By Alicia Perry
My dressage journey began when my friend Angie invited me to ride with her in the early hours of the morning. While there, I got to watch one of her lessons with her trainer, Martin Arnold. Angie knew I was having major confidence issues after a fall from my Mustang Arby had left me bed-bound and unable to ride for months with a shattered heel. After our ride, I immediately asked her if she thought Martin would train me. After my fall I had become too scared to even trot around the arena. She sent me Martin’s phone number, and on December 11th, 2023, I had my first lesson with him.
I did not begin training dressage with a goal to show. I started in order to build my confidence and develop a better connection with my horse. But, as the year went on, I grew to LOVE dressage. So much so that I bought a dressage saddle and bridle, and moved Arby to the barn where Angie and my other teammates were going. All was well, and we kept working hard. Martin kept training me, and would mention showing here and there, but I wasn’t ready.
About a year and a half into my dressage journey, I began waking up with both hands swollen and tingly. The swelling and tingling sensation would go away quickly when I moved them, but I also started to notice that when I would ride, my fingers would get “stuck” in the position that I held my reins. Riding became painful.
At first, I hid it, but when it became too much of an issue, I told Martin what was going on. I went to a rheumatologist, who told me I had “trigger finger.” We injected both hands, under my ring fingers, with a steroid shot. But every time I went back to him, in a lot of pain, he told me I needed to go see an orthopedic hand surgeon.
When I finally did, he told me I had trigger finger and dupuytren contracture. The orthopedic hand surgeon I saw was well-liked, and knew his stuff. He told me I needed surgery as soon as possible. We scheduled my surgery for two weeks later.
Following my surgery, I moved into my mom’s house for the duration of my recovery, and to help save a little money so I could pay for Martin to ride Arby until I could get back in the saddle. I surprised myself by asking Carolyn, my best friend from college (Hook ‘Em Horns!), if she wanted to lease Arby while I was out of commission. So, as I recovered, Martin and Carolyn rode Arby.
I started occupational therapy a week after surgery. During this time, my pain level was manageable… But, about five weeks post op, scar tissue developed. To say the pain was unbearable is an understatement. My surgeon diagnosed me as “Scar Forming” and got me an appointment with a new pain management doctor. Together we were able to develop a regimen that helped manage the pain. This made it so I was able to ride.
With permission from my surgeon, I hopped back on Arby in April. Martin surprised me by saying, “You’re doing the Bluebonnet Classic.” The Bluebonnet Classic is a hometown show for me and my dressage team. We had a goal, and dang it, we were going to do it. So, the day that the show opened for registration, I signed Arby and I up.
When the show came around, we did SO WELL! We even qualified, at our FIRST SHOW, for the Southwest Dressage Championship! I was over the moon. Througout all of this though, my hands hurt, and they hurt badly. But, I kept riding. In June we did a show at Deidre Dressage, placing first in our Training Level Test 3 and Test of Choice classes.
We recently returned home from Katy, where we performed Training Level Test 3 at the Harvest Classic, where we earned a personal best score of 65.8%!
We will be returning to the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, Texas, the first week of October to compete in the SWDC, held in conjunction with the Great American/USDF Region 9 Dressage Championships to compete in Training 3 and give First Level 1 Test 1 a try.
I am super excited; it has not been an easy journey, but I wouldn’t change anything. I’ve made new friends, found a new strength in myself, and have taken my bond with Arby to the next level. I am a testimony that, if physically possible, you can do it. I am so lucky to be on the dressage team I am on, and have the support system we have. Wish us luck!
