WWYD ? Time to hang up my boots ?

[Tiddlypom]

Its Reanne at symbiosis who has been treating me. She made a huge difference at the beginning. Shes very very good

Ah, she's good, isn't she. It was Reanne who suggested that I get booked on a 1:1 Rider Reboot session. I had only heard of RR previously from sbloom's posts on here.

 

[ROMANY 1959]

After I lost weight, I got back on my horse, many years ago. A 17 h ID big boy, wide with bouncy way of going, I just failed to get my balance back, my arthritis played up, a one hour ride would end with 3 days of pain. So I sent big lad to be broken to harness, and in the last week he was at the breakers yard, I went for 4 days to learn basics of driving. I loved it… they sold me a decent used carriage, and for years I tootled about round the lanes, I had a small step ladder to get on and off, and always had a helper, Big lad is with another owner now, as home circumstances changed and I am now full carer to elderly parents. Worth a go. And concentrate on breeding , which I imagine is less stress till foaling day

 

[phizz4]

One, you aren't too young to have a hip replacement, my friends wife has had both done in the last 12 months and she's younger than you. Two, pay to see a specialist at a private hospital, it's worth the 200 pounds to get a second opinion. Three, don't give up trying everything, something will work eventually.

 

[Xmasha]

One, you aren't too young to have a hip replacement, my friends wife has had both done in the last 12 months and she's younger than you. Two, pay to see a specialist at a private hospital, it's worth the 200 pounds to get a second opinion. Three, don't give up trying everything, something will work eventually.

I think you are right. I will push for a private appointment. Thank you

 

[Sealine]

Another who thinks you aren't too young for a hip replacement. A friend had one hip replaced aged 51 and her other hip done earlier this year aged 54. They used to say replacement hips had a life span hence saying people are too young but I don't think this is true any more. I know my friend had a ceramic joint which I believe has a longer life of up to 40 years.

ETA: Both of these were done on the NHS.

 

[AnShanDan]

Just adding that I know 2 people who've recently had hip replacements in their 30s (rugby player) and 40s (rider).

 

[tda]

Agree with everything that has been said, back to the Drs and kick some ass!

 

[Marigold4]

A couple of years ago I bought a very wide connemara mare as a project while my youngster was growing up. She was built like a Highland cow. Lovely, lovely temperament but she made my hips hurt terribly. It wasn't too bad when I was riding but I had to crouch down with pain when I got off. I went to physios, osteos, did all sorts of stretches. Nothing helped. In the end, I had to sell the mare. She went to a yoga instructor who is very bendy, stretchy and she's been fine. My youngster is now just about rideable and much narrower and so my hips are pretty OK. While I was on the mend, I bought a new mattress - very expensive but it has made a world of difference.

 

[Trouper]

Another here who would advocate getting a second opinion before you make any life-changing decisions. I know some doctors who regard riding as just a dangerous sport and often don't realise that for us it is the stuff of life.
I would, however, do some careful research first and find the best person to see to advise you - particularly if you can find someone who is very orientated to the sports world. It would then be worth paying for a private consultation if you can. I have a rubbish spine but my consultant is always very encouraging to "go for it" providing sensible precautions are taken.

Fortunately I do not have hip problems but I do have narrow hips and find riding any cob shape troublesome. However, riding a 17hh ID was no problem so I am not sure it is merely a question of switching breeds - especially if you are lucky enough to breed your own!!!

I hope you can find some more encouraging answers soon.

 

[Lucky Snowball]

Lots of ideas to consider. I’m sorry to hear about your situation and hope you find a solution.

 

[ponynutz]

Haven't read the full thread, sorry, but my mind instantly went, 'You should learn to drive'. Might be fun and would be something you could do (I think; am no doctor).

Sorry to hear you've had that news

 

[wren123]

Definitely a second opinion.
I've had two friends have hip replacements done privately by this woman, Miss Sarah Muirhead-Allwood.
She was recommended by one friends gp as the best in the country. Both have been very pleased with the results and wish they had it done years ago.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

I am 73 years old - I had my right hip replaced last October, unfortunately it hasn't been a great success so waiting on MRI to see if I will need a revision. My appointment to have the other hip replaced has now been cancelled 4 times, the one for this month I cancelled for personal reasons.

However, my surgeon has now said he will not replace the left one until he has the right one sorted. Felt very low when I saw him last week but he said he will be doing everything in his power to get me fit for riding again, but I must be patient as probably not before 2023 with this latest set back.

I had mused over selling all my tack (already sold my big broad IDX back to his previous owner) but thinking I might hang on and maybe, just maybe I can find something somewhat smaller and thinner to plod about on. Afterall, I have been riding for 70 years, what's another year or so to wait before I can get going again. Plus I still have my much loved retired mare and my two donkeys to tinker around with so not entirely horseless.

Please don't give up, you are so young as so many years ahead of you that you can most certainly enjoy riding again, get another opinion and insist on total hip replacement if necessary. I know so many people who have had both hips done and are back happily riding again, even if a rethink on horse size and shape was needed!

 

[splashgirl45]

Your description of being ‘perched’ on top is exactly how I was before my replacement hips. Once I had done the recovery from the operations I was then riding as I had been when I was young, ‘in’ the saddle rather than perched. I was the most comfortable when I was riding and have recently had to give up because of a serious head injury so I know how devastating that decision is. I have got myself another dog to go with my existing 2 and they are keeping me busy. I had my first hip done when I was 60 and the second one a year later. My surgeon was happy for me to continue riding and I have given up at age 76, which is not to do with hips so I had plenty of comfortable riding which I am very grateful for. If I was you I would push to get a referral to a specialist to see if replacement hips are an option. Good luck

 

[lme]

Asha - Don't give up. You have options. I discovered that my left hip was knackered in my 20s and gave up riding for almost 20 years. In my 40s, I had a Birmingham hip resurfacing op (same one as Andy Murray) and started riding again. Now I am in my early 60s, and our herd is up to 6, including my 17h plus 5yo ISH and my right hip is starting to get to the point where I need to do something. I am investigating options, but I don't really want a full replacement. Ideally, I would like to have another Birmingham hip resurfacing but it will be difficult to find a surgeon willing to do one (despite mine being a success and over 15 years old) because statistically women don't do well with them. There's a team at Imperial / King Edwards hospital having success with 3d printed resurfacing units. I may try and go that route. In the meanwhile, I take naproxen before I ride, have my stirrups shorter than I used to, always use a jumping saddle and dismount by throwing my leg over my saint of a mare's neck. you. I tried physio, but the bone spurs restrict my range of motion massively, so I try and stay within that.

 

[Spotherisk]

I(literally) feel your pain. I’ve given up riding, I’d ridden less for a year or so then when I tried again it was absolute agony, even just a ten minute hack had me in tears of pain, and then being stuck on the horse as the pain was too much to move.
I don’t have any answers, but for anyone who is on a nhs waiting list please please try Practice Plus - https://practiceplusgroup.com/our-services/hospitals/ till nhs although they do private too, but they are treatment centres not hospitals and therefore waiting lists are not a problem - aged mother has had three joint replacements at Shepton Mallet and hasn’t waited more than three weeks for any of them.

OP - best of luck, and if you find a magic fix please let me!know!

 

[Pmf27]

I would go back, with someone else to help (ideally someone not afraid to stand up for you if you are struggling with info overload) and try to see whether a hip replacement is an option. I know lots of people who have had NHS hip replacements who are your age or younger, one of which is currently climbing Kilamanjaro.

I have a tilted pelvis after one too many falls and thus my right hip no longer fits in the socket, so I wouldn't imagine my surgery would be simple either. They want to do a triple pelvic osteotomy (break the bones around the hip socket, rotate it back to where it should be and then pin it back together), and a hip ball replacement. So I'm sure there is a way around it. I was originally fobbed off with being told that I could have a prescription for serious opiate drugs and being told not to ride or do anything to aggravate it at 24yo, as I was also too young to have a replacement; with a view to re-assessing when it was unbearable.

Initially I accepted this as my sentence, however from speaking to family I went back to the doctor and advocated for myself a little more sternly. I understand that it's difficult, and I am succeptible to being meek with doctors due to them having so much knowledge and me respecting the profession, however you have to remember that they are there to serve your best interests and not refuse reasonable treatment. It's easy for them to dismiss a serious surgery in favour of just giving up what exacerbates the issue as the preferable and lower risk option, but they are also not horse people, and if they were told to give up their reason for living they might start to consider surgery too.

If people can have nose and boob jobs on the NHS due to 'anxiety', then you should be able to have a choice in treatment for a potentially life limiting problem.

Definitely agree with this and everyone else who has suggested getting a second opinion.

So sorry to hear that you are going through this xo

 

[Lois Lame]

Oh dear. On this basis I would give up personally. I cannot believe it is worth the pain. I'd be looking at other ways to get my horsy fix...

I think the same. Astride riding is out IMO.

But, there is side-saddle, as was mentioned. This is definitely worth a shot. And breeding, how great. You could still hope for producing your next riding horse.

Meanwhile... you have plenty of time to make sidesaddle second nature.

 

[Xmasha]

Asha - Don't give up. You have options. I discovered that my left hip was knackered in my 20s and gave up riding for almost 20 years. In my 40s, I had a Birmingham hip resurfacing op (same one as Andy Murray) and started riding again. Now I am in my early 60s, and our herd is up to 6, including my 17h plus 5yo ISH and my right hip is starting to get to the point where I need to do something. I am investigating options, but I don't really want a full replacement. Ideally, I would like to have another Birmingham hip resurfacing but it will be difficult to find a surgeon willing to do one (despite mine being a success and over 15 years old) because statistically women don't do well with them. There's a team at Imperial / King Edwards hospital having success with 3d printed resurfacing units. I may try and go that route. In the meanwhile, I take naproxen before I ride, have my stirrups shorter than I used to, always use a jumping saddle and dismount by throwing my leg over my saint of a mare's neck. you. I tried physio, but the bone spurs restrict my range of motion massively, so I try and stay within that.

Thanks lme. Im the same, its the bone spurs that are restricting how wide i can open my legs. My left leg just literally wont go wide enough anymore. Which is why the physio gave up and told me to go back to the hospital. The 3d resurfacing sounds very interesting, iwill look into that. Ive started looking for private doctors and reading their profiles is a bit bamboozling so i guess i should look for ones that have done this.
Hope you get your ight hip feeling better x

 

[Xmasha]

I(literally) feel your pain. I’ve given up riding, I’d ridden less for a year or so then when I tried again it was absolute agony, even just a ten minute hack had me in tears of pain, and then being stuck on the horse as the pain was too much to move.
I don’t have any answers, but for anyone who is on a nhs waiting list please please try Practice Plus - https://practiceplusgroup.com/our-services/hospitals/ till nhs although they do private too, but they are treatment centres not hospitals and therefore waiting lists are not a problem - aged mother has had three joint replacements at Shepton Mallet and hasn’t waited more than three weeks for any of them.

OP - best of luck, and if you find a magic fix please let me!know!

Sorry to read to are in a similar boat. The 3D resuracing that lme mentions sounds interesting. I will let you know if i can find a surgeon who does that

 

[Xmasha]

Just wanted to thank you all for your comments and suggestions. Im not going to give up.

Plan of action is :
lesson on a narrow horse today. .. this would be plan B,as id rather ride irish draughts
Second opinion ... going to book a private consultation. Going to read up on a few surgeons/ procedures. This is plan A
Plan C .. side saddle
Plan D .. have a go at driving.
Plan E .. come back to HHO and ask for more ideas from you lovely lot. Thank you

 

[catembi]

Well done, Asha! It's great that you've got a plan, and that you're sounding so much more positive! I really hope that plan A works out!

 

[Xmasha]

Well done, Asha! It's great that you've got a plan, and that you're sounding so much more positive! I really hope that plan A works out!

Thanks catembi. 1st step taken.. ive spoken to the team lme recommended. Just waiting for an email from them to get things moving

 

[Xmasha]

I am 73 years old - I had my right hip replaced last October, unfortunately it hasn't been a great success so waiting on MRI to see if I will need a revision. My appointment to have the other hip replaced has now been cancelled 4 times, the one for this month I cancelled for personal reasons.

However, my surgeon has now said he will not replace the left one until he has the right one sorted. Felt very low when I saw him last week but he said he will be doing everything in his power to get me fit for riding again, but I must be patient as probably not before 2023 with this latest set back.

I had mused over selling all my tack (already sold my big broad IDX back to his previous owner) but thinking I might hang on and maybe, just maybe I can find something somewhat smaller and thinner to plod about on. Afterall, I have been riding for 70 years, what's another year or so to wait before I can get going again. Plus I still have my much loved retired mare and my two donkeys to tinker around with so not entirely horseless.

Please don't give up, you are so young as so many years ahead of you that you can most certainly enjoy riding again, get another opinion and insist on total hip replacement if necessary. I know so many people who have had both hips done and are back happily riding again, even if a rethink on horse size and shape was needed!

Sorry your going through all that mrsjingle. I hope they get you sorted very soon . sending hugs xx

 

[PeterNatt]

ASha! Yes go for a Private consultation as it is amazing how much more they can do Privately!
Good luck.

 

[wren123]

https://www.hcahealthcare.co.uk/blogs/qa-with-sarah-muirhead-allwood

Interview with hip surgeon I mentioned earlier where she touches on operating on younger people.

 

[cornbrodolly]

I dont write on here often now , but this is so similar to my situation: I havent ridden now for 18 months because of bone spurs in the hips. I m afraid I wasnt considered for a hip replacement , even privately, because I am pain free for activities such as walking , cycling etc. Nothing has worked for me over the last few years ,such as the various manipulative treatments listed above . The bone spurs just stop your hip moving out - and nothing will alter that - despite promises from therapists
But as riding had become so painful, I dont really miss it. I sold my side saddle years ago [ for me ,S I problems made it painful] , I used to drive and am thinking that 2 Dartmoor hill ponies or similar might be fun to bring on.
We still have horses , one is showing with a pro, my mare is in foal , and there s a youngster to play with. I m surprised that I ve not missed the riding more , but keeping my life filled with horses is nearly as good. Best of luck.

 

[MagicMelon]

If it were me, I would try going on something like CBD oil and also take loads of turmeric (natural anti inflammatory - helps with my back pain), also do lots of yoga/pilates, see if it helps at all. And also like you say Id find a friend with a slimmer build of horse and ride it for a week, see if it helps? If you enjoy riding, I think Id try anything before calling it a day if really nothing at all works. Sounds awful though OP You'd think riding would help the arthritis.

 

[splashgirl45]

Asha - Don't give up. You have options. I discovered that my left hip was knackered in my 20s and gave up riding for almost 20 years. In my 40s, I had a Birmingham hip resurfacing op (same one as Andy Murray) and started riding again. Now I am in my early 60s, and our herd is up to 6, including my 17h plus 5yo ISH and my right hip is starting to get to the point where I need to do something. I am investigating options, but I don't really want a full replacement. Ideally, I would like to have another Birmingham hip resurfacing but it will be difficult to find a surgeon willing to do one (despite mine being a success and over 15 years old) because statistically women don't do well with them. There's a team at Imperial / King Edwards hospital having success with 3d printed resurfacing units. I may try and go that route. In the meanwhile, I take naproxen before I ride, have my stirrups shorter than I used to, always use a jumping saddle and dismount by throwing my leg over my saint of a mare's neck. you. I tried physio, but the bone spurs restrict my range of motion massively, so I try and stay within that.

you are very lucky the BHR has been successful, i had both hips done with this type of hip treatment. i was never pain free and kept telling the consultant every year and nothing was done because the X rays looked ok. 7 years on when the pain was getting much worse in my right hip and the blood tests still showed high levels of chromium and cobalt the new consultant (other one retired) sent me for an MRI scan which showed abnormal wear.. i had to have a THR and he had to use bone grafts as the bone had been eaten away ..the recovery was muc h slower because of the bone grafts after a few months the blood test showed the levels of chromium and cobalt to be normal so the other hip is not behaving the same way. i wish id had THR for both of them at the beginning as people i know say that they were pain free from the beginning, obviously once they had healed from the op.....the THR does cause me a slight pain but nothing like the pain from the BHR.....they now say not to use BHR on women or small men as the joint is too small to cope with it. andy murray is not a small man so hopefully his will be ok for a long time.... so i would be cautious about BHR...good luck and hope you get something done to allow you to keep riding..

edited to say, my horse was wide and i had no problems riding once id had my ops.. so you may not need to change to a narrower horse..

 

[lme]

you are very lucky the BHR has been successful, i had both hips done with this type of hip treatment. i was never pain free and kept telling the consultant every year and nothing was done because the X rays looked ok. 7 years on when the pain was getting much worse in my right hip and the blood tests still showed high levels of chromium and cobalt the new consultant (other one retired) sent me for an MRI scan which showed abnormal wear.. i had to have a THR and he had to use bone grafts as the bone had been eaten away ..the recovery was muc h slower because of the bone grafts after a few months the blood test showed the levels of chromium and cobalt to be normal so the other hip is not behaving the same way. i wish id had THR for both of them at the beginning as people i know say that they were pain free from the beginning, obviously once they had healed from the op.....the THR does cause me a slight pain but nothing like the pain from the BHR.....they now say not to use BHR on women or small men as the joint is too small to cope with it. andy murray is not a small man so hopefully his will be ok for a long time.... so i would be cautious about BHR...good luck and hope you get something done to allow you to keep riding..

edited to say, my horse was wide and i had no problems riding once id had my ops.. so you may not need to change to a narrower horse..

I think experiences such as yours are why the BHR is no longer approved for women. It also requires a surgeon that is skilled in performing BHRs. THRs are much more stsndard.

I backed out of the operation at one hospital because the surgeon who was going to operate did not have much experience of performing BHRs. The team that eventually did mine routinely performed the surgery.

Mine has been fantastic. I was back at work within 3 weeks and have had no issues with it over the past 15 years. I get the mandated annual blood tests but they have been fine.

The new H1 3D printed resurfacing looks interesting. It is still going through approvals though.