Equestrian regains confidence to ride again

The oft-used phrase, “getting back in the saddle” is one that describes regaining the confidence to do something you love.

A Kalispell woman who once competed in equestrian competitions has endured pain for years and now is working to return to horseback riding after an injury that kept her out of the saddle for years.

Three years ago, Rose Sweeney was forced out of her lifelong pastime with a herniated disk in her back. The pain was too much to climb into a saddle.

“The pain was so severe that sometimes I would be close to losing consciousness,” Sweeney said. “The activities you have to give up because of your back, they compound over time.”

Sweeney has been riding horses since age 6. By age 13 she was competing in horse races in her home state of Pennsylvania. She did a few dressage riding shows in college, she said, but eventually left her horses behind to move to Montana.

It didn’t take long, she said, before she had purchased a few more horses and found a ranch home outside of Kalispell with a small horse training arena. That was 35 years ago.

Recently, after being sidelined so long by pain, two friends have helped her gain the confidence to start riding again at her arena. The first of those faithful friends is Jazz, her horse for the last seven years, whom she calls compassionate and able to sense her struggle.

“When I get semi on the saddle, sometimes it’s a mess but he just stands there and waits patiently,” she said. “Having a partner like that has really helped. I trust him.”

The other influence of confidence has been Stacia Stevens, a professional horse trainer working out of Little Creek Ranch west of Kalispell. She’s been on the job for 25 years, boosting riders’ confidence to get back on the saddle after injuries or extensive time away from riding.

“In my world, we have people who are dreamers,” Stevens said. “Rose is one of many people that want to keep living their life with horses.”

Stevens met Sweeney nearly 20 years ago. She had a bad back then, and after a few recent conversations about Stevens’ line of work, Sweeney was determined to get back to riding. But like the majority of riders Stevens works with, Sweeney had her doubts. That’s where Stevens’ expertise came into play.

“When you’re coming back from getting injured, all your fears and insecurities come with that,” Stevens said.

Sweeney added that “the overwhelming feeling of fear is embarrassing, for having been an accomplished horse rider and then being reduced to this.”

With the confidence of Stevens, Sweeney took a few laps around the Flathead County Fairgrounds Thursday night to get reacquainted with the feeling of being on the big stage.

But this atmosphere was different. Sweeney was traditionally a dressage rider, competing in a grassy field, jumping over obstacles. Neither she or Jazz had been on a race track before.

The first lap was slow and steady; Sweeney appeared cautious, but clearly delighted with a smile across her face. Stevens trotted on next to her for support. After the first lap, Sweeney crept one leg over the front of the saddle and lowered herself without any problem.

“That felt great,” she said. The pain had often shot from her back down to her hips, but, “when I relax, riding really does make it loosen up and feel better.”

Sweeney said being on the racetrack with Stevens and Jazz gave her more confidence to continue riding. Before Thursday night, she wasn’t certain she’d ride in the ladies relay race at half-time of the rodeo at the Northwest Montana fair on Aug. 21. Now, she said, she’s got the gusto to keep riding and complete the race.

“Even if I just trot around the track, I’m going to do it,” she promised. “It’s the biggest part of my life, I want to be able to participate in this.”

Reporter Seaborn Larson may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at slarson@dailyinterlake.com.