Achey back and ankles after riding?

[JustKickOn]

A few years back I had quite a serious fall off a horse where I landed on my back with no body protector over the back pole of a 3ft spread. Ths seriously hurt my back though the only damage done was a minor muscle sprain in my back, a torn jumper and 6 months of refusing to jump. Ever since then if I sit down for ages or similar things like that my back really starts to ache. Also sometimes when I jump and get unseated (espeshially sp on JJ where he usually leaps the jumps 2 strides out even with a placing pole) my back <u>really</u> hurts. Its only on the left side and its the muscley bit (the one that I hurt in my fall) Also if I do alot of circle work or lots of flexion and bending work with a horse by back hurts too. I nearly always wear a body protector when I ride now and only occasionally jump without it and I don't wear it if I ever have a lunge lesson (which is hardly ever!)

Does anybody else have the same problem, its been going on for about 5 years now but has got worse over the past winter.

And I also have quite weak ankles especially if Doing alot of rising trot work, where I end up resorting to sitting trot and actually get a better result from sitting than I do from rising! But my ankles really ache sometimes after riding, usually after jmping where I've whacked my stirrups up 3 holes, sometimes 4 depending on who I ride as some of the gees launch over the jumps and really need room on their back!!!

So again, anybody have the same problem or any soloutions?? And before I get asked, no I don't ride in them flexi stirrup things.

Thanks, Lizzie x

 

[zigzag]

I used to get really achey ankles and i found the biggest thing to help is the Ariat boots (the ankle boots you can use for endurance riding) since wearing them I don't get painful ankles any more,

 

[JustKickOn]

Thanks zigzag, but I find my ankles ache more in my dublin jod boots and chaps then they did in long boots! I have muck boots (the riding ones) but my feet get so hot in them I can't wear them which is a total pain! I think the ankles is partially down to me having my heels too far down really, loads of non stirrups work for me this summer I think!!

Thanks anyway though!

 

[Jemayni]

Have you thought about getting physio on your back. I broke my shoulder and several ribs in a fall a few years ago. Which used to flare up if I hunted or did anything really strenusous. My instructor recommended I went to an osteopath and a physio; I went and found out that I had quite a lot of problems that I didnt really know about. I went to go see her regularly for a year and as a consequence my riding improved dramtically and Ive never had the same aches since! You wouldnt need an osteopath as thats bones, but a physio might do the trick!

 

[Tia]

I had 2 slipped discs a few years ago and this did make riding achey for me. I ride mostly western these days and I have to say, as odd as it may sound, the more I ride, the less my back aches.

 

[WishfulThinker]

I know exactly how you feel! I have had a bad back ever since I somersaulted over a horse and came down hard, adn my ankles haven't been right since I broke my right one and the left one compensated.
I do stretches and about 100 ankle raises every day as this is what was recommended but to be honest I have noticed very little improvement! I can do about 5 mins of XC position work before my left ankle will literally give way and I have no control over my foot.

I will actually say though that my ankle has gotten WORSE since I changed from my flexi stirrups. I changed as I felt I had less control over my legs in them, as i don't seem to have much control from the hip down!! But I am a VERY heels down rider in stirrups, take them away and my heels creep up.

We are going back to Bareback work after today - as lesson ended with me in tears!

 

[hannahandteddy]

i broke my leg 2 years ago and i get pins and needles in it if i have schooled for a while. when ever i have a lesson i get pins and needles when my instructor makes me work very hard (which is all the time!). when i did a showing class the other week my foot went numb and i had the most awful pins and needles and then about an hour later my ankle was aching like hell! it does my head in and i'm going to the doctors about so they can refer me if i need to!

i'd definatly go to the physio or chiropractor as this helped my dad 100% after he hurt his back 1 month ago (he went to the chiropractor!). after he'd been twice it was nearly 100% better and he could huck up the trailor instead of relying on me doing it! it really does work so i would definatly recomend this!

your ankles could be something to do with your back but it's quite unlikely. i don't really know what to suggest about those i just put up with it! sometimes i use supports if i can "sense" that its going to hurt. when i hunt i use supports and when i go to all day Pony club rallies i use supports buti don't use them all the time as they make your ankles weaker!

thats all just from personal experiance so it might help but it also might not!

 

[JustKickOn]

Thanks everyone, theres a physio opposite school so I may pop in there on the way home one day.

Again, thanks Lizzie xx