Riders with bad backs

[Chestnutmare]

Can you please tell me how you manage with riding and doing daily chores. I have two slipped discs (been like it for about 11yrs) I sold my mare almost 2 years ago (one as she wasn't going to be suitable for what I wanted to do and two as my back has hindered) problem is I cannot get out of my head of me owning another horse but putting it on part livery so all the heavy stuff is dealt with this will be new as I have only ever done DIY or assisted DIY.

All I want to do is hack about, beach rides and occasional fun ride/local shows so not anything flash, I miss being around horses its the lovely cuddles you can have after a tough day in the office, I miss the smell too (husband hasn't) getting covered in bedding/hay/mud etc, it's in my blood to be around horses.

I would have to sell my rare sports car to fund the purchase of horse and get myself a run around car, I love my car loads but even that hasn't stopped the temptation of having another horse.

Those with the issue of a bad back in any form suggest ways to go about it, I had a back support bought from saddlers it helped a little.

I am so confused I know in my heart what I want to do, it's convincing my head to go the same way.

Please help me here

 

[Alliya]

I know what it is like to have back problems it has stopped me riding for nearly 2 years now. Do you know anyone how needs help round their place with there horse someone who is working too much to do there horse justice or someone with young children? instead of committing to full time care of horse yourself and selling your car (i have a classic car) so you get the best of both for you and then later if your back is strong enough you can look for you life long friend

I am just having to let my girl go after 16 years i breed her and it is riding her that courses problems

 

[Shay]

I broke my back in a fall from my horse about 8 years ago now. Although I can ride it causes significant pain. I have a soft brace to wear every day (although I don't...) and a more rigid one to ride in. I can muck out etc, but doing so more than about once a week will also cause pain. I have a fantastic physio who also rides and understands the difference between real life and an ideal!

I sold my horse after the fall - whilst I was still at the "will she / won't she walk.." stage. I do still get my horse fix as my daughter show jumps and events. We only have two horses at the moment because we're in GCSE fugue, we have had as many as 5. They are all on DIY. Thankfully my OH learned to muck out and do all the heavy work.

I know from long experience that much as I wanted to ride it simply didn't prove to be possible long term. It causes too much pain and honestly I don't think I am very good anymore - my balance and core are all gone and I hate that. You may find the same. Obviously don't go off and get a teenage daughter whose horses you can play with - on balance they are far too difficult! But what about something like volunteering for your local RDA or horse rescue? You can still get the fix without the physical pressure - or indeed the cost.

The other thing I looked into - and may yet do when my daughter goes to Uni - is driving. Not the massive 4 in hand stuff - but single scurry. (I'm not into horse beauty contests). I can wear a full brace and still be competitive. Obviously I'd need my OH or to be on full livery to do the heavy stuff. That might be worth thinking about if volunteering somewhere isn't an option or doesn't appeal?

 

[Lauren_abigail]

I don't have a back as bad as yours I don't think, but I have a slipped disc in my back and also fibromyalgia which can be horrendous when it flares up.

I am very lucky in that the girls at the yard help me out a lot if I'm having a bad day (which at the moment are becoming less and less) and are happy to help me muck out and empty wheelbarrows.

My fiance helps out a lot as well, I had a nasty fall a year or so ago and I was unable to move for about 3 weeks due to the pain in my back, Stephen was great in going to the yard and sorting the nag out for me. He is not horsey at all so it wasn't his idea of a great time!

If you can afford to go part / full livery I would do if I were you!

Do you find that riding hurts your back or is it just the stable duties etc? I have also found that strong painkillers from the drs help!!

 

[Chestnutmare]

thank you for the replies I don't get pain from riding it's just the chores more so like lugging heavy wheelbarrows around, filing haynets up, water buckets etc so going part livery would take this strain away so I can enjoy riding. I can afford part livery (I'm enquiring as to pricing in my area and so far have not had much luck in having response) one yard charges £750 a month which is way out of my budget.

I do have access to stables where I live currently but it's not quite the same as having your own furry friend.

 

[MagicMelon]

Have you tried pilates? I did 6 sessions not long ago and my back didn't feel nearly as bad as it usually does day to day (I get general stiffness, twinges and easily pull muscles if I do too much mucking out etc.).

 

[Chestnutmare]

No I haven't, I've had steroid injections and am due to see the surgeon next week to see what the next step would be. I am desperate to get back in the saddle though

 

[FfionWinnie]

If riding doesn't cause you pain then I would go for it. Life is too short for regrets. Do what you can to make it as good as you can.


(As I slope off to look at a second horse )

 

[elisebev]

I hurt my back in a riding accident about 6 years ago now when a loose dog attacked the horse i was riding (at a riding school) and of course he started rearing/bucking and threw me off head first. At first i thought i was fine just the usual post fall aches and pains for a day or two then nothing - until a few months after when my lower back started playing up. Its never really gone away since then. I dont currently own my own horse (havnt since before the accident) but i did nearly buy another about a year or so ago. Decided against her in the end and my back was one of the main reasons. When its bad i struggle with just normal day to day life and i wasnt sure about taking on another horse which apart from the obvious expense would entail all the chores (its bad enough just trying to go to work/do housework) and a lot of extra driving (another trigger) and of course lots more riding

Over the years i have tried physio/chiropractor/accupuncture etc. they have worked to some degree but it doesnt take much to start the pain off again (currently very sore after 3 hrs in a car a couple of weeks ago). I have recently started pilates and that seems to be working. Fortunately im still able to ride once or twice a week and still go on riding holidays. In fact i find that the riding itself seems to help. Just as well as i wouldnt be a nice person to be around if i had to give up riding

 

[BigRed]

I had years of pain with a ruptured disc. In the end I had it removed and the vertebra fused. Best thing I ever did. No further problems. I was back riding properly after 7 weeks.

 

[Fun Times]

My story is similar to bigred's. I had a disc prolapse at L4/5. Rode and worked through it for years in significant pain. Eventually I totally mashed it up trying to do a ODE. Doing that ODE was one of the best things that happened to me. It made the problem so severe that the NHS had to act and I had surgery to remove the disc. My back has never been better. Don't get me wrong, i have to be mega mega careful and I can't do stuff like sweeping or hoovering or carrying heavy things. But I do event my horse. I do pilates and have regular chiro. My horse is on full livery as I could probably muck out once a week but any more than that would cause a problem. So i focus my time and money where I get the most benefits with least pain! I sympathise though, that halfway house where you can still walk but can't do the things you love is difficult to deal with because the NHS are reluctant to help unless its very very bad. Bit rambley, sorry....

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

If the rider has a "bad back" then it is highly likely that both rider AND horse will need treatment of one kind of another, be that physio, Chiropractor, "back person" or what-have-you.

I'm lucky in that my McTimoney lady does both me and the horses, which is an ideal set-up as she can see how my misalignment (I've got one leg slightly shorter than the other - very common this) can and does affect the horse's way of going, and can treat us both accordingly.

Absolutely essential IMO to include the horse in the equation if you're having a "back person" treat you.

 

[NaeNae87]

I don't have any disk problems or anything but my back goes into spasm every now and then. I have had Chiro (did nothing) and Physio (had weekly appointments for 8 months. If I missed one I wouldn't be able to move the next week). What I have found helps is Pilates and Bowen Therapy. If I keep my Bowen appointments and do 30 mins of Pilates daily, I am fine. My back hasn't hurt me in almost 12 months... which is incredible. The physio was talking about potential surgery and braces even though my xrays were clean, which is why I started with Bowen.
ETA: I ride 8-10 times a week and event on my horse and pony. I also do DIY livery at my friends place... If my back plays up I am quite literally in trouble. It's not fun having to rely on my friend to feed and rug my horses for me.

 

[Passtheshampoo]

I've had 3 spinal ops from 2002 to 2008 the last one being to fuse L4-S1. For a few years I bred Irish draughts as wasn't up to riding and my horses lived out all year. Since 2009 I've been back riding and have to say my pain levels are lower when I'm riding regularly. I take steps to make life easier on my back such as only pushing a half full barrow or carrying a half full bucket of water. My stables are matted so less bedding to move around. I always wear a body protector to ride as I find it keeps my back warm and supported plus it makes me feel 'safer'. I only ride sensible horses now and try not to jump ( although I sometimes can't resist the odd log out hacking). My consultant told me in 2008 that I had 10-15yrs left in my spine and he was happy for me to ride so I decided that I was going to carry on doing what I loved albeit as safely as possible. OP if you can afford part livery to help with the stable chores then yes do that and have more time and energy to ride. Good luck and I hope you get back riding soon.

 

[pansymouse]

My friend has a very damaged back as a result of a horse falling on her but she still rides and in fact finds the movement of riding helps her back pain. She has been seeing a chiro who specialises in riders for about 6 months and it has helped her back no end; she still has bad days but her recovery in much quicker and she used a lot fewer pain relief drugs. She mostly copes with yard chores but when she's bad either her husband or I do her horse. One things she did find that helped pre chiro is getting the right saddle - she has a Barrie Swain with a wide seat which has transformed both her horse's action and her riding comfort.

 

[Annagain]

There was someone else on here in Surrey a couple of days ago asking about what to charge a sharer if the horse was on part livery so it was riding only. Could that be something that might suit you? I commented on it so I should be able to find it fairly easily. Give me a minute!

ETA: Found it! Here you go: http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?698808-Just-a-quick-question-re-sharer-charges

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

How about getting a Native pony? Small enough that they aren't going to be a hassle getting on and off, hardy enough to live out so no mucking out etc. and great fun in the process!

She says through a mouthful of hair from her moulting shetlands ...

 

[el_Snowflakes]

Physio exercises 3x a day for me. Keeps the pain as minimal as possible.

 

[Chestnutmare]

this is the same as me just doing the day to day chores driving work (sat at desk for long periods) and then getting up im a stiff as anything. I am sometimes on my all fours at home only naturally as I struggle but I can't get out of my head to have another plod to hack about on and enjoy having a horse again but this time it will be on livery so I don't do all the stable chores (even though I would do this through all the pain) I am in a position where I can afford livery albeit just ha ha but it would be so worth it.

I am hoping something good comes from seeing the surgeon next Friday.

Really appreciate everyones feedback it has helped

 

[Chestnutmare]

If the rider has a "bad back" then it is highly likely that both rider AND horse will need treatment of one kind of another, be that physio, Chiropractor, "back person" or what-have-you.

I'm lucky in that my McTimoney lady does both me and the horses, which is an ideal set-up as she can see how my misalignment (I've got one leg slightly shorter than the other - very common this) can and does affect the horse's way of going, and can treat us both accordingly.

Absolutely essential IMO to include the horse in the equation if you're having a "back person" treat you.

I absolutely agree with you here I have wandered if the horse would be affected also because of me I would not have an issue in having back person out but is it wholly fair on the gee gee? I am so conflicted as to what to do I am not heading into ownership again unless I have thought everything through hence my post to see how others have managed etc.

 

[PollyP99]

I've got slipped discs and a horse in DIY and a 60 mile commute to work! It's the commute that does me in, the stable chores I swear have made my back much better as I'm now stronger. This last winter was my first on livery where I did the stable everyday and I only realised a few weeks ago that my back had been great all winter, I reckon the daily excercise (once I was used to it) helped. Sitting doing nothing is the worse thing you can do, of course I have pain, I have days when I am bent doubled walking across the office as I can't straighten up but those days are fewer now that I'm doing something very physical everyday. Note also that riding most definaltely helps, if I'm struggling and stiff I go for a hack and come back better, I dismount on the mounting block on bad days but usually fine I'm good after a jiggle n the saddle!

Go for it, sadly ours backs are Not going to improve with time, most likely decline and Im not ready to publish my sick note just yet!

 

[applecart14]

I have a bad back caused by falling off my horse and am on 17 tablets a day made up of co-codamol, gabapentin and ibruprofen. I have a slipped disc, which was described by my consultant at the time as being a ‘very large prolapse’ at L5/S1 with a sequestra which was free floating. This was in around 2009/2010 I was offered surgery but declined due to the one in 300 risk of paralysis. I had the facet joint injections instead and these were okay but it’s the tablets that help the most. It’s now been 6.5 hours since I last took them and I ache all over, my back is sore and I feel a little sick so I will take some more. I try to spread them out as much as possible and cut down but it is hard to do so sometimes.
I find that canter (some times of canter like a really bouncy canter) can set my back off as can carrying things like water buckets (I don’t ever do this now) shovelling muck upwards onto a height, and especially dragging things, or pulling things like hay out of a tight bale. I can ride every day and jump competitively as well as fun rides, but I am wary that if I fall off I can trigger another painful few days. I muck out daily and do most of what I could do before.
I am very lucky that I can do what I do, but I know realistically that my time in the saddle is limited, and I do not expect to be riding in another 8 to 10 years.
I use an Acavallo seat gel pad (what wheelchair users have in their chair seats) and I sometimes use a brace especially whilst jumping after a recent fall.
I know I need to lose at least three stone but it is a huge battle to do so and I am not doing very well in this regard. I know this will really help me in the long run.

 

[PollyP99]

I had a nerve block as sciatica was my worst issue, I also had leg weakness where the nerve was compromised but touching wood I've been hip and leg pain free and not taking any regular meds at all despite the prolapse obviously still being there.

I still get a jolt if I walk on uneven ground but I'm counting myself lucky and keeping on going!

Weight is a huge part of back issue and I feel at my best when fit, active and in good weight range.

 

[Chestnutmare]

Since stopping from riding/horses in general I feel I have got bad again and certainly gained weight which I feel affects my back, the facet and sacroiliac injections gave no pain relief what so ever.
I did this at the yard trying to lift a very heavy metal container stupidly and have just 'coped' since but when I lost my horse of a lifetime back in 2009 I was out of horses for a few years, then got a couple of horses on loan which I thoroughly enjoyed and did all the stable chores, haynets water buckets etc in my own style (using long hose for water, haynets always went in wheelbarrow, mucking out I used gloves and bucket then just tided up after, rug changing was OK as horses were not big.

I would be looking for a horse about 14.2hh - 15.2hh as this is what I am comfortable with, I always use mounting block to mount, dismount I jump or slide off usually the action of riding isn't what causes me pain it actually relieves it somewhat I have had lovely saddles to ride in too which I guess helps and hoses that are not joggy or bouncy.

I would look for a happy hacker cob type.. more I read these replies I feel I can actually do it again which is very exciting although not so on my bank account as will need to but EVERYTHING again as I gave it all away thinking I would never be able to ride again.

Will keep you updated as and when a new furry friend is bought.

 

[PollyP99]

Well your criteria and user name are exactly what I ride, 15h chesnut mare and I'm a happy hacker , no great ambition to ever jump again or take on the world just happy to be out in the air.