Per friend Apryl Ballard, “Every day you start out with a bag of M & M’s. When you run out of M & M’s, that is the end of your activity for the day. You gracefully withdraw from activity and rest up for the start of another M & M day.” I had a full M&M day just recently, plus I borrowed some. Thanks Apryl for the learning!
I’ve become the “poster child for Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atrial_fibrillationA-fib.
I just got my new blood thinner for A-fib the day before this story.
Two months of horrid heat and humidity, the first day of Fall finally turned cool enough to ride Fancy
For some odd reason, she runs to pasture when it’s apparent I want to ride her. Haha. It’s wonderful I have all this horsemanship experience.
Tricked her into stall and took off for Erin’s old place.
M& M’s (Energy) used getting mounting block from truck to arena.
Saddled Fancy, using more M & M’s
Fancy and I walked around the arena both ways to check it out. We haven’t been here nearly all summer. The arena now have a flag system (for pretend cows)installed in the barn. I’ve not yet asked to use it.
Parelli L4 Liberty test calls for horse to walk with her head even with your body and switch sides. We practiced her staying with me stopping. I remember my body cues and exhale for stop. Make my body language core tighten up for the signal to walk forward with me.
I asked Fancy to circle at trot and then canter.
My heart started beating out of rhythm. I’m one day one of blood thinner. I now know I’m not going to die, thanks to home town Dr. Davis’ consulting. Fancy is ready to ride.
I bridled her sitting on the mounting block using her new bit and new bridle. Hmmmm. I put the new bit backwards on the new bridle. Fancy and I walk out to trailer to get old bridle (more M & M’s used). Oh heck, let’s go into outdoor arena to see if she is ridable. I might need to borrow some M & M’s!
Fancy and I returned to indoor arena to bridle. Again, I set on mounting block to bridle her. That is a fun exercise.
I’m up on the mounting block preparing to get on. I lifted myself up on one leg to mount. Whoops! Stirrup are set for longer legs than mine! Get Off. I got warm misty sweat doing fender adjustments. Drat! I dropped the fastener into the dirt. Next, the stirrup plunged into the dirt. Everything picked up, adjustment underway. I’ve forgotten where my stirrup length is set, so I guess.
Whew! I just wanna get on and rest the Heart. I’m in the saddle! Now my knees are level with my belly button. Clearly I forgot my fender settings. Saddle is ridable, but feels weird.
Now the heaven place and we ride. We practice transitions except for canter. Her fox trot is too fast. We ride smaller circles to try for slower. Minimally works. We leave indoor arena and ride up and down gravel driveway. That is enough. Reward Fancy, not torture her.
Back inside arena and I dismount. Sit on mounting block again to take off bridle. Success. I get up to look for halter and Fancy walks away. This is against the rules. Stay with the leader. Fancy’s rule is explore the arena to the far end.
We have a Liberty “come to Jesus” session. Her tail sticks out which is sign of “I’m upset now”. She tries to come to me and rears when I tell her to keep running. She is so fun. Gradually, her tail relaxes. I give her signal to come to me and she does. I put her halter on and we walk as one to the trailer.
Get the saddle off. I sit down inside the tack room and turn off my GPS tracker apps. We keep track of miles ridden or walked for the Virtual Tevis Race. Later, I learn Fancy and I have ridden 21 miles total.
On the way home, I look at gas gauge in the empty mark. Oh, we barely made it home from Ava the last time I was in the truck. Scream.
I know tricks to stop the A-fib. One of them is to make your body feel like it’s pooping. Put pressure in your chest, hold your breath, cough. I did all that while driving and suddenly got a dizzy spell. It felt like I would faint while driving. I recovered and just breathed in with my nose and out via mouth…another trick failed.
Of course now it was past 4:30 and that is our red letter time for the evening meal. I changed shirts at least.
The Wine Stop is on the other side of the tracks. Usually there is a slow very long freight train blocking the crossing. Turned the corner to the tracks and saw the RR gates closing. Hmmmm. No sound
As I was sneaking around the crossing gates, a huge toot from a train was about a half mile or block away and it was going really fast. OMG! It was an Amtrack. Nathan, your mother almost got run over by a damn ole train.
That ends the new hit Country song story!
Note: I just got done riding horse today. No A-fib today! Also I have cardiologist appt next Wednesday! Wowowo!