesson (am struggling to recall it accurately :-( ) started off with walk on a long rein trust him, then pick him up add in some halts, which today was rather Just William ish. Chorrie is easily bored, yes I know that is anthropomorphic but he cheers up when you add in walk pirouettes so go figure.

Onto trot, ignore head, add in some trot walk trot transitions (these are better and quicker than they were on Friday woo hoo! )

If he does the hard Paddington Bear stare then bend him, but let it go and turn the page.

"Adjust him and trust him"

Onto canter right, go forwards seat, use voice, outside leg only, can you change the bend?

Onto left rein, collect trot watch use of hand stop collecting and let him power you forwards. had two 'moments' one where he was really bouncing under me, and one where he really came out into a good trot.

Canter of left rein also improved (brain fade cannot remember my points to note)

Biggest point to note was when he is taking me forwards in trot and I feel it is 'too much' then throttling him back inside rein sends the wrong that is mixed message about forwards. Outside hand to half halt - yes of course I know that but I need to own it, or do shoulder in or circle but under no account pull inside rein.

Good lesson :-D





Friday 11 March 2011

Walking on Sunshine

Well first bit of good news is I had my physio yesterday and it feels so GOOD to have gone to work and not be in pain :-)

So lesson with Clare, had agreed in advance that today would be about forwards.

Warmed up and I cannot currently recall what we did in the first part of the lesson :-(

Second part was on sharpening up my reactions so lots of quick transitions, then Clare calling left, right or trot to define which canter lead to select from walk or if I should trot.

Some very interesting learning:-
  • I am unaware of my left leg flapping away, when I think it is still it is active. If I look at it I can get control of it.
  • On left rein, struggle to canter right lead. Can do it from a forward seat, need to think about sitting an weighting down my legs. Toes up.
  • I like an age to prepare, but what exactly am I doing? This is a habit. I will learn new behaviours.
Homework
  • Left leg
  • Quick transitions
  • Toes up
  • Watch the right rein






Tuesday 8 March 2011

Duck :-(

Millie's calcium levels are up now 3.3 at their highest they were 3.6, previously had got down to 2.4 which was high end of normal.

T4 is ok at 20.

So up the Gabapentin to 1/5 capsule twice daily if no effect by Sunday dose, then increase the prednisolone to alternate 1 tablet / 1/2 tablet PM until Friday 18th then ring Amanda and update.

Crap, rock and hard place.

Amanda concerned increasing pred increases risk of diabetes but we need to control the calcium so will cross diabetes *if* *if* she gets it. She may not get diabetes but I do know she needs to feel better than she does.

Monday 7 March 2011

Sparkly Tail and Sunshine

Slight comedy moment I am about to get on just as Clare arrives, I greet Clare and Chorrie turns around to say hello too with me dangling in space :-), gracefully drop to ground, represent pony to mounting block and draw a veil over that.

To celebrate the sunshine I sprayed Chorrie's tail with gold hairspray to make it sparkle in the sun, yes I am intelligent, yes I am a professional woman but also have an inner pink sparkly four year old that I now allow out occasionally. All kind of odd as ten years ago I'd not have been seen dead in pink etc.

Today's lesson was about forwards, how to get and remain connected.

After warming up collect the trot from the seat, so with light hands, and then allow forwards so you get a push from behind, so have to co ordinate the push from behind into an allowing hand, and not let it all flop out the front or restrict with the hand.

Thought the trot was pretty successful in canter much more of a work in progress as to be expected given where I am with canter at the moment.

Homework

Poles canter over poles, varying number of strides.
Forward seat to upright seat maintaining stride length.


Change - the only simple change is one you ride on a horse!

Was pondering the nature of change this morning and how you really need a motivator or driver to change.

For months I have been saying I will waste/spend less time on Saddle Up and do I no! Why not? Well because the cost of not changing isn't punitive enough or the benefit of changing isn't great enough.

Today I was riding and Clare asked me to collect the canter and lighten the right hand, I had to fess up I didn't want to, clearly Clare isn't going to make me' but I also reasoned that unless I can collect the canter and lighten the right hand then my goal of Elementary in June is a dead duck. So I rode it and did it and for why? Well because the benefit of changing was great enough.

Pretty much the same with a lot of changes I've made recently.

The above has given me insight into why I didn't make what appeared to be blindingly obvious necessary changes, there wasn't enough benefit to changing and the punitive cost of not changing wasn't high enough. Once one of those became true I made the change.



Sunday 6 March 2011

Isis Sunday 6th March 2011 P19

Woke up feeling yukky again, really didn't feel like bothering going but if I do want to ride Elementary come June I need to get my ass out to as many competitions as possible.

Tried some tea and toast to see if that helped, Tony wonders if I should see our GP but what can I tell him? I sometimes feel a bit nauseous in the morning and occasionally get an upset stomach. Entirely possible the feeling yukky was nerves who knows? Of course the other problem is on a non competition day I'd not eat until after I'd done the ponies but given how long the day will be I simply can't do that

Anyway went to yard as not leaving until late so can make go/no go decision later.

Come 10:00 was improving but also starting to suffer from can't be assed - itis all the prep for five minutes. As Tony said it will always be that way so either embrace it or don't compete.

Anyway decided to go and resisted adding gold sparkle to Chorrie's tail.

Arrived and managed to park next to someone I know from a horse forum so small world, not that I'm very chatty pre competing as Tony would say the only times I'm quiet are when I'm about to compete and when I'm asleep!

Got boy tacked up and tried to decide on white or navy gloves, really must get gloves that match my breeches and get a stock to match or embrace white and buy white breeches. How do some things from your early days stay with you so much? I get vaguely irritated if my stock/breeches/saddle cloth/gloves don't match and always wear a hair net but never notice what others are wearing and anyway as if it matters one jot!

So OK time to get a cream set together and a white set together there decision made!

So warmed up indoors and stuck to my plan so tick in the box, slightly wide eyed at people walking on the outer track but just avoided them as couldn't be assed to shout 'track please' as warm up quiet. Clearly they've not ridden over at Sue's where she screams at anyone not obeying basic rules.

Warmed up with Maggie B again never got time to chat as once she'd finished she was off to pick up second horse.

Warm up more structured and I stayed connected better so another tick.

So went into outdoors had to wait for a tractor pulling a low loader with a digger (?) on to go past and Debby Carpenter (List 6) rang the bell up centre line turn right 15m circle at R, change rein B -K and it just felt like no petrol in tank.

On plus side I stayed connected but the test was desperately lacking in forwards and 'zip'.

Cantered early right rein but stayed with it as too close to centre line to correct (see that's good that I can make that judgement call whilst riding a test)

Score was fair at 60.9% but I know we can do better and have done better.

So need to review with Clare and get some feedback on what to do differently next time out.

Also want to start working on having him off the leg and being connected as opposed to bunny in headlights.

Talking of bunnies baby bunny ran out in front of car and couldn't avoid him :-(

Friday 4 March 2011

Alopecia

Took Millie to Oxford Cat Clinic for Amanda to do thyroid and hypercalcemia check up and look at her bald tummy.

One cross Millie Moo didn't mind tummy being looked at but got totally narked at being palpated. So she doesn't seem to have any pain anywhere but she could be concealing it from us, or is she narky because she hurts?

Doing a pain trial and have put her on on opiate pain killer to see if any difference and two days in no difference observed still as narky as ever.

Riding in the sunshine

This morning did not start well had to rush to the loo and not sure which end to point first :-( then had a bit of a miscommunication down the yard. I was trying to be supportive but failing to deliver that message :-(

By now the sun had come out and I'd removed the obligatory pony mud pack and dragged Chorrie blinking into the sun.

Got on and started warming up and Clare arrived, got chatting about last Sunday and this coming Sunday.

My goals for Sunday are to do my warm up plan, so need to be on board in time, and to ride with connection. The only opinion that matters on Sunday is Chorrie's.

Talked about not riding at marker but towards and past marker.

Worked on improving my seat in canter, Clare had a brief sit on and said he is getting lighter in the rein :-), to overcome the tendency I have to collect him. Experimented with what I needed to do to achieve working canter.

The current feel for me is to have the chest open and up and to feel slightly sat back and that improves the canter :-)

Excellent lesson and in the sunshine

Thursday 3 March 2011

Sports Injury Physio

So visited JoCl a sports injury specialist who I've not seen since 2007 for my carpal tunnel.

So basically I have in my right arm radial nerve issues, cervical spine stiffness on RHS, my right Sternoclavicular joint and my right Acromioclavicular are not happy bunnies. My shoulder girdle right is pulled forward, he was surprised I was still riding carrying these problems and told me I'd joined the mad club of women who continue to ride despite injury.

So he can fix me in he thinks 5 or 6 sessions provided I do the exercises religiously, he did say I should consider stopping riding but that he knew I wouldn't so he knew he was wasting his breath.

He did say if I continue riding the problems will recur and they'll get worse as I age. Once I'm 'sorted' I'll speak to him about maintenance treatments.

So what have I learnt if he fixes me like he did in 2007 then stick with him no matter what.

JaCa certainly helped the symptoms ease in Jan 2010 but the arm issue never fully resolved. I used JaCa because JoCl was fully booked but as much as I don't enjoy his treatment he is good at this type of issue if my experience in 2007 was anything to go by.

Interestingly he thinks the neurologist I saw was wrong about the issue being carpal tunnel referred up to the neck. I've always argued it is my neck that causes my carpal tunnel as my nerve conduction tests are good and haven't changed over a ten year period.

Didn't get treated today as the neural testing causes soreness so will see him next Thursday.

Fingers crossed he is right and as effective as he was in 2007 :-)