Riding with ankle arthritis

[Fraggle bells rock]

Bit of back ground, I'm 51 and haven't ridden for about 4 years now..... but the horse bug is returning and I want to ride again. I have ridden since I was 8 years old. Although I don't own my own horses I do have access to some very good friends who have horses, ponies that I can ride.
I was diagnosed with ankle arthritis last year after the normal tests. My cartridge in the affected ankle is very worn and not much use. It is very swollen most of the time and hurts daily.

But I want to ride again so what strapping, etc do people use for a weak ankle. It's my left ankle for reference.

 

[maya2008]

No direct experience but I had a fairly useless left foot for many years that swelled whenever I used stirrups. My solution was a sensible pony and no stirrup on that side (or at all). Getting on, I used a mounting block so again no pressure on that foot.

 

[Gloi]

I have ankle problems. I don't compete these days so I have adapted by riding in some tightly laced hiking boots and having the foot right home in the stirrup (safety stirrup) so I'm not flexing it as I ride. Doing this minimises the pain and I can ride okay. If I ride normally using the ankle as a hinge it is too painful. I dismount using the stirrup and trying to land on my better foot.
The A60 ankle brace I found best but in the end good walking boots were better.

 

[Skib]

riding in some tightly laced hiking boots and having the foot right home in the stirrup (safety stirrup) so I'm not flexing it as I ride..

You can get riding boots that lace up round the ankle like mountain boots but with a smooth riding style sole.
Mine are Mounntain Horse but very old now. You may find others. OH still walks in his Ariats.

 

[View]

I use short boots and half chaps to provide support. Experiment with stirrups to find what works for you, and I do a fair amount without stirrups.

 

[asmp]

Good stirrups will probably help too. I have an ankle that used to ache riding due to having torn the ligaments in it many years ago. I now ride in Acavello AluPro stirrups and don’t notice any aching.

 

[paddy555]

aircast-airlift-pttd-ankle-brace

this inside mountain horse lace up boots. If you need more support you can bandage around the top of the ankle brace to provide this. The MH lace up is a larger boot with a wider base so more area to support your foot and to cater for the ankle brace.
Works with a broken ankle

 

[throwawayaccount]

This is a handy thread. I don’t think I have ankle arthritis as such but I now get awful pain when dismounting ?

 

[Fraggle bells rock]

Thank you all for your replies. Will be ordering an air brace as think that could be quite handy for work as well. Spend 10 hours on my feet.