Question:
I had my bladder removed in November 2024 and now have a urostomy. I’ve been a dressage and hunter-jumper rider for about 50 years and resumed barn visits four weeks after surgery. By eight weeks post-op, I was back in the saddle for short walks. I currently teach once a week and ride twice weekly. Cold weather seems to drain my energy, which may be slowing my fitness recovery.
I can now ride for about 30 minutes, but grooming and tacking up takes about 45 minutes and really tires me out. I’m back to walk, trot, and canter, which is great—but I struggle with bending over to clean hooves and lifting the saddle over my head to place on the horse’s back. I’d love to regain the strength and stamina I had before surgery. Do you have any suggestions for exercises that can help me return to greater self-sufficiency?
Answer:
Thank you so much for your question. It’s inspiring to hear how you’ve steadily resumed your riding, and it’s clear you’ve already come a long way since your surgery.
To better understand what exercises might benefit you, it would help to know if your difficulties with bending and lifting are related more to pain, loss of strength, or limited mobility. For example:
- Do your incision sites move comfortably with your movements?
- Is the skin around your surgical area tacked down, or does it move freely?
- Is your bending limited by discomfort or tight muscles, like shortened hamstrings?
A local NSWOC nurse (Nurse Specialized in Wound, Ostomy, and Continence) may be able to help you find a physiotherapist with experience in post-ostomy surgery rehabilitation. You can use this link to locate one:
Find a NSWOC – Ostomy Canada Society
To build stamina gradually, you can continue riding and increase your time in the saddle by 5 to 10 minutes per week. If you find this too difficult, scale back by 5 minutes or return to your previous ride length and maintain it for a week before trying to increase again.
Other endurance-building options include walking, using a stationary bike, or water walking. Water walking in chest-deep water is especially beneficial—it provides support, builds strength, and improves cardiovascular endurance. You might also find swimming a useful addition to your recovery. Here’s a blog that offers more on that:
Swimming With an Ostomy – Ostomy Canada Society
I hope these suggestions help, and I’d be happy to support you further on your path back to full strength.
Answered by
Lisa Harris
