A spinal injury has not slowed down a 25-year-old dressage champion, at least not much. According to a doctor, the young woman broke her spine in a tragic riding accident at the age of 20.
The young woman fell off of a friend’s horse when the horse suddenly reared, and then was further injured when the horse fell on top of her. Since the accident, the young woman from Inverness has worked her way back up to being a top competitor at Scotland’s Para Dressage Team. She has also competed in competitions for non-disabled riders with her horse, Murphy.
The Inverness woman knew she had been severely hurt as soon she landed. She began riding at the age of four, and literally grew up in the saddle, states a New York Spinal Injury Lawyer. She spent a month in physiotherapy at the Queen Elizabeth Spinal Injuries Unit in Glasgow. At the hospital she learned how to sit up by herself, and once she did so she was determined to ride again. Therapy like this are common at hospitals in Queens and Staten Island.
After giving her spine a year to heal, she began training on her beloved horse again. Although she’s unable to give the normal leg commands, she is able to issue voice commands, and she and Murphy can now canter, trot and even jump.
Five years after the spinal injury, the 25-year-old can now straighten both her legs and is beginning to have some hip movement. She encourages riding horses for physiotherapy.
A spinal injury can be a debilitating incident, resulting in costly care and therapy. If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal injury, let a New York Spinal Injury Attorney help you fight to get the help you need to be the healthiest you can be.