by Kim Ousley
I presently have a beautiful purplish-blue bruise on my inner right thigh. I call it my well-earned war wound. I am proud that bruise because of where it came from: For the first time as an amputee, I got up on a horse and rode it.
It happened on a beautiful, rustic Arizona morning at Hanger Empowerfest, an annual event where amputees are challenged to attempt new recreational activities and sports. I picked horseback riding because I’ve never been an athlete. I prefer leisurely pursuits in general
Scared? Yes. But I was more excited than intimidated. I needed to push myself to attempt something new, something a bit more challenging. I needed to prove to myself I can attempt hard things, struggle to make progress, and come out feeling good about my accomplishments. Cancer tried to take me five separate times. It only took my lower left leg. I say that’s a good reason to push myself to find ways to enjoy life.
Hanger hosts Empowerfest each year to give people with limb loss or limb difference opportunities to stretch beyond what we think we can do. I’ve learned to be a bit of a feisty gal these past few years as an amputee woman in middle age. I am thankful that a nonprofit, Amputee Aid, was able to help fund my participation in this amazing trip. More than 200 amputees attended. We were all supported in our new adventures by prosthetists, volunteers from Camp No Limits, and other people.
The day before my horseback riding experience, all of us piled into buses and drove to a huge, state-of-the-art adaptive fitness center operated by Ability 360. As I said, I’ve never been an athlete. And, like many amputees, I sometimes get tired of mainly seeing muscular, athletic amputees on social media and in print.Even so, I was impressed with all the activities offered at Ability 360. People were playing adaptive pickleball, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, and other games. Others were engaged in solo endeavors like swimming, yoga, running, and adaptive climbing on a large climbing wall.
I was enchanted watching the wheelchair basketball game, and I spent a while watching people attempt to scale the climbing wall. If someone couldn’t climb, they could be raised up in a special lift to feel what it’s like to be up that high. I had the pleasure of seeing a bilateral amputee get into the pool and learn how to swim without legs. I could see the look of pride they had when they found out they could actually do it. Some of these people said later they wished they had tried these things earlier. Never say never. No matter how many times you fall and get back up.
Eventually I got into the pool myself. At home I work out at a local rehab pool, placing a special cover over my prosthesis so I can wear it in the water and exercise both legs. It helps me feel steadier and gives me the ability to move better, working both sides of my body. Water always resets my brain and body. I am able to have more energy working out in the pool.
I do miss riding a bike. That’s something I used to enjoy before limb loss. I didn’t get to try riding a bike at Empowerfest, but I hope that option will be available at next year’s event. Feeling the breeze on my face again as I fly by on a bike is something I’ve missed for 15 years. I hope to do again someday.
On Sunday I and several others headed out to the horseback riding location. It was a picturesque scene of endless desert, with mountains looming in the background and a few cactuses here and there. When we got to the corral, it felt both familiar and foreign. I was raised in a rural community around all kinds of farm animals, and I’ve loved horses ever since I was a little girl. But I hadn’t ridden one for more than 30 years.
I signed the waivers, got my helmet, and headed outside to the corral. When it was my turn, I climbed up a three-step riser next to the horse, and a couple of strong cowboys helped me swing my right leg over the saddle. Upright! The staff gave me a few pointers about what to do, and off I went. I made several trips around the fenced-in arena. I won’t say it was easy — there were literally some bumps and bruises, as my thigh shows. But I was smiling the whole time.
After my turn ended, I enjoyed seeing the smiles of other people — including some bilateral and quad amputees — as they mounted a horse and had the thrill of riding around the arena. It goes to show how important it is for all of us to challenge ourselves a little bit more every day. It doesn’t matter what level of disability you have, as one of the other riders said. It only matters that 75 percent of can’t is CAN. You won’t know if you can do it until you try. I dream of being an accessible travel writer and blogger. That means I need to have an open mind to try new things, see new places, and be vulnerable enough to share my struggles along with my triumphs.
When I get back home to the Midwest, I want to find an adaptive horseback riding arena near me and learn to ride again. And I’m already looking forward to next year’s Empowerfest. It will be in San Jose, CA. I’ve never traveled that far west, but I’m no longer anxious about stepping outside my familiar boundaries. I can’t wait to take another chance on trying something new.
Kim Ousley is a travel writer and Certified Lead Advocate for the state of Indiana. She blogs about travel at Out on a Limb.
