Self-Inflicted Almost Passing Out After Riding

I could feel my hands getting into the "danger zone" on Monday night, but I pushed it just a little further because I was having another AMAZING ride.  Second ride in a row he came on my aids in record time, second ride in a row with Back on Track, if you're keeping score.

Longtime readers will remember that I have Reynauds.  My fingers and toes turn white from a combination of cold or pressure or both.  The really fun part about the way my body reacts to Reynauds is that if I let my fingers and toes get too cold, when they warm back up, I either pass out completely or almost pass out. 

When do they get dangerously cold?  When I'm riding.

When does the blood come back?  When I get off.

I haven't had much of an issue with this in the past few years because I've figured out the right combination of winter clothing and foot warmers.  I also have learned to identify the "danger zone" and I find a way to warm up before it goes too far.

A relatively minor incident that happened at the gym. 

(I also have warned many an unsuspecting trainer about what will happen if I don't get handwarmer breaks during lessons.  Nothing like "I might fall off this horse unconscious" to start a new relationship off right.)

But...he was going so well on Monday...I shouldn't have done it, but I was so happy with how he felt, I couldn't help myself.  That night I was also trying a new glove combination that - spoiler alert - does not work when it's 19 out.  More on that later.  Let's just say I lived to regret cheating on my beloved SSG 10 Belows.

Why did I ever try to leave you!  Also, holy cow, these are TEN DOLLARS CHEAPER at Riding Warehouse than at SmartPak.

I knew ahead of time what was waiting for me as soon as I got off.  Of course it was night and I was alone, one more reason this whole preventable situation was stupid of me.  I hustled poor Connor toward the crossties.  I was getting tunnel vision by the time I finally got the snaps on his halter and ran into the tack room to lay down next to the heater.

The thing is, almost passing out feels, in my opinion, worse than passing out.  Almost passing out feels indescribably horrible, you just lay there wishing you'd pass out already to make that feeling go away.  I can't even come up for words for it, but if you've felt it, you know what I'm talking about.

It was right after this ride, our senior holiday ride in college, that this happened the first time.  I'm on the bay with the blaze up front next to Mary who's on the grey in the red sweater.

I laid there silently thanking my poor, still-tacked-up pony, standing there in the cold with no sheet on, for being a good boy because I could not physically get upright and untack him for several minutes.  Even when I finally struggled upright and untacked him (too quickly, but I was motivated by Connor), I had to curl up in a ball on a saddle pad next to him in the aisle halfway through for a break.  Good pony.

After I got him untacked, I laid next to the heater again until I felt good enough to shelve my stuff and drive home.  Even after I got home, I kept all of my layers on, wrapped up in a blanket, drank a mug of hot tea and still didn't feel warm or normal again for another two hours while my body temp was about 1.5 degrees lower than normal.  Then by the time I went to bed, I was back to normal.

Why do I share this?  Well, it's winter and I'm short on content, and although it was stupid and self-inflicted, it's definitely the most interesting thing that's happened to me at the barn in a while.  And, I'd also love to hear from anyone else with Reynauds if this happens to them.  From what I've gathered, it's not a normal side effect, but it seems to be related for me, so I can't be alone in that.

Bottom line: the new gloves are a bust, and this is why I, personally, don't ride when it's really cold out.  Forget the horse, bad things happen to ME under 20 degrees!