Discussion Board

I see your point. Do you have Jeff's Fast Food DVD? Sounds like you're now cooking that way mostly anyway. What I like about those "recipes" (in addition to their ease and cheapness!) is that they taste good but not AMAZING. I eat them happily until I'm full and then I stop. Even something as apparently minor as my nutritional yeast "tomato cream" sauce makes the meal WAAAAY too good, LOL. And then I eat more than I meant to and find myself overfull.

Just wanted to post a pic of me riding my mare, Destiny.

By the time my thoroughbred, Peregrine died tragically and suddenly from melanoma in 2008, I was already pretty fat (175 or so) and feeling uncomfortable riding. When Per died, I just stopped riding. Destiny didn't really mind--I got her a new companion (Maggie the Haflinger pony) and they lived the life of Riley. And I kept on gaining weight, to my high of 207 in Jan. 2010.

One of the main impetuses for my FINALLY hauling myself back on the McDougall wagon was b/c I just couldn't live w/out riding.

So here we are -- Destiny and me -- in a lesson a few weeks ago. Destiny is a draft cross, but is only 15.2hh tall. I felt HUGE on her at 175 but I feel great on her now!

Beautiful horse (and rider). I bet it's even easier to get up and down on/off the saddle.

Now you are living that life of Riley! What a gorgeous picture!

nice photo!

You're doing GREAT! And you're an inspiration to me! Love the beautiful picture. Congratulations on being able to ride again.

I'm sorry your beloved horse died suddenly, that must have been so difficult. I had melanoma a year and a half ago. So far, so good. But it was scary, and I know that if it's gone past a certain point there is no recovering from it. I got lucky and caught it soon enough. I didn't even know that was something horses get!

It's different w/ horses, and it's usually in greys (Peregrine was grey). Normally, they get external lesions and while they can be really inconvenient (esp. since they are often on the anus, etc), they can usually be controlled for many years with meds, etc. A FEW horses get melanoma internally--many with no external lesions at all. Per never had a single external sign and I thought I'd dodged the bullet. Turns out that his whole insides were eaten up with it, and probably had been for years. I had a lot of guilt and agony over the whole thing.

He was a beautiful boy, and the sweetest one on earth.

ETeSelle - what beautiful horses! My dear old gelding died of sheer old age 2 years ago,and I still miss him so much. How awful to find your boy had such a disease - I guess he didn't show it. My old boy hid his arthritis for years!
My other horse is 1/4 draft too.
You both look like you are having such fun! I wish I was out for a ride rather than at work. Sigh...

Well, he did, but it wasn't diagnosed. For 18 mos or so before he crashed, we'd been having various problems. Stuff that it was hard to put a finger on--he just didn't FEEL right to me. Vet came out and he was checked for lameness, and even neuro stuff (which as it turns out it was, but the testing didn't show that early on). I had him on ulcer meds b/c he was losing weight. The vet couldn't find anything wrong (and I think thought I was nuts). It was all very gradual--so it was hard to be SURE.

Then one day it was OBVIOUS--he was unable to walk correctly. We thought it was EPM and put him on Marquis (the anti-protozoal med) right away while we awaiting the test results. But then we realized he was unable to swallow. He was at the vet clinic, on IV fluids and being tube-fed, for 2 weeks. The tests all came back negative. Finally they scoped him and saw all the melanoma up in his gutteral pouches (which affects them neurologically). At that point it was obvious there was NO cure and I had to let him go.

I've done a LOT of second-guessing myself over the 2 years since--I feel I should have pressed the vet harder, etc. I know it wouldn't have mattered--there was nothing they could have done anyway--but I wouldn't have kept him going for so long if I'd known what it was (those last 2 weeks were probably very, very hard on him) and I wouldn't have kept riding him. So there's guilt. I know he would never blame me and I know that when I see him at the Rainbow Bridge he'll be strong and healthy and happy to see me. But it's still very hard.

Sincerest condolences, ETeSelle, Herbivore. "Grief is the price of love." {hugs}--Sheila

Oh ETeSelle - I feel your pain.
It's good that you're now in a place to be riding again, I can quite imagine myself withdrawing as well.
I'm sure Destiny is finding the riding quite a novelty!

UPDATE:

Just wanted to make it official here as well--I've surpassed my goal!

Lots more info on my new Testimonial page: Click HERE for Testimonial

Way to go!!! That's awesome! Congratulations