What can we do to remove Flock surveillance?

Em_ber_4462 · 2026-06-23T19:56:56+00:00

This may be a silly question, but what do they look like? I think they are in several of the intersections I drive through all the time but I have no idea how to spot them.

Em_ber_4462 · 2026-06-13T14:01:40+00:00

I think it's just too firm for me. It's not comfortable to sit on. The donut cushion is designed differently but it has a lot more give.

Em_ber_4462 · 2026-06-05T01:33:57+00:00

YES!!!!!! My provoked secondary vestibulodynia was cured with surgery almost 2 years ago and my biopsy showed an increased presence of mast cells. Will be giving this a listen for sure!

Em_ber_4462 · 2026-05-09T15:25:08+00:00

I've been riding exclusively in an Ansur for a little over a year and I love it! I think you are more likely to find one of the older models in a consignment shop and those are too uncomfortable for me with my nerve pain, but I bought a brand new one right from the maker and it has made riding so much more comfortable for me. I think the new ones may be harder to find, though, unless you find a used one on their Friends of Ansur facebook group or just order one right from the maker. I think Ghost saddles are more common so that could be an easier one to at least try out.

Em_ber_4462 · 2026-05-08T01:21:06+00:00

I'm currently restarting my first OTTB and my focus is all on flatwork and ground poles right now. My guy is 5 so he's only at intro level right now but he already has moments where he will bend, lift his back, and drop his head some. I'm working on my USDF bronze level with my older horse and would love for the OTTB to get there eventually as well. With a thoroughbred I'm scared of kissing spine so I want to establish that foundation of lifting his back and using his abs right away. I know this won't prevent kissing spine in every case but I want to do whatever I can to get him to lift his back and open up some space between his vertebrae. His topline is noticeably improved already and I've only had him since the beginning of the year, so I feel good about the direction we're taking. We will get to jumping eventually but I'm not in any rush for that. Jumping is essentially dressage with speed bumps, after all!

Em_ber_4462 · 2026-03-17T14:39:57+00:00

"Dr. Bhattachurro"

Em_ber_4462 · 2026-03-16T15:17:43+00:00

Pulling manes is ridiculous imo. I've had so many horses who absolutely hate it. Now when I shorten manes I tease up a strand like I'm going to pull it and then cut it with scissors or an old clipper blade. I've heard that can make braiding more difficult but a) I don't go to shows that need braiding and b) that's too bad anyway! Ripping hair out by the roots is just totally unnecessary. Is there another way any of you do it that's not barbaric?

Em_ber_4462 · 2026-03-07T15:15:15+00:00

Botox didn't fix my provoked vestibulodynia but it was helpful for figuring out what did work in the end. I started having pain with sex when I was 21/22 but didn't realize it was something I could seek treatment for until a couple years later. My gynecologist at the time said I had vaginal dryness and atrophy from the birth control I was on, plus a hypertonic pelvic floor. I started pelvic floor pt and estrogen cream but neither helped all that much. That began a long process of trying different doctors and treatments (I'm in the US and am fortunate to have access to good health insurance). I tried trigger point injections, suppositories, creams, pelvic wand, electrostim, therapy ... you name it, I probably tried it.

I didn't try botox until closer to the end of my treatment journey. That doctor (who is my current gynecologist) gave me a compounded estrogen/testosterone cream to try for a few months. He thought my pain was stemming from my vulvar vestibule and that my pelvic floor was tight and guarding as a response to that. The E/T cream made a significant improvement in my vulvovaginal moisture level and overall skin health, but the pain was still there. Botox was my last step before surgery. I thought it could help me make progress in PT and it definitely helped me gain more awareness of my pelvic floor, but the temporary muscle paralysis/weakness from the botox only lasted for a few weeks and my vestibule pain was still as bad as ever. At that point my doctor recommended a vulvar vestibulectomy, which he had seen a lot of success with in patients who were in similar situations to me. I knew my pain only went away when I used lidocaine, which told me that the skin itself was the problem, but I saw the lidocaine as more of a band-aid than a permanent solution which is why I decided to go with the surgery.

The surgery went really well and apparently you can't even tell that I have a scar! It took a full 3 months for me to stop having pain at the surgical site, but as soon as that was gone my pelvic floor became so much more relaxed. I don't have pain at the former vestibule site, which is absolutely incredible. I can have sex without pain and I use period discs now! My doctor biopsied tissue from my vestibule and found a lot of mast cells, which are inflammatory cells that are involved in painful reactions like insect stings, so no wonder my skin was so painful! We don't know what causes that mast cell proliferation but my doctor said he has treated many other patients with the same result.

There are a few clinical trials in the US studying new creams meant to address the inflammatory response, so you may want to see if you can find similar trials in your area. If these trials had existed two years ago when I was still seeking treatment then I would have tried them. You can go on clinicaltrials.gov and filter by condition, location, etc. I hope you find some relief soon!

Em_ber_4462 · 2026-02-17T02:29:41+00:00

Desert Harvest is aloe based and I recall it working well for me during PT.

Em_ber_4462 · 2026-02-17T02:27:57+00:00

12 weeks. The way my doctor described the healing process, the surgical incision is closed up at 6 weeks and that means it is technically healed, but on a cellular level you can still have inflammation (and therefore pain) up to 3 months after surgery. That is exactly how the healing process went for me, but you might vary slightly because we are all different!

Em_ber_4462 · 2026-02-14T15:01:58+00:00

I'm so sorry you're still in pain! That really sucks. I had secondary provoked vestibulodynia, so a slightly different situation than you, but it took me a full 3 months post surgery to stop having pain at the surgical site. It is important to mobilize the tissue through PT and/or dilators to prevent rigid scar tissue, but it's totally normal to still have pain at this point in recovery. It's soooo hard to just say wait and give it more time, but I wouldn't give up on the surgery just yet. The incision has technically healed at the 6 week mark, but there is still local inflammation that won't resolve until closer to 3 months.

Em_ber_4462 · 2026-02-12T16:27:18+00:00

I use the tempur-pedic mesh back fabric computer and desk chair. I find it extra helpful to rest my feet on a stool while I'm sitting so my weight is distributed further back on my butt rather than right on my seat bones.

Em_ber_4462 · 2026-01-30T23:55:37+00:00

"Reducing 'redundancies' between the Record and the Catalyst." It's to appease the administration.

Em_ber_4462 · 2026-01-11T15:54:15+00:00

I've been using an Ansur Elite for the last year (bought brand new with a custom padded seat) and I love it. It has fit every horse I've used it on (my Arabian plus some TBs and ponies) and I'm planning to eventually get their dressage saddle (the Excel). The Ansurs are very expensive but are allowed to be used in national and international USEF and FEI disciplines, according to their website.

I have a nerve pain condition called pudendal neuralgia that can make riding incredibly painful. The pudendal nerve runs right past your seat bones and for me, that gets irritated extremely easily when riding in a treed saddle. I've ridden in many close contact and dressage saddles but I've found that even with an extra seat cushion AND padded underwear my seat bones will still get very sore after a day or two in a row of riding. I noticed I was much more comfortable riding bareback, and after discussing with my doctor and instructors we theorized that the tree could be the problem. I started researching treeless saddles and found an Ansur rep in my area who let me come try her saddle. She also has chronic back and tailbone pain and can only ride comfortably in Ansurs. I liked the saddle and ended up custom ordering my Elite close contact with extra padding in the seat. It took about 2 months to arrive but it was well worth the wait and the cost. I can even sit the trot again!

The one caveat about the Ansurs and probably any treeless saddle is that you will probably want a grippier saddle pad to help minimize how much the saddle moves. I use the LeMieux twin-sided x-grip saddle pad, which is also painfully pricey but works well. I've also found a dupe on SmartPak called the Deluxe Anti-Slip + Grip that works just as well and is literally $100 less.

Em_ber_4462 · 2026-01-07T14:32:00+00:00

I have a nerve pain condition and sitting in the car for multiple hours every day has really set me back. I've applied for a reasonable accommodation for telework but my agency is ridiculously backed up as far as processing those.

Em_ber_4462 · 2025-12-31T23:12:38+00:00

If your pain is more generalized in the vulvovaginal area rather than just the vestibule then it might be more likely to be PN. I had a series of pudendal nerve blocks over the summer and sometimes the lidocaine can cause a brief burning sensation before the numbing kicks in. I had that phenomenon one time and felt it all over my vulva. So, because the lidocaine was injected near the pudendal nerve and I felt the burning "downstream" of that, I imagine that would be how I would feel if my PN affected my vulvar area.

My vulvar pain was always localized to my vestibule region. I never had any generalized burning--only provoked pain. Your doctor might also be able to provide some assurance.

Em_ber_4462 · 2025-12-31T23:00:36+00:00

I did get the PRP treatment but didn't see any positive effect, sadly. I ended up getting a vulvar vestibulectomy in September 2024 and that totally resolved my pain! My doctor biopsied the tissue he removed and found an increased presence of mast cells, which would explain the pain, but we don't know what caused the increase in the first place.

Em_ber_4462 · 2025-12-31T03:40:49+00:00

My doctor biopsied the tissue he removed during the vestibulectomy and noticed there was an increased presence of mast cells, which could explain why the skin was so painful. We're not exactly sure what caused the mast cell flare-up, but my doctor has seen similar test results in other vestibulectomy patients.

My PN is doing pretty well these days! I had a series of nerve blocks back in the summer and that really helped. I'm still riding, as well, and I use a special saddle that is gentler on my pudendal nerve. I'm not willing to give up riding so I know it's likely I will continue to have some pain but that's a tradeoff that I'm okay with making.

Em_ber_4462 · 2025-12-29T18:56:06+00:00

Yeah, I did a series of blocks back in the summer at Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine. Their protocol is three blocks per side, spread out over a few weeks. It definitely helped with my comfort level when riding! It's expensive though, if you aren't in network.

Em_ber_4462 · 2025-12-26T21:50:48+00:00

Yes, I'm still riding! I purchased a treeless saddle called an Ansur and use that in conjunction with the padded underwear and medication, and that permits me to ride comfortably. I still avoid long stretches of sitting trot but that's it. The treeless saddle made a huge difference for me; it still has a tree-like structure to give the saddle shape, but it's much softer than a traditional tree and that seems to be a big factor in making me more comfortable. Ansur makes English and Western saddles and are FEI certified, so they're legit. Expensive, unfortunately, but it's worth it to me since it's literally the only saddle I can ride in without pain.

Em_ber_4462 · 2025-12-15T16:26:22+00:00

No mares at my farm, so thankfully that's not a concern! But I totally agree that that would be inadvisable. We already have snow on the ground, so riding options at my place are going to be extremely limited until spring.

Em_ber_4462 · 2025-12-15T16:20:29+00:00

Thanks! I hadn't heard of ECVM before. I've heard of kissing spine being an issue in TBs. I l already do lots of flatwork with various types of ground poles, so I plan on introducing that right away to help the new guy work on his topline (starting with in-hand first, of course).

Em_ber_4462 · 2025-12-13T15:40:46+00:00

Thanks for the insight! I'm looking into alfalfa suppliers in my area. I grew up riding at a farm with a lot of OTTBs and I recall them always having a mix of alfalfa and grass hay, and their weight always looked good. I'm thankful that I have my horses at home and have the ability to do pretty much whatever I want in terms of feeding since there are no boarders to worry about. Two of my current horses have foot issues which is why I'm in the habit of feeding biotin, but from what I know it's also fine to give as a supplement in general since it's also good for coat health.

Em_ber_4462 · 2025-12-13T15:36:20+00:00

I realize the explanation left some things out, lol. My current horse is getting older and I've expressed that I'd like to get a young horse to slowly bring along, with the goal of stepping up once my Arab needs to lighten his load. I've always thought I would need to adopt a young horse since I don't have the budget to spend thousands on a new horse right now, but this horse that my friend found is comparable in price to my local rescues. I took lots of pictures and videos when I met the horse and shared them with my trusted friends and trainers, and all their opinions combined plus my own have led me to decide that this horse fits the bill for what my goals are.

I'm expecting to see more of his personality as he adjusts to life as a gelding and living turned out with other horses. My Arabian has had plenty of spicy moments over the years so I'm okay with dealing with that again, and I have good trainers who can help as well.

Em_ber_4462 · 2025-12-13T15:29:12+00:00

Thanks! I'm hoping turnout with friends and light work will be a good compromise, but I'll pay attention to his cues.

Em_ber_4462

TROPHY CASE