Adaptation to the Para Rider
The American Fiona Howard was an accomplished horse rider in her youth before a series of health problems brought her to the brink of survival. Most of these occurred during her time as a student at the university. She spent 800 days in hospital, while continuing to work on her studies, and was eventually diagnosed with dystonia, a degenerative disease that causes muscle spasms in the legs and torso.
She also had problems with her digestive system due to Lyme disease and scarlet fever and had to have part of her lower intestine removed.
Brain surgery and limb amputation were suggested as options for Howard, but rather than take them, she returned to horses.
Due to her unique mobility, Howard the saddle more than her legs – not a typical riding technique, but her 11-year-old stallion Diamond Dunes was happy to adapt to this. The two have been competing together since March 2024.
“He adapted very quickly,” said Howard. “When I first rode him, he probably wondered: ‘What are you trying to do?’ And he always tried to do the right thing. And then, after two or three rides, he said: ‘I got it. I just have to try and shift my weight a little bit and he responds. Sometimes I really have to focus on being straight so we can ride in a straight line, like on the center line, but he’s learning so quickly and just wants to do his best for me.”
On the opening day of the Paris 2024 Para Dressage competition, one of Diamond Dunes’ “best” performances was Howard winning a gold medal in the individual competition (Grade II).
“My horse, he gave me everything,” said the first-time Paralympian. “From the first competition I competed with him, I just felt like I could trust him and he never let me down. I felt confident and he was 100 percent the best partner I could have asked for at these Games.”
The Danish woman Katrine Kristensenwho won silver behind Howard, found her horse Goerklintgaards Quarter an understanding partner.
The rider has weakness in her legs and feet due to muscular dystrophy, which makes it difficult to lead a horse. For Quarter, a horse she has been working with for two and a half years and who has learned to follow other cues instead.
“Quarter is a small horse, so when I didn’t have that much physical strength, I could lead him because his body is small,” Kristensen said.
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