Para Power: Laura Gulliver, Part Five

Natalia claiming she couldn’t possibly work again after her mini holiday was fast recognised as a hoax when my physiotherapist Anna Johnson who was on a regular visit put her through her paces and found her to be 100% sound, even recording that she was impressed with the progress we had made with the mare over the last 15 months that she has been treating her.

So there was nothing for it but to kick on and ride through this difficult stage knowing that Natalia was just expressing that she knows best now that she turned into the big wise 7 yr old on 1st of January.

Actually as I write this things are getting back to normal and at one of our latest training sessions she was able to wear her Christmas present (smart matching bandages and saddle square).

As I have been out and about I have had lots of people asking about my reins so I thought I would share with you a little about them.

I have looped reins as shown in the picture that were recommended to me by Sophie Wells.

After I was diagnosed with RA I was having difficulty keeping hold of my reins and it was getting to the point where I would be half way through a dressage test and I would drop my reins completely. Then the only way of keeping hold of them to finish a test would be to wrap them round and round my hand (not really the best idea when it comes to safety!!)

My particular reins which I find suit me best were made by S. Milner and Son. I have two separate loops on each side of the reins. One I use to stretch and one for more collected work, I then can slip either single fingers through or hold them like you would traditional reins depending on how my joints are feeling. I have dispensation so I am able to use these in Para or able bodied competitions.

The other evening I enjoyed a lovely Chinese meal and couldn’t resist looking inside a fortune cookie, what do I find?

“Our greatest glory consists not in falling, but in rising every time we fall”

Amazing how true and relevant this motto is!!!!