Soon after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a decade ago, Muguet Ostaski, a former professional singer from Beverly Farms, traded her active lifestyle for a sedentary one.
She stayed home and watched TV. Exercise consisted of climbing stairs or walking in her swimming pool. She avoided talking about MS or even reading about it; to her it had a negative connotation.
"It rocked my world, in a bad way, when I got this disease," said Ostaski about MS, a chronic, unpredictable disease of the central nervous system, which is made up of the brain, optic nerves and spinal cord.
Then, a few months ago, her husband, Bill, handed her a flier promoting free horseback rides in Topsfield's Bradley Palmer State Park.
Each September, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's Central New England Chapter partners with the state Department of Conservation and Recreation's Universal Access Program to provide assisted trail rides to disabled people.
After ignoring MS-related literature for 10 years, the event piqued the interest of Ostaski, who began riding horses at 3 years old, and hunted and jumped competitively into her teen years.
"My husband brought (the flier) to me, (and) something in my mind clicked and I thought, 'Is it possible?,'" Ostaski said. "I thought, 'This is great, because it will let me do something I haven't done in a long time. ... It will make me feel like a human because I can get around.'"
Many activities
Horseback riding is just one of many accessible recreational activities Universal Access provides to disabled people in various state and urban parks in Massachusetts. More than 120 programs are conducted each year at DCR facilities, which locally include Bradley Palmer, and Georgetown-Rowley, Willowdale and Harold Parker state forests.
Other pursuits include accessible cycling, boating, hiking, birdwatching, letterboxing and fishing in the summer and fall; and skating, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and snow-shoeing in winter.
Universal Access, created in 1995, also oversees design and construction of accessible improvements in DCR parks.
According to the DCR, people with disabilities — along with friends and family — can find accessible programs in a state park every day of the week during summer.
"Anything you can do in a state park as an able-bodied person, there's an adaptive way to do it," said Gigi Ranno, project director with Universal Access.
In common
When she met Ostaski at Bradley Palmer, Ranno — who was diagnosed with MS in 1989 — was surprised Ostaski had never met anyone with the disease.
"Well now you've met someone," Ranno said, smiling.
Ranno and Ostsaski both have primary-progressive MS, a rare course characterized by slowly worsening neurologic function from the beginning — with no distinct relapses or remissions, according to the National Muscular Sclerosis Society.
An estimated 400,000 Americans live with MS, which, according to the National MS Society, can cause "blurred vision, loss of balance, poor coordination, slurred speech, tremors, numbness, extreme fatigue, problems with memory and concentration, paralysis and blindness."
Spreading optimism
Ostaski told her story to Ranno at a shaded picnic table, which they shared with others with MS as well as stroke survivors. All were waiting to ride or had recently returned.
Ranno talked about the importance of Universal Access and how it spreads optimism. She said having access to state parks makes disabled people feel better about themselves, which translates to other parts of their lives.
"(The) feeling of hope is very valuable in so many ways — emotionally, physically and (to) self worth," she said.
Nearby, Don Summerfield of Cambridge ate a sandwich after his ride. Summerfield, a disability advocate, was partially paralyzed from a stroke six years ago. He said he's been involved with the Universal Access Program for three years, taking part in many activities.
The program has given him more freedom and independence.
"When you actually get out on a horse, you realize the limits are only in your mind," said Summerfield, who was an equestrian as a teen. "In recreation, there are only limits in your mind, not your body. What you can do, I can do; I just do it differently."
Boxford's Windrush Farms — which specializes in therapeutic riding for the physically and emotionally disabled — supplied four horses for the day. They were outfitted, as needed, with adaptive saddles, pads, saddle mounts and handles. Windrush staff or volunteers walked on each side as another led the animals down familiar trails.
Back in the saddle
When it was Ostaski's turn to ride, she made her way up Windrush's ramp to Cadence, a former 100-mile endurance horse. She noted the animal's name was "good for a singer," as several people helped swing her leg over the saddle. When she was assured her numb feet were in the stirrups, Ostaski flicked her hips, sat up confidently and belted out some Gene Autrey lyrics.
"I'm back in the saddle again," she sang.
Later that afternoon, a sore Ostaski reflected on the experience over the phone. Riding again was a dream come true, she said, admitting she was a little overwhelmed.
Also, meeting Ranno and others with MS made her reflective.
"It was comforting; sort of like meeting new family members that you didn't know you had," she said. "I'm more comfortable with my problem; I'm accepting it more — it's a strange thing."
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For more information on Universal Access, go to www.mass.gov/dcr/universal_access/index.htm. Windrush Farm's Web site is www.windrushfarm.org.
