Riding with hip / lower back pain

[Lauren1993]

Hi all,

I have back issues
(previous l4/l5 prolapsed disc & surgery - failed & then injected - currently have slight sciatica down right leg but manageable)
I have a wide cob x mare, saddle is great atm but I wondered if there is anything else out there that can help when riding ?
I’ve been looking at the flex-on stirrups, the acavallo ones too. Does anyone have experience with theses & can recommend?
Also the acavallo seat saver - I’ve heard good things about this too … worth the money ?

Anything to help on long hacks (we don’t do anything crazy these days, just general riding)

Thank you

 

[Trouper]

Have had L5/S1 fused and L2/L3 decompressed. Acavallo gel out seat saver really helps - plus keeping up with the back strengthening exercises of course -( yawn)

 

[Red-1]

I have L4/5 issues too. Plus hip/ SI pain. X rays surprised the Dr. as they though my hips would be arthritic, but they weren't on X ray.

The fact that I also had tight psoaz (sp?) didn't help as it tilted my spine and increased the compression.

The Pilates for horse riders was revolutionary. Realigned my spine and cut the pain by more than half. I have neglected it of late and have pain again.

I also found having a blood test for vitamin deficiencies was very revealing and cut the remaining pain in half again when I corrected my levels. Cutting sugar was also part of that, decreasing inflammatory response.

I had tried all the seat savers and stirrups I could find and only wish it had been that easy!

 

[Skib]

I was warned not to ride about 24 years ago due to lower spine problems. I dealt with it by avoiding riding cobs and wide, flat backed horses.
My old favourite, Maisie, had poor conformation with a very narrow chest but I hacked her for years and she suited me fine.
Riding rising trot is excellent therapy for a bad back.

 

[mustardsmum]

Heather Moffat gel seat saver can help, but for me, getting Acavallo allupro stirrups made a massive difference for me as my leg is more stable due to the wide tread. I rode with normal irons the other day and there was a palpable difference in how I felt when I got off. I fractured my sacrum on either side years ok so my lower back and base of spine aren’t great as I get older. Swimming and Pilates also help.

ETA: I do have a narrow Forester which I think also helps, personally I would struggle on anything wide. Having said that - I found the Isobel Werth Wintec saddle killed my hips, whereas an Ideal Event saddle was really comfortable for me.

 

[sbloom]

Riding wider horses is an issue that you may not fully get around, and even if you get more comfortable, you can end riding well behind your stirrup bars u fall into a chair seat, which is detrimental to the horse, to a greater or lesser extent.

I recommend my customers to rider Pilates and PT specialists like Equimech in NI or Pilates at Blue House in Teesside, online programmes (unless they're local to you), individual assessments too as what works for one won't work for another, even if symptoms seem the same.

The gold standard of fitting the rider in the saddle is seldom seen/experienced, but it allows the rider to sit in a balance between being narrow where needed, supported where needed, and therefore able to sit with a natural pelvis, spine stacked above, without discomfort or effort. The leg should then be able to drop to get the foot underneath your hip, and the whole leg internally rotated ie the knees forward as much as possible. This helps you and your horse for all sorts of reasons. How far do you think you are from that?

A shock absorbing layer like Thinline can help some, it can be in a pad under the saddle or a seat saver, but either may change other things ie the fit of the saddle for the horse or you, in that order. A seat saver will generally make the saddle wider so you can won on the swings but lose on the roundabouts.

Stirrups can make a difference, for sure, but it's not easy to predict which ones will work for you, even for those of us who specialise in rider fit. Getting the other stuff right first is ideal, then beg/borrow different stirrups to see if they help.

Then we look at how the horse moves, the more they can push up in front and connect properly from ehond the kore comfortable they should be, on average. Horses that are blocked can't get the hind leg through correctly and are more uncomfortable to ride, seen even at the very top levels of dressage.

Of course a good bodyworker for you, physios can be good, mainly giving exercises, but I think the ladies mentioned above can be more in depth, unless you need genuine medical intervention. Osteopaths are often a good way to go.

 

[cornbrodolly]

With hip bone spurs, and also disc & S I problems leading to sciatica , my riding days were over. However, to discover I can ride side saddle has transformed my life.
Its worth giving it a go , might be a life saver for you!

 

[Birker2020]

Hi all,

I have back issues
(previous l4/l5 prolapsed disc & surgery - failed & then injected - currently have slight sciatica down right leg but manageable)
I have a wide cob x mare, saddle is great atm but I wondered if there is anything else out there that can help when riding ?
I’ve been looking at the flex-on stirrups, the acavallo ones too. Does anyone have experience with theses & can recommend?
Also the acavallo seat saver - I’ve heard good things about this too … worth the money ?

Anything to help on long hacks (we don’t do anything crazy these days, just general riding)

Thank you

Had large prolapse L5/S1 years ago.

My horse at the time was very active behind with a bouncy stride. I bought an actually gel pad to sit on top of the saddle and some springer type stirrup irons.

I also used to ride with one of those back supports that fit round your tummy and back.

Also went on gabapentin which is a nerve pain killer and swapped my mattress for a firmer one which helped.

 

[splashgirl45]

I had a painful back(as many horse people do). and really bad hips and had both replaced and one done again I found the flexi stirrups helped me and some saddles are better than others, it’s trial and error but the best saddle for me was a barnsby event saddle I think it was called omega 720 ..

 

[Skib]

I also used to ride with one of those back supports that fit round your tummy and back.

Due to my old age, I always ride in a body protector. May be that had a hidden advantage? Though in this hot summer weather, I think it makes the heat far more of a problem. I didnt ride this week due to heat but have decided that government warnings about old people not getting too hot in summer and not getting too cold and wet in winter are costing me too much in lost rides. I am resolved to ride next week whatever the weather.

 

[blodwyn1]

I have a gel out seat saver acavallo opera stirrups, now have a mw cob and morphine back patches from my pain consultant plus many other drugs! I can ride at walk for up to 45mins anymore and I get knee and back pain.

 

[Kirstd33]

I had a spinal fusion and decompression at L4/L5/S1 and also have a crappy right hip after years of running too far and too fast at a decent level, however 4 years post surgery I’m still riding several time a week. I won’t tile I’m not totally pain free but nothing the odd nurofen doesn’t sort out. I can’t ride anything very wide anymore so my fairly narrow coblet suits me well ans also I use a gel seat saver for longer rides and have flexi stirrups too.
I have to keep up my Pilates and general strength and conditioning also.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I changed to the Total Contact Saddle. Much much better! Especially on my wide coblet.

 

[ozpoz]

For my lower back pain/ hip issues a Smart saddle was a game changer , I can’t ride comfortably in anything else and flex on stirrups help with stability too.
Pilates, yoga, keeping weight off are all important too.