Bloodaxe Bombardier
New User
I'm sure I'm not the only person that suffers hip pain from riding.
Basically I've gone from where I was two years ago being able to ride for many hours/long distances with no hip pain to my current position where I can manage about an hour before the pain becomes excruciating. I've done the GP/x-rays thing - which do show arthritic changes, especially in the left hip but evidence in both. However the GP's conclusion was that it doesn't affect my day to day life, only when I'm riding, so not anywhere near the point I would be put on the waiting list for hip replacements. Her answer was to take pain killers when I needed them but even a handful of ibuprofen before I ride makes no difference.
The problem started after I had a summer competing and riding long hours followed by a winter when the horses tend to have a few months off. When I began riding again after a couple of months break thats when I started experiencing the pain - so there does seem to be an element of lack of muscle tone/fitness but how can I get riding fit again if I can't ride for more than 45mins/ 1 hour without massive pain? I did manage two hours in the saddle yesterday but it was agony - and by the end trotting was out of the question. My horse did a tiny spook and it was as if someone was stabbing me in the hip joints with an extremely long and sharp knife. If he'd done anything seriously naughty I'd have collapsed off him in pain.
It has become a huge problem and I wonder what other people do about managing it? I'm thinking exercises out of the saddle, perhaps going swimming? Perhaps try a different saddle (I ride in a Strada - no idea if it has a narrow/medium or wide twist) or some glucosamine supplements?
Any advice VERY gratefully received.
Basically I've gone from where I was two years ago being able to ride for many hours/long distances with no hip pain to my current position where I can manage about an hour before the pain becomes excruciating. I've done the GP/x-rays thing - which do show arthritic changes, especially in the left hip but evidence in both. However the GP's conclusion was that it doesn't affect my day to day life, only when I'm riding, so not anywhere near the point I would be put on the waiting list for hip replacements. Her answer was to take pain killers when I needed them but even a handful of ibuprofen before I ride makes no difference.
The problem started after I had a summer competing and riding long hours followed by a winter when the horses tend to have a few months off. When I began riding again after a couple of months break thats when I started experiencing the pain - so there does seem to be an element of lack of muscle tone/fitness but how can I get riding fit again if I can't ride for more than 45mins/ 1 hour without massive pain? I did manage two hours in the saddle yesterday but it was agony - and by the end trotting was out of the question. My horse did a tiny spook and it was as if someone was stabbing me in the hip joints with an extremely long and sharp knife. If he'd done anything seriously naughty I'd have collapsed off him in pain.
It has become a huge problem and I wonder what other people do about managing it? I'm thinking exercises out of the saddle, perhaps going swimming? Perhaps try a different saddle (I ride in a Strada - no idea if it has a narrow/medium or wide twist) or some glucosamine supplements?
Any advice VERY gratefully received.
Pasos are such versatile horses, with such a wide variety of temperaments that there is one to suit most people, and if you don't come away with a Paso Grin, then there other gaited horses to try. 
