Difficulties dismounting with replacement knee- looking for ideas!

pizzi

pizzi

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I have started riding after a break of 19 years. I had a serious accident then umpteen operations on my knee, then a not very successful knee replacement which has left my knee with restricted movement.;).
I am really enjoying riding again but having real problems dismounting! I have landed on my back , have huge bruises etc. and find I can't lift/bend my right leg over the back of the saddle very well. I need to change my saddle which is an Ideal Event, as the back is quite high, so looking for a saddle which isn't too high at the back. Does anyone have any ideas about the saddle and dismounting? Thanks. :)
 
I started riding this week, after most of the year off due to a shattered knee cap, and surgery (arthroscopy and micro fracture surgery) and getting on and off is tricky for me too.

I'm very lucky and my friends OH made a massive (2-3' high, with tree steps up) mounting block, so been getting on and off my 17.1hh monster with relative ease.

Ignore the fox, this is the best pic I have of it!

71672810.jpg
 
know what you mean about knees :rolleyes:, I got a knackered left knee and moving it after being in the same position for a while can be quite painful :mad:.

I found that flexible stirrups help a lot so that most of the time I can do rising trot ( sometimes though it just too painful:( )

I also have a treeless saddle where the cantle is not so high so although my right knee is ok atm when it does play up it helps that its an inch or two lower than english ones.

I have a horse that does not mind if I get round then lie on the saddle then slide slowly down to the ground (if I cant get to the mounting block to get off.) .... and it helps she only 14.1 . I felt the difference when I rode a fresian a while back :rolleyes:



as a thought ...... How would horse react to you bringing your leg over the front ( if its head carriage is low enough) ... I can do it with Taz but not Bonn. This might of course not be safe enough depending on your horse and whether it will stand reliably at the mounting block for you to do this.

hope you find a good way of getting off
 
I had my left knee reconstructed in March, i found the best way was to go to get off normally, but then hold onto the saddle and kind of slide down the front leg and land on 1 foot. Didnt bend my knee at all and always landed lightly
 
Try dismounting the old army way.
Keep your left foot in the stirrup and stand in the stirrup so you are higher and then bring your leg over. Take your weight on the horses withers with your left hand and the cantle with your right, take your right foot out of the stirrup and drop to the ground.
It is mounting in reverse!
 
I have lost my leg and the only way now that I can get off is by dismounting from the wrong side,very strange at first but after 4 years is just part of my normal routine. Give it a go, its very strange at first but you will get the hang of it. :)
 
After breaking my ankle, I had a high mounting block built. I can take my foot out of the stirrup and stand on the mounting block while I swing my right leg over the cantle. If I have to get off on a hack, I do the sliding down the horse trick.
 
I have a dodgy hip and can't swing my leg back over the saddle, all of mine are quite happy for me to take my leg over the front
Not the most elegant way to slither off a horse but it works for me!
 
Take your right foot out ot the stirrup, leaving you r left foot in the stirup. Swing your right leg over and lie over the saddle, anchoring yourself with yourleft elbow.Kic your left foot out of the stirrup and slide down,
 
If slithering down the saddle the normal way (i.e. your front to the saddle) make sure you are not wearing a jacket with a zip. I ruined a good saddle that way when I had a broken ankle - it ended up with tram-line scratch marks.
 
just been reading this post with interest, I am going in for knee op next month and no riding for 3 months + been told. didn't cross my mind to think about how I will get on and off the horse when start riding again after op. Usually have a small mounting block, but horse is 16.3! think plans need to made on building me a big mounting block now.
 
Savvyblue I was told three months after op, but am riding (with docs permission) after just two!

I'm even managing a few strides of trot once I'm warmed up!
 
I went a whole 5 months before I was allowed to ride again after surgery. Was meant to be 6 but got on early in the end beacause it had been 8 months since my accident and I was bored. Mine was my left knee and when I did finally get back on I just got a leg up. I feel for the girl who gave me it mind as I didn't exactly bounce much!
 
I too have a knackered left knee - I also 'slide off' to the ground - only one word of caution - if you are wearing anything with a zip make sure it doesn't scratch the saddle on the way down....... very expensive and one very angry daughter!!!!!
 
here's to hoping ill be allowed to ride earlier, but with a choice of 2 ops (1 complete knee reconstruction on right knee or a quicker recovery of 3 months + for left knee)guess which one I chose.
desperately trying to find someone to ride him while I cant with no such luck so that I can hopefully fully rest up and recover quicker.
 
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