Scoliosis and sitting straight!

Mince Pie

Mince Pie

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Or not... I have scoliosis and my left hip is higher than my right. I do try and sit straight, pull my thigh muscle back so my leg is sitting in close contact, walk without stirrups, pull my legs up so my knees are together over the wither and then slowly drop them down again etc. but I still have issues and pretty much any horse I ride will not bend left!
Is there anything I can do? I see a chiro regularly and he is happy with the state of my back at the moment but this doesn't help when I'm in the saddle!
I would love a go on a simulator but I'm in Cornwall and it would mean an overnight stay to get to the nearest centre and with 3 dogs this is slightly impractical. Please help!
 
I didnt want to read and run, but I'm not sure there is anything more you can do. If your structurally crooked exercises etc arent going to correct it. Could you try having one stirrup higher than the other to make sure that even though you are wonky you sit straight?
 
What about trying a gel out seat saver (the sticky one) as that might help keep hip in place better.

Otherwise what about riding with one stirrup shorter on other side, so you end up sitting level?
 
I have terrible scoliosis (at the bottom)! I notice more in gym classes how crooked I am as when you have to hold up your foot behind you to stretch I can pick up the left and not the right.
My horse is pretty crooked too which doesn't help things, I have found riding bareback the best thing as you cant get away with anything or you slide off lol! I know some people would not like riding bareback but once I got used to it I actually prefer it now as I can sit straighter and it does absolute wonders for balance and feel for the movements.
My old instructor always made me ride with a top that had a zip all the way down the front and I had to keep it in line when straight so it was obvious if I was tipping at all, that really helped also.
Other than that you need to work on your strength and balance as much as possible, it might never be perfect which I accept mine wont ever be but the more you work at it to improve the better it is. If I ride a lot and don't do anything else workout wise I would really struggle.
 
Thank you, will find a PT and have a chat with them. I need to really work on my core as have been out the saddle for 2 years!
 
I have mild scoliosis and have found Pilates to be the best thing to straighten me out. Straighter I am, of course the better I ride.
 
Have you tried yoga?

I'm very wonky (buggered disc in my back) and regularly see a Chiro but have found that yoga has helped hugely. I'm by no means straight in the saddle, but much better than I was
 
Farma said:
I have terrible scoliosis (at the bottom)! I notice more in gym classes how crooked I am as when you have to hold up your foot behind you to stretch I can pick up the left and not the right.
My horse is pretty crooked too which doesn't help things, .
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This is why it is so important to have regular physio for both horse and rider. You can't change an irregularity of either horse or rider, but a good physio or practitioner will be able to work with both horse and rider and try to do the best they can. I have the same person for both myself and my horses (McTimoney) - and find it invaluable. If I am crooked and/or need a treatment, then that will be reflected in my horses' way of going, and my practitioner will be able to look at us both as a whole unit and tackle the problem accordingly.

Also OP you may find that your saddle fitter may be able to help by adjusting the flock? But make sure they're a SMS accredited fitter and know what they're doing.
 
I would love to but its not my pony! I have very kindly been allowed to ride a friends pony as I am a little smaller than her and beastie in question is a little 13.3hh NF. Although I'm also riding her other horse and he is the one most reluctant to turn left/pick up left canter, yet will happily do so with the other riders. Pony will do anything I ask of him on either left or right rein. I'm a bit baffled by the whole thing but I know my pelvis is definitely out but can't get to see the chiro for another 2 weeks.
Owner is a BHSAI so will ask her to look but she's on holiday at the moment and I'm keeping both horse and pony ticking over, along with one other sharer who is still novicey so is walk/trot/cantering but not working them correctly. I don't want the owner to come back and have to fix faults in either of them due to me being wonky! Also it's just bugging the hell out of me!
 
well first of all - we are all crooked to a certain extent! Some of us more than others of course and with a skeletal problem such as yours there is only so much physio and chiro work that can be done. It will definitely help but you may always have some issues riding to the left.

Then we have to add in the horses asymmetry too which again they all have to some extent or other.

Your saddle fitter may be able to help - OK, you don't want to / can't change the saddle flocking but there are other options such as a corrector pad with asymmetric shims but you will need help from your saddle fitter to set that up
 
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Wheels said:
well first of all - we are all crooked to a certain extent! Some of us more than others of course and with a skeletal problem such as yours there is only so much physio and chiro work that can be done. It will definitely help but you may always have some issues riding to the left.

Then we have to add in the horses asymmetry too which again they all have to some extent or other.

Your saddle fitter may be able to help - OK, you don't want to / can't change the saddle flocking but there are other options such as a corrector pad with asymmetric shims but you will need help from your saddle fitter to set that up
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Thank you, presumably the pads would have to come off when the owner rides? I will ask her if I can do something like that as it can't be good for the horse/pony. Is there something like a seat saver which can be made higher on the left side than the right?
 
I am trying to find a pilates class. I am also doing a little at home most days as I used to do it so remember a few of the exercises, I do a mixture of pilates and yoga for about 10-15 minutes.
 
Mince Pie said:
Thank you, presumably the pads would have to come off when the owner rides? I will ask her if I can do something like that as it can't be good for the horse/pony. Is there something like a seat saver which can be made higher on the left side than the right?
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I haven't heard of anything like that but you could make something up I.e. Get a standard seat saver and stitch a pad in on one side - like a thin piece of foam or some fybagee or similar?

And yes if you used a correction numnah set up for you then the owner could just use a different numnah.

The seat saver with pad for you would be better for the horse I would think
 
Mince Pie said:
I am trying to find a pilates class. I am also doing a little at home most days as I used to do it so remember a few of the exercises, I do a mixture of pilates and yoga for about 10-15 minutes.
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Youtube is brill for at home pilates / yoga classes. And they are free!
 
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