Hi,i’m 49 and was diagnosed end of December,had left wide thingy excision and complete lymph node clearance on 12th January (luckily only 2 out of 30 affected)My horse is my life and I was back in the saddle 2 days after the drain was removed (but only at a walk)Chemotherapy due to start in a couple of weeks. I’m wondering if there is any chance of doing a 32km endurance ride at the end of Feb, or if not would I manage a walk and trot dressage.Is it possible to combine competing with chemo? If so at what point in the chemo cycle is one strongest? Is the first session the worst or are the effects cumulative ie by June I’ll be less able than in March. Will I be ok to tow my trailer safely?
My friends will probably be wondering when I can start doing my own mucking out too lol
Would love to hear from anyone who is,or has dealt with similar issues. Not just the competition aspect but anyone looking after a horse through treatment (not to mention 3 dogs and 3 cats too!!!)
Hi there Spud,
I do a bit of riding but nothing along your lines - you must have bags of energy! How you react to chemo is very individual but I would think you would be able to continue riding throughout but not sure about the compedative stuff. I would think the dressage would be Ok (providid you have a good bra) - suppose if you find the trotting uncomfortable you just have to retire from the competition. The effects of chemo are culumative so you will have more stamina during the first couple of cycles and then begin to tire a bit more towards the end, you may feel sick for a couple of days after eachchemo so i wouldn’t plan to do much riding then (again it is very personal). As for mucking out - well i wouldn’t be in too much of a hurry to do that. I made the mistake of moving an entire muck heap recently (28 barrow loads of poo - who needs to join a gym!) and afterwards got a lot of pain in my breast and wondered if I’de given myself lymphodema - so take it easy.
Hope you are back competing soon
cheers
caroline
Hi there
End of Feb?? Good chance you’ll be ok for that - have fun.
Afraid it’s a case of taking each day as it comes regarding how you feel/react to chemo - makes it difficult to plan anything! 
I rode and felt fine with the 3 x FEC but felt wiped out with TAX and haven’t ridden for 6 weeks now. The main thing that worried me was our low immunitity to all infections whilst having chemo. I was advised (by Onc Dept)to stay away from hay, straw, corn stores, muck heaps etc as it would be all to easy to pick something up. As I’d felt reasonably ok for the first 3 sessions it was a bit of a shock to become neutropenic and have to spend 4 nights in hospital because I caught a cold!
Take care of yourself and don’t push yourself too hard - ride when you can and you’ll enjoy it more
My OH has been a star mucking out and looking after the horses, but I can’t wait to take over soon - I’ve missed them so much.
S
Also have 4 dogs and 4 cats
Hi Spud
The other comments are far more helpful than anything I can add, as, although having a horse and riding regularly, I didn’t have chemo, just WLE + Rads.
But wanted to say hello anyway, as I know how frustrating it is when anything stops the riding, I had a slipped disc in my neck a year or 2 back, and was virtually banned from the yard, as I couldn’t be trusted to follow doc’s orders!
As with anything, it’s day at a time, and listen to your body, I guess. And the infection risk on chemo has to be taken seriously, as Sabby says.
But the biggest thing for me, that my horse gives, is the escape from any other sh*t that life throws our way! Even when I haven’t been able to ride, just getting down to the yard has always been like my sanctuary, takes the mind off all worries, whether its work, health, family, whatever. Couldn’;t put a price in how valuable that is!
Hope everything goes well with you, keep in touch,
Lizzie xxx
Thanks all for the advice and suggestions.
i’m off on my 3rd quiet hack tomorrow but still not doing more than a teeny bit of trot cos my armpit hurts. Hard to remember that i’m only 3 weeks post surgery-it feels like a life time.
I’ve had a chemo date for 18th of Feb so I’m still hoping to be able to do either some dressage or an EGB pleasure ride that weekend. If I’m not up to riding maybe I can help out instead.
Taken on board the infection risk thing-I’ll have to be careful with the dogs too-no more facelicking and lots of handwashing.
Going to the yard is tricky as I automatically start doing things I shouldn’t,like carrying buckets of water.I don’t have an OH and feel really guilty about a friend having to do two horses,especially as they are in at night for the winter.
Really worried about getting fat and unfit too-I’ve put on half a stone already cos I’m just sitting around but at least I can manage two short daily dogwalks now. Strangely not bothered about going bald yet, but perhaps I’ll feel it when I go for a crew cut in a few weeks time!