tight IT Bands

S

silkrider

Member
Joined
18 October 2011
Messages
18
Visit site
Anyone else encountered problem where your legs are so tight that it is physically impossible to get your entire leg around your horse?

After my leg comes out of my hips and around the sides of my horse, it then takes all my might to try to then get my lower leg back around and drape/wrap around my horse. I can barely hold any contact with my lower leg on the sides of my horse, and even at just the walk particularly my left lower leg wants to bobble around the side of my horse (on and off on and off). And at rising trot it really becomes impossible. Sitting trot not quite as bad.

I'm starting riding at 38 years old. I just started a stretching program to see if that might help. Perhaps being 6 feet tall and riding a 15 hand horse is giving me less horse than my leg needs to be able to drape around it?

Was just curious if anybody else has had this problem and if stretching helped? I don't feel secure enough and was thinking that if my lower leg could be stabilized against the horse slightly it would keep it from moving around so much and make me feel better in saddle.
 
Last edited:
If your lower leg can't wrap around is because your tight in your hips, let them go like jelly, don't grip with your knees, and sit up, at 6' you should be able to have an independent seat and get a substantial amount of lower leg on your horse.. good luck
 
Try the old "legs away and back" exercise. This opens up your hips and helps place the legs in the right place.

Would keep up with your stretching exercises, yoga is good, as is a good sports massage.
 
This is a very common problem and yes, stretching will help to some extent but far and away the best remedy is to see a recommended Sports Massage Therapist. Be warned - a good sports massage is not for the faint-hearted and tight IT bands can be VERY painful to treat but the results can be very fast indeed!
 
I'm a sports massage therapist and can do alot of exercises and massages to find where you are tight and then try to help relieve the areas and show you stretches. Your it band is hard to stretch though and would involve rolling over something like a rolling pin at home which is pretty painful but works. But as said they are a painful massage but well worth it!
 
I wonder if you are trying to wrap your leg around your horse when you don't need to. From your knee, your leg will just hang down. It sounds like you are gripping up with your lower leg instead of just letting it hang.

I do think that a bigger horse would take up your leg a bit more easily.

Starting riding later as you have means your hips have become more fixed and time in the saddle and stretching will help that.

If you struggle, a Heather Moffet Hip-bone saver is a great.
 
google myofascial release therapy - Its fantastic. I too had tight IT band and also Psoas muscle that was causing pain and muscle spasm. Sorted within 3 sessions and helped me ride better
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top