Vicki Hoban Para Equestrian

A little update after yesterday because I know I worried a lot of yous 🤍

I went to what I thought was a normal physio appointment and was sent immediately to the Surgical Assessment Unit. At one point emergency spinal surgery was being discussed, which wasn’t exactly how I expected the day to go.

Thankfully, after assessment, they decided it wasn’t something requiring emergency surgery there and then. I’ve now been referred back to my specialist teams because there are still a lot of questions that need answering — particularly why, at 34, there are already such significant changes in my spine.

But something dawned on me yesterday when I actually saw my scans.

This hasn’t just happened. I’ve been living through it.

The pain. Loss of power. Struggling to walk. Needing my wheelchair or rollator. Wondering why my body suddenly couldn’t do things it could before.

Even at the Dublin Horse Show, I was dealing with this. You just couldn’t necessarily see it.

And then it hit me…

While this has been happening, I became a THREE-TIME NATIONAL CHAMPION. 🏆

Clover and I achieved a 76% personal best while I was having immense difficulty with my body.

Seeing that scan didn’t make me feel defeated. It actually made me look at everything we’ve achieved completely differently.

I don’t share this because I want sympathy. If anything, sympathy makes me less likely to talk about it. I don’t want disability to become a sad story about me.

I’d rather someone watching this thinks, “Maybe I can find my way too.”

Success doesn’t require a body that works perfectly. Sometimes it’s adapting. Sometimes it’s doing things differently. Sometimes it’s having an absolute nightmare behind the scenes and still riding down that centre line.

Yesterday gave me more questions than answers. There’s still a lot for my doctors to work out.

But three National Championships and a 76% PB while struggling far more than I even understood at the time?

That’s the bit I’m taking from this. ❤️

Thank you for every message, call and bit of support. I genuinely appreciate you all.

Now we figure out what’s next. 🦓

with Vicki

I’m still waiting on one very simple answer from the RDS.

I was told on the day that the area disabled spectators were being put into hadn’t been risk assessed.

So I asked them to show me what risk assessment actually covered it.

Still nothing.

This week they’ve confirmed they have my ES.1 and ES.2 forms, my Subject Access Request is being dealt with, and the CCTV is being preserved.

Grand.

But none of that answers the actual question.

Was there a risk assessment for that area or wasn’t there?

If there was, show me.

If there wasn’t, then that opens up a whole other set of questions.

I’ve also now gone to Dublin City Council looking for the records around the Castle Grid area, because at this stage I’m done asking the same question over and over.

I don’t want waffle. I don’t want process.

I want the document.

Ah here lads… this is mind-blowing. 🤯🐴

Today I had a fitting with Julie from SMART Saddles and I genuinely think we’ve found the missing piece for Clover and me.

Traditional saddles just haven’t been doing it for us — the muscle wastage is real, and neither of us has had the freedom or support we actually need.

Today we tweaked EVERYTHING. Shims, gel, sheepskin, knee blocks, thigh blocks… I was on and off that horse about four times. 😂

And then I sat up straight.

Like… actually straight. I could feel my whole spine. I can’t explain how emotional and slightly mind-bending that felt.

And here’s another big one: you don’t necessarily need the full cost sitting in your bank account. SMART currently offers UK 0% payment plans over 3, 6 or 12 months, plus a try-before-you-buy rental option.*

No more trying to make 20 saddles do one job.

Honest to God, for a little while today I felt… normal. And that’s a dirty word sometimes, but it’s the truth.

Massive thank you to Julie, Jo and SMART Saddles for listening to both Clover AND me. 🤍

This could be the one.

✨ Thinking about getting your own SMART Saddle? Mention Vicki Hoban when you enquire and start riding in comfort too.

*Payment plans and rental subject to SMART Saddles’ terms & conditions.

When they say send in the cavalry 💅

The Dublin Horse Show accessibility complaint has now been escalated to the RDS Chief Executive and is being investigated.

The RDS has acknowledged that, following the reopening of the Anglesea Stand, they were “reacting in live time to customer flow and placement issues.”

That raises serious questions about what risk assessments, capacity limits and evacuation plans applied when disabled spectators and wheelchair users were redirected into alternative viewing areas.

I was told at the event that the area I was placed in had not been risk assessed. I am not presenting that as independently proven fact — I have formally asked the RDS to identify exactly what assessment applied.

The matter has now been raised through the Equal Status process and with the relevant safety, accessibility and equality bodies.

This is not about a better seat.

It is about safe, equal and dignified access for disabled people.

RDS HAVE NOT RESPONDED ❌⛔️ it has been 14 days 14 days where they haven’t answered the questions why they put disabled people in cattle hurdles. We shall have our answers, we shall have our rights!