Issues when riding - what could help

[starry23]

Last time I rode I noticed I'm so uneven

I always thought I was fairly straight when riding (knew I had issues with a dodgy shoulder but that had improved) but I was on a rather round horse and saddle was wobbling all over the shop and kept sliding to one side. stirrups constantly felt uneven and no matter what I did nothing helped.

Got on another pony a few hours later and really concentrated on myself to work out what it could be and realised that my left hip is much more stiff than my right and I cannot open it out to the same extent as my right which means that my right leg essentially appears longer than my left, I put more weight in the right stirrup (side the saddle kept slipping to) etc. After making a conscious effort to stretch it out it was really quite sore that evening. Come to think about it I have issues sleeping on that side because my hip can ache (I never really thought about it much as I that is also the side of my dodgy shoulder so I can't sleep on it much anyway as that hurts). It sounds like I'm falling apart, I hope I'm not, I'm only 26 :/ This must have been going on for ages (years) when I think about it but obviously the horses I've ridden previously just haven't shown up any obvious issues (and have probably been a bit one sided themselves so may have covered up my issues). I did occasionally lose my left stirrup but I've always been (surprisingly enough given what I'm writing) good at no stirrup/bareback work so it never bothered me and I always got it back quickly with no issue.

I am thinking that next month when I have a bit more money (after losing my horse this month I have no money to do much of anything) I will join a gym and go to their pilates and yoga classes as they will both help improve my posture and perhaps help me stretch out and strengthen my hip.

Is there anything else that might help? Physio? I just don't know what the best port of call is, I just don't want to mess up a horse because I'm squinty!

 

[fattylumpkin]

Would definitely recommend yoga it makes you much more aware of your body and your breathing which are great skills for horse riding. The extra flexibility is also a plus! Don't worry OP, it won't take too long at all to limber up most people don't even notice how stiff and uneven they are.

 

[Princess Rosie]

Have you ever had an injury? I've had 5 ops on my left knee and fractured my pelvis a few years back and I have similar issues, I have to work hard so as not to lose my left stirrup in anything faster than trot as the quad muscles in my left leg aren't as developed due to all the recuperation, my left hip also aches lying in bed. I'm going to watch this post with interest, I've thought about Pilates as well to hopefully get me straighter and bit more flexible. X

 

[SadKen]

I've got scoliosis and a wonky right shoulder so I have trouble turning right (well, the horse doesn't understand that I want to turn right, because I don't move my shoulder at all).

I'm off to a physio next week to see what to do (thinking shoulder brace myself). While yoga and pilates are both great, I'd offer a cautionary tale that you've been compensating for a dodgy hip for a while now by the sounds of things, and you might continue to compensate during yoga and pilates, strengthening the wrong muscles if you get me - you might find a physio helps more by making you do it the hard (but proper) way.

 

[Fides]

There's a good Ebook that has helped me called Pilates for Equestrians

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0078XGB4Q?pc_redir=1408924580&robot_redir=1

 

[Fransurrey]

I would go for physio AND yoga/pilates. A good instructor for the latter two will keep an eye on you and correct posture. Most of us are a bit wonky. When my saddle was refitted, it was remarked that the left panel was flatter than the right. Oh dear!

 

[starry23]

Have you ever had an injury? I've had 5 ops on my left knee and fractured my pelvis a few years back and I have similar issues, I have to work hard so as not to lose my left stirrup in anything faster than trot as the quad muscles in my left leg aren't as developed due to all the recuperation, my left hip also aches lying in bed. I'm going to watch this post with interest, I've thought about Pilates as well to hopefully get me straighter and bit more flexible. X

I've had many falls and various injuries (not just from riding), I definitely don't remember falling off and specifically injuring that hip/side or anything that I think may have caused the issues. The main one was a fall which resulted in a broken shoulder (left side) which wasn't treated correctly by the original hospital and required surgery to re-break it and put a plate and pins in. It had been pointed out to me by an instructor that I tended to set that arm when riding if that makes sense so I did a lot of work (and it took quite a bit of effort) to relax that side. I'd thought at the time that it might have made me squint but I always felt quite straight (after I relaxed that arm) and there was never anything else to indicate there was an issue. Losing the left stirrup is a fairly infrequent thing - say if a horse had a big spook or was being a bit daft (although again it felt like a big problem in general rather than on occasion on the round horse I rode the other week) my foot would just slip out the stirrup although I was always able to keep my leg in place and retrieve it with no issue. It's only looking back that I'm realising that it was always the left one, obviously it never happened enough for me to think there was a great problem.

I'm not going to lie, I have a habit of sitting in rather strange ways and not keeping a correct posture. I know my posture is poor if I spend any great length of time sitting at a desk or standing in one spot for a long time (both fairly common occurrences with my job), I'll collapse to one side, sit with one leg tucked under me, slouch etc - I always got told off for stuff like that as a child - wish I'd listened now!

I've got scoliosis and a wonky right shoulder so I have trouble turning right (well, the horse doesn't understand that I want to turn right, because I don't move my shoulder at all).

I'm off to a physio next week to see what to do (thinking shoulder brace myself). While yoga and pilates are both great, I'd offer a cautionary tale that you've been compensating for a dodgy hip for a while now by the sounds of things, and you might continue to compensate during yoga and pilates, strengthening the wrong muscles if you get me - you might find a physio helps more by making you do it the hard (but proper) way.

You are right with that. I'm sure I have been compensating and I can see where you are coming from with the idea of strengthening the wrong muscles etc. I'd be starting with everything right at the beginning anyway and in a months time so hopefully I'll be able to see a physio before then (or maybe not with the waiting lists these things tend to have now).

I don't know if the hip is the problem or the symptom. My left side has always been weaker. I get an achy back after a reasonably active day, I do get clicky/achey joints and have weak knees from an skiing fall years ago (about 12 years ago!) but the knees improved with strengthening exercises. To be honest, I always felt my aches and pains were normal but now I'm starting to think that they aren't and perhaps I should have got them seen to sooner rather than just ignoring them and getting on with things! I suppose this is a warning that I need to take a bit better care of my body!

Will fill in a self-referral form for the physio and see where that takes me. Hopefully an appointment with them in combination with yoga, pilates and my usual gentle exercise will help. I hate feeling like I can't ride, it frustrates me.

 

[starry23]

Oh and thank you all for suggestions, nice to know I'm not the only one with such issues!

 

[Tobiano]

My horse physio has a wonderful service which is that she will look at you riding, then give you physio and advice and exercises to correct your straightness. Maybe there is a horse physio that can do that in your area? They mostly have to have trained to be human physios first to be a horse one. I'd really recommend that if you can find someone.

 

[splashgirl45]

I have had hip problems and know I can be uneven when I ride so I had lessons on a mechanical horse and it really helped me to focus on myself rather than the horse...might be worth a try if there is one in your area..

 

[starry23]

My horse physio has a wonderful service which is that she will look at you riding, then give you physio and advice and exercises to correct your straightness. Maybe there is a horse physio that can do that in your area? They mostly have to have trained to be human physios first to be a horse one. I'd really recommend that if you can find someone.

There is but unfortunately I no longer have a horse and I can only borrow friends to hack on occasion. This isn't something I could do easily although it definitely would make sense. I think if I come to getting lessons again it is something I will mention to any instructor I have and get them to check I'm straight etc. I think I'm just going to have to be seen by a normal physio in a clinical setting and hope that I can put the work in and it will straighten me out a bit and then I can transfer it so my riding won't be affected!

I have had hip problems and know I can be uneven when I ride so I had lessons on a mechanical horse and it really helped me to focus on myself rather than the horse...might be worth a try if there is one in your area..

I think there is but I'm not keen on getting a lesson there (nothing to do with the mechanical horse but for other reasons). I definitely think that I need evened out in general not just on horse-back so hopefully I can sort myself out away from a horse and when I come back to riding it will stop having such an impact on my riding.

In reality, now I don't have my horse and I'm not at a yard anymore, I won't be riding much for the next few years until I maybe get another anyway so I shouldn't worry much and I do have plenty time to sort myself out. The only riding I'll be doing is a little bit on a couple of friends horses/ponies and the odd lesson here and there but certainly not this month.

 

[exmoorponyprincess1]

Physio will treat the muscles which Pilates and yoga etc will help - I would go and see an osteo first to ensure you are "structurally" in alignment so that the muscle strengthening you do will be even Good luck, I'm in the same boat! I see the osteo every 3 months to keep me nice and level!

 

[Emma_H]

I was really wonky after being squashed by my friends lorry.
When riding I always felt like I was tipping to the right and I kept losing my left stirrup.
I went to see an Osteopath and I'm now really straight.
Best thing I ever did seeing him!

 

[starry23]

See now this is something I don't know much about - my friend often goes to an osteo or chiro (can't remember which) to get "straightened out" as she puts it. Surely if I go to the NHS physio they will be able to check all that in an assessment and either treat me or refer me if need-be (it does say they are musculoskeletal so they do bones, muscles, joints)? I can't really afford to go private just now, especially since I'm starting to get the feeling this could take a while to get sorted. Perhaps when it gets to the stage that a 3/6 monthly check up is all that is needed then I could swap but I couldn't afford to pay for a lot of concentrated treatment right now.