How much do you ache and your age

[ElleSkywalkingintheair]

Early 40s, had three knees ops in last year, just spent afternoon sorting fencing (drilling new insulators on, untangling and attaching tape etc) and now can't move My knees have been locking in place after riding since early 30s, the rest of me has stiffened up considerably after all the ops. Knees need to be kept v warm and then I can ride for about an hour at a time so far but hoping soon will be ok to ride longer.

Back is surprisingly good currently, but fully expect it to go at some point as I have a curved spine. Pilates does help but due to knees can't do it currently.

Really could do with a sports massage or two or visit to chiropractor. Also need to embrace warm baths more but after 10 years with bath only and no shower, the novelty of being able to have showers is too much to make me have baths

Also have another condition that means pretty much constant pain (lady one) and can't take anything stronger than paracetamol so pretty used to pain TBH

 

[scats]

Interestingly, a part that rarely aches is my robotic leg/ankle

 

[Barton Bounty]

Falling to bits but held together with a strong bit of thread

48.. osteoarthritis, a bit of rheumatoid, joint hypermobility and a brain tumour but all in all great

 

[Spotherisk]

Mid 50’s, not ridden regularly for over five years and sold our feed merchants eight years ago, not doing heavy lifting and not riding has been a huge benefit.

My left hip is knackered though, from when Tinner dropped me on the road some years back. I have minimal rotation in it really, and have just changed my car to an auto which is helping hugely.

 

[ArklePig]

33, riddled with arthritis and have a bad back. Ended up giving up riding all together about 2 years ago but holding out hope to start again once I settle on my meds.

 

[rara007]

33 and yup. I lose feeling in my outer feet if I ride anything too wide or with too long stirrups, but that’s via painful phase from 5-25min in. I feel old!

 

[Sprout]

I am 60+, broken many bones, had disastrous knee surgeries, got HMS and CRPS, currently waiting for Spinal surgery and double knee replacements … in a lot of pain and unable to do much at all.
Hoping I will be bionic, when surgeries finally go ahead!

 

[paddy555]

70 and don’t really notice it. Ride most days and still get off on rides to do gates that don’t open.
No pain really which is surprising as my gran was totally crippled with arthritis so assumed I would imherit it but so far so good.

Don’t go to the gym or anything and think I have just kept fit from doing a lot of physical work. Age is just a number.

 

[gallopingby]

70 and don’t really notice it. Ride most days and still get off on rides to do gates that don’t open.
No pain really which is surprising as my gran was totally crippled with arthritis so assumed I would imherit it but so far so good.

Don’t go to the gym or anything and think I have just kept fit from doing a lot of physical work. Age is just a number.

I agree paddy, age IS just a number, was speaking to my sister earlier today. She’s 69 and seems to ‘enjoy’ ill health, has frequent GP/ Optician appts and almost seems to expect things to be wrong. I just bash on regardless. I think a lots to do with the way you tackle stuff and your expectations of life.

 

[planete]

77, still riding but my problem is dwindling stamina. I have no problems with mounting and dismounting but now have to limit my rides to half an hour, mostly in walk. I also have abdominal scars and adhesions and they can cripple me for days if I overdo things.

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

Nuromol has become my friend lol.

 

[lynz88]

36 and I'm firmly in the everything aches camp especially lately. Collarbone on my left side isn't in the correct spot (my mom fell down stairs with me in her arms and fell on me when I was a very tiny baby) so messes with my shoulder which impacts my back/scapula area, neck, deltoid, and bicep. Vertebrae in mid back keeps popping out of place which puts significant strain on all the connectors of and all down my QL. Hips/pelvis out of alignment thanks to a kick many years ago which puts everything else out of alignment and usually unable to fully use left side of abdominals (vertebrae issue also causes this). Piriformis gets agitated and irritates sciatic nerve fairly often. If everything is out of place then I am also suseptible to tennis elbow. I used to have significant SI pain but through chiro/physio I don't have this anymore at all.

Things have been better when I do my stretching and mobilizations regularly but not always. It depends on what my internal structures are/aren't doing and depends on how I've been moving/compensating.

I think, as someone else mentioned when I was scanning through, us horse people are generally bad at stretching. But I also think that dealing with a large animal that we fall off of, get kicked, bitten, arms ripped off from a spook/whatever while leading said horse, etc. also significantly contributes to our aches and pains.

 

[CastlelackSportHorses]

36 here, have arthritis in right knee after one too many horses falling on it,little to no cartilage left in it.
And had my lower spine injected 2 years ago due to facet joint degeneration and 2 bulging discs. Some days are better than others, I do find that certain horses gaits really aggravate my back tho.
Had a near rotational fall showjumping March last year and obliterated my AC joint in left shoulder, hospital never coped it on xray so have been dealing with that healing badly since, it was injected before summer but still painful and ugly to look at, consultant wants to operate but i cant fathom 3 months out of the saddle just yet, specially when Im due a Total hysterectomy soon and will be out of action for 6 weeks.

 

[paddy555]

I agree paddy, age IS just a number, was speaking to my sister earlier today. She’s 69 and seems to ‘enjoy’ ill health, has frequent GP/ Optician appts and almost seems to expect things to be wrong. I just bash on regardless. I think a lots to do with the way you tackle stuff and your expectations of life.

totally agree. Just got to get on with it. When I broke my ankle all my horses (about 10 at the time) were trained to crutches within a couple of days. They became very careful of me at our new very slow speed.

 

[tda]

Blimey I feel quite healthy after reading all these replies!
55, and no pain just lack of feeling/movement due to MS. Like everyone else, we just bumble along

 

[cornbrodolly]

I m 69 - just have to keep going!

 

[tda]

View attachment 147493
I m 69 - just have to keep going!

I need to try this with my pony

 

[Archangel]

View attachment 147493
I m 69 - just have to keep going!

Fabulous.

 

[Barton Bounty]

View attachment 147493
I m 69 - just have to keep going!

Love this what a smart looking horse

 

[Fransurrey]

I've been stiff and achey since a teen, too. Also hypermobile (fingers and knees). Haven't done any competitive riding to speak of, so can't blame that.

 

[First Frost]

I'm 56 and have ridden my entire life. Probably ride 4 times a week at the moment plus mucking out, poo picking etc for 2. Riding doesn't make me stiff or sore at all. I can happily ride out at a fast pace for over 4 hours. But after a torn ACL 4 year ago walking on uneven ground is crippling for my knee. I', also a bit achy if I sit or stand still for too long, best to keep moving!

 

[Mrs G]

Female, 45, bad back but increasingly stiff and creaky everywhere! My horse will be stabled overnight in a couple of weeks and yesterday whilst hacking him out on a lovely little ride, instead of enjoying it I was sobbing thinking of the pain and stress the winter will bring; mucking out, bending to fill haynets, lugging water buckets around, getting pulled about by a large hangry TB in the cold and rain. Wail.

 

[Cobwithattitudebackagain]

Agree @daffy44 with the Pilates. Nearly 65 here. Joys of getting old! (Thank goodness we are able to feel) Slipped discs make me stiff and I tore my rotator cuff in January and still get a lot of jip from that-have had physio but waiting for MRI scan. Do HIIT and weights . Also try and do warm up/cool down Pilates move after these and really feel better (for a little while) after these. A sedentary job does not help either. Thank goodness for the horses making me move to look after them at both ends of my working day

 

[dorsetladette]

40 with Dodgy hips here (probably a technical term but I can't remember). I've been doing really well with sitting straight in my chair and in my car when driving. I try to remember to stretch before I ride but this (in my head) is mostly because I don't sit straight on the horse if I don't stretch first so it's to benefit the horse rather than me.

My biggest problem is I compensate when my left hip hurts which causes back ache and then sciatica kicks in which makes you compensate more so becomes a repeating cycle. I've had this issue since my early 20s but after a car accident 8 years ago I've had to be really careful. The rehab from the accident gave me a good understanding of how to manage the pain and my posture which I didn't really understand previously.

I struggle most when it's cold but I've learnt to wrap up warm before it becomes an issue now.

Dismounting can be an issue. When it's cold I swing my leg forward rather than back an slip off down the side. I just have to remember that my pony is only 12.3hh! the ground comes up and gets me far to often.

Everything aches a little more than I remember now - the joys of menopause!

 

[Jenko109]

This is a good post.

Despite the negativity of the term, it is true that misery really does love company.

35. Some arthritis in one of my ankles which has a degree of daily discomfort. It can affect how long I can walk, but i usually manage an hour just fine. Longer on good days.

I see a chiropractor monthly and a regular physio to help maintain flexibility.

Horse riding thankfully does not hurt at all (although I just doss about hacking) and i try and do some low impact exercise like spin classes or swimming.

 

[FlorrieBrown]

I'm 70 and ride 3-4 times per week, mostly just happy hacking with a bit of light school work. Horse is on full livery, so I don't have all the heavy horsey lifting to do, but I look after a disabled husband, run and house and garden etc, so do a lot of physical activity of one sort or another. I don't jump or compete in any way. My lower back is starting to make itself known after riding, and both my hands (thumb and finger joints) are creaking a bit, but otherwise I'm not too bad. I have recently started taking a high dose joint supplement and an omega oil capsule daily and that does seem to have helped a lot.

 

[Archangel]

64 and on the plus side - still strong and resilient.
On the negative side - every single one, of my horse and mountain bike related injuries have caught up with me

I reckon if an archeologist digs up my remains in 100 years time they will look at all my broken bits and announce that I died in battle

Current horse will be my last one though which is very sad, I've owned horses since I was 19.

 

[Sealine]

Another vote from me for pilates. I'm 57 and have suffered from lower back pain since a riding accident when I was 15. I've also broken my knee and suffered another knee injury on the same knee and I've had a few nasty falls. I started pilates about 10 years ago on the recommendation of a physio who was treating my bad back. I could barely walk at the time. I still suffer some back and knee pain but Pilates keeps me moving and reasonably pain free. Having a strong core and knowing how to use it means I use my lower back muscles less. I have a desk job but my horse is on DIY livery, I enjoy dog walking and until 3 months ago I was riding 5 days a week although it was only light hacking. I find riding in walk is good for my lower back as the gentle movement is a bit like a massage. I gave up hunting about 3 years ago but towards the end I was struggling with knee pain despite using Sprenger stirrups due to the amount of cantering in a two point seat. My reduction in riding has been forced on me due to my horses health and not due to my health.

 

[welshcobabe]

Coming in at 64 hacking 3 to 4 times a week an hour or so each, mucking out daily, dog walking daily, do have a frozen shoulder takes a minute to straighten up after been sat working Ok on the horse he is only 15hands so hold onto the neck strap as I dismount but can still throw my leg over no problem but i am only short. Take a pain killer or two if needed but get by without most of the time I think it keeps me fit and non horsey friends sometime younger than me have more aches and pains. Keeping going is the key sorry to hear you others are in pain but admire you all for keeping going.

 

[splashgirl45]

I’m 78 and have had 3 hip ops, arthritis in shoulders, and elbows, now one of my knees has started aching was riding 5 to 6 times a week at 72, then had a break and started riding again but had an accident which caused a brain bleed and as I’m on blood thinners hospital advised against any sport where I could fall… still walk my dogs every day for at least an hour and also have sciatica which is not pleasant. Would still be riding if I didn’t have my dogs as I don’t want to leave them so not prepared to risk a fatal fall