Pain in lower leg when riding?

Sayra

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 April 2010
Messages
505
Location
Just for SS info: Peebles
Visit site
Just wondering if anyone else gets this or has any advice/suggestions as to what I can do about it.

When I ride I get a pain in my lower leg from my ankle bone (the sticky out bit) up the back/side of my leg to about halfway up my calf. The pain goes in a straight line. It hurts after riding for a short time and no matter what I have been doing i.e. walk only, walk and trot, cantering/jumping all the same.

This has always happened to me - when I rode twice a day every day to now when I ride very rarely. I have tried stirrups at different lengths, no difference. It does not happen if I ride bareback/no stirrups.

It is very painful and sometimes I can hardly do rising trot, once I get off the pain goes fairly quickly (about an hourish).

If I were to see someone about this for advice then who do you think would be best? Doctor, sports person??

Thank you :D
 
Without seeing you I would say from what you discribe you have damaged you achillies tendon. No point going to a doctor, they are useless. Go see a physio or a sports massage therapist.
 
Thank you, I did wonder if it was a tendon thing as I also have had problems with my wrists in the past, much better now that I use a computer at work rather than writing in school. A work collegues wife is a sports physio so maybe I shoud ask him/her.

Its something I always thought I shoud do something about but forget as it only affects me when I ride and because it has always happened. Today though after being out a hack on a friends horse on the way home we went into trot and one of my legs was so sore/weak feeling that I couldn't rise at all. My leg felt like it jsut couldn't support me.
 
Last edited:
I have the same in my right ankle
No idea what it is but I have found riding with my right stirrup longer than left eases it a bit...hmmm

It is both my legs but when I am riding once it gets sore I take my feet out for a wee while and it feels better. I used to just ride without stirrups but I don't ride very often now so don't feel as confident to do that now.
 
I think I will arrange to do something about it!! I will speak to work collegue tomorrow and ask if his wife can recommend someone in my area. I will just have to try and keep the memory of the pain in my mind!!
 
I've had the pain that you describe in both my legs and never knew what it was but as it doesn't happen every time I ride and goes fairly quickly I've never done anything about it. My Achilles tendons are slightly too short so that might be the problem.
 
I suffer this as well in both achilles. My friend is a sports massage therapist and she suggested as soon as they start to hurt that feet are taken out of stirrups and allowed to hang downwards for a while. It does help. I had a lesson last summer and pain was so bad I couldn't even mount properly, it gave me a good excuse to work on my sitting trot though as no way could I have risen to the trot. I also have problems with my wrists but I suffer from hypermobility syndrome. Just wonder if that is the cause of anyone elses problems with their achilles?
 
I suffer this as well in both achilles. My friend is a sports massage therapist and she suggested as soon as they start to hurt that feet are taken out of stirrups and allowed to hang downwards for a while. It does help. I had a lesson last summer and pain was so bad I couldn't even mount properly, it gave me a good excuse to work on my sitting trot though as no way could I have risen to the trot. I also have problems with my wrists but I suffer from hypermobility syndrome. Just wonder if that is the cause of anyone elses problems with their achilles?

It does sound like it might be as a few people have mentioned similar pain so if (when) I find out I will let you all know!!

Spike - I did used to ride bareback/no stirrups all the time but I don't have my own horse now and only ride rarely so I am not so confident stirrupless as I used to be! :) but I was great at sitting trot then!!
 
I've had the pain that you describe in both my legs and never knew what it was but as it doesn't happen every time I ride and goes fairly quickly I've never done anything about it. My Achilles tendons are slightly too short so that might be the problem.

Just keep stretching them. Stand on the edge of a step and lower yourself down so they strecth. Dont over stretch but if you do this religously atleast 3 times a day they will stretch and the pain should disappear
 
Top