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20 | InTouch January – February | I Touch WINTER 2024 stability in the saddle improved every ride. I moved on to riding independently (at walk only) and then found out about Para Equestrian competition in New Zealand in 2010. The rest as they say is history!” Jodie relies on support from a dedicated crew to help keep her riding. Help has also come from an amazing coach, Jody Hartstone, an innovative husband and a very close relationship with her horse Ira. However, when Jodie started to train for the National Para Dressage Championships, she was finding her current saddle flaps would no longer provide the support she needs with her leg muscle deterioration. “This causes me pain and also provides a safety issue, as I can’t balance so well without that leg support, so increases my risk of falling”, she tells us. The Bradley Jenkin Memorial Fund helps MDANZ members with a neuromuscular condition receive funding for access opportunities and specialised resources that enable them to achieve freedom. The fund has helped members purchase specialised sports equipment, participate in sporting events, it has contributed towards the cost of obtaining a mobility dog, provided mobility equipment, and assisted with career development such as university and course fees. CONTINUING TO RIDE THE WAVE OF SUCCESS “I’ve got lots of adaptations to my gear to help me stay on and be able to ride. We’ve trained Ira to respond to specific aids that I can give him using what I can – wiggles of my hips or feet, squeezes on the rein, voice aids, whip taps and even my breathing”. So, she sought help from the Bradley Jenkin Memorial Fund to address the situation. Applying for new saddle flaps with built in and adjustable leg support would improve her safety in the saddle, as well as stopping the pain she was getting from trying to keep her legs in position without the correct support. “I’ve got lots of adaptations to my gear to help me stay on and be able to ride. We’ve trained Ira to respond to specific aids that I can give him using what I can – wiggles of my hips or feet, squeezes on the rein, voice aids, whip taps and even my breathing”, she says. Jodie is grateful to the Bradley Jenkin Memorial Fund for contributing to the new saddle flaps and recognising the benefit the equipment would have to her and Ira’s success. Jodie’s success with Ira this season includes winning the Para Championship at the Dressage Waikato Oro Equestrian Championships, Grade I Champion at the Landover Horse of the Year, Grade I Champion at the Para Equestrian National Championships, winning the Canter for Cancer Para Equestrian Series (for the third year running), and the ESNZ Against All Odds 2024 winner (in recognition of the person who has pursued his or her equestrian ambitions despite a physical or neurodiverse disability or extremely difficult personal circumstances). Jodie says there are plenty of physical benefits to horse riding. Even though her FSHD has deteriorated over the past six years, she feels her stamina and posture haven’t gone downhill as fast as they would have if she didn’t ride. A 20 minute ride is a significant workout for both the body and the mind – the psychological benefits are just as significant. “Horses are good for the soul,” says Jodie. More about The Bradley Jenkin Memorial Fund For more information, go to www.mda.org.nz/What-We-Offer/ Bradley-Jenkin-Memorial-Fund