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Horse riding and LS - is there any hope?

Posted , 22 users are following.

Dressagediva
Dressagediva

Hello, I am a 48 year old woman who was diagnosed with LS four months ago, having been suffering with increasing symptoms for over a year.  I started menopause early, aged 43 and as a result of a routine blood test for this also discovered that I have an underactive thyroid so take levothyroxin daily.  I've been managing the LS reasonably successfully in terms of daily comfort and sex life but as you can tell from the title of this post, I am an equestrian and this is where my real problem lies at the moment.  I have two horses and until several months ago rode at least 6 times a week.  As my symptoms were progressing and before diagnosis I tried everything to relieve the pain - vaseline, feminine pads, gel filled saddle savers etc.  If I space my rides and only go for a light hack I'm fairly ok, but any serious riding and I'm wrecked afterwards.  I have just purchased some cycling shorts with what was described as a 'perineal relief' pad in the gusset area - hoping I could put these on just before riding and take them off again if they help.  I have also gone so far as talking to a saddler (male, so that was fairly embarrassing) about the possibility of using a gel pad with a hole in the middle on top of my saddle.  He is having a think, but there are lots of ergonomic issues with balancing on top of a horse which also have to be considered.   Does anyone else here manage to ride (or even cycle) successfully using remedial padding or accessories of any description or am I facing a life without horses?cry

 

2 likes, 74 replies

74 Replies

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  • lyn4668
    lyn4668 Dressagediva

    Posted

    I love to ride bkes.  Last year when this started i was going for long bike rides everyday and swimming n a chlorinated pool.  Not sure which, if either, caused the problem but the last time i biked with the gel insert shorts i still became very inflamed.  Since we have our own pool i want to keep swimming and hope a barrier cream like desitin will do it.  But if this is lp am afraid to swim because that can be body wide.  Any i n put would b appreciated  Only can imagine how horse riding would affect it
    • Guppy007
      Guppy007 lyn4668

      Posted

      I have my own pool and have had no problems.  However the pool is well maintained, and only myself and my husband really use it.  I think once you start letting other people use it, especially with children it can get a bit icky.  I think if you are having problems maybe you should check that your pool maintenance is good, or it may be of course that you are just sensitive to chlorine, everyone is different. .
    • hanny32508
      hanny32508 Guppy007

      Posted

      If it would be UV filtered water, instead of chlorine chemicals .... it's the chemicals that do me in, I think.  Public swimming pools are out for me.  So are lakes, due to possible bacteria.  
    • Guppy007
      Guppy007 hanny32508

      Posted

      I agree.   you have to be very careful...my daughter has just moved out into her own place which has a communal pool and when we visit she always tries to make me have a swim, but it just looks dreadful, I actually know that I would have some serious problems if I swam in it.
  • UlliS
    UlliS Dressagediva

    Posted

    I am addicted to horse back riding and I refuse to give it up, even though it is sometimes very hard. My former doc thought I was crazy doing it. I use padded bicycle pants and sometimes also a saddle gel par on top of the saddle. Further, a combination of vaseline and a tar-zinkpaste called Inotyol in a thick låter is helpful. Even so, from time to time, I have to adjust my riding and skip sitting trot which is the hardest element. It also depends a lot on the horse and the saddle. A big trot can kill you. For some period I rode iceland horses that have such smooth ways of moving and at that time I almost experienced no problem. But I like Classic riding better. Good luck! I an very interested in all advice, tills etc, since I am determined to continue wuth this hobby.
    • UlliS
      UlliS

      Posted

      Sorry for the misspelling. My telephone is nuts.
    • nanci14851
      nanci14851 UlliS

      Posted

      h

      Hi Ullis! I am desperately trying to continue riding even with my LS. i am not having a flare up at this particular time but because of fusing and a recent surgery my vulva is pretty sensitive. Do you think riding could bring on a flare up? Could it also hasten the reabsorption or fusing?

  • kate207
    kate207 Dressagediva

    Posted

    i did a lot of competitive dressage (only at riding club level i admit) and always used a long stirrup even when hacking. I found it impossible to continue and eventually retired my horse. I was so depressed! I don't think people realise how much your sport means to you. I used to help out at shows but gave up because I had to stop and cry with frustration and jealously on the way home. One of the problems is that you can't very well broadcast to the riding community at large why you've stopped riding!

    Last year I started riding once or twice a week for 30 mins at a time on a bareback pad. This worked quite well because it made me sit well back off the probkem area and the friction from the rising trot was reduced. However, I had to have my pooor cob put to sleep before Christmas as he had Cushings disease and started to colic badly, and cant really justify buying another for this level of riding.  I'd be really interested in finding out about the endurance saddle, this looks like an option.

     

    • Dressagediva
      Dressagediva kate207

      Posted

      Hi. I am so sorry you had to stop riding and to hear about your cob (I have a cob too) and know exactly what you mean about feeling miserable watching everyone else... I have a saddler friend currently working on a remedial saddle pad and if it helps I will let you know. In the meantime have a look at WOW saddles - they have lots of different seat styles and one is called a 'channel seat' which looks fantastic. 
    • kate207
      kate207 Dressagediva

      Posted

      Thanks for that, will do. I have a friend who's a mere 74 and has to replace her old pony, so we're thinking of doing a share, which might work well if we can find the right pony/cob. I've also started volunteering with a carriage driving for the disabled group, which has involved new skills (that driving tack is tricky!), new friends and a sharp lesson in not giving way to self-pity when you see what some people have to put up with!

       

    • Dressagediva
      Dressagediva kate207

      Posted

      Indeed, self-pity is a paralysing trap. Good luck with your pony shopping - quite a stressful task in itself. I'm hoping to have a prototype seat saver in the next few weeks. My cob is on box rest with a ligament injury and fortunately my ID is shared with my OH so he keeps him ticking over. What part of the country are you in out of interest? I am in Oxfordshire.
    • kate207
      kate207 Dressagediva

      Posted

      I'm in Ireland, in Wicklow, just south of Dublin. We're not going to buy this time, we're looking at rescues, semi-retired etcs - I know from the BHS magazine that you've got the same problems as we have with abandoned horses, its a question of seeing what's out there. We'd both be happier giving a home to something that mightn't be stunning but needs lots of TLC. There's also a lot of people moving on to something more competitive and needing a home for an old friend -we've one offer who is ideal in every way, except he's 16.2 and I'm 5ft, I prefer something about 15hh if possible!
    • lizziewizzie
      lizziewizzie kate207

      Posted

      oh good luck with finding a share. i loaned/shared one of mine and it was a wonderful and bonding experience...with greatest benefit for the horse having extra attention.

      we have a hugh problem here with horses being dumped.

      liz 

    • lizziewizzie
      lizziewizzie Dressagediva

      Posted

      hello there

      thank you so much for your kind comments elsewhere. I 've come back here as I'd love to know how you're getting on. Any progress with the saddle?

      The channel fit sounded like a real possibility. Any news. So hope that you can keep riding.

    • Dressagediva
      Dressagediva lizziewizzie

      Posted

      Hi.  I've got an appointment with a WOW fitter for 22 April to have a go with the channel seat although I have my doubts as apparently it still has a leather cover stretched across it!  The Setzi endurance saddle looks to be the best bet for LS sufferers but the problem there is that they no longer have any UK distributors and you can only order direct from them using photos of your horse!  Not a very secure way to buy a saddle which is not inexpensive.  Also having spoken to some endurance riders who've owned them, whilst they are amazingly comfortable, they don't apear to fit wider horses (like my cob).  I have heard they are now making wide and xwide fits though, so I am in continued email correspondence with them about this.  Not sure about ordering without trying first though.
    • lizziewizzie
      lizziewizzie Dressagediva

      Posted

      thanks for the update.

      I really believe you are going to clinche this. you are clearly determined.

      can you visit the maker abroad with a dummyof your horse's back? i know it sounds cumbersome

    • lizziewizzie
      lizziewizzie Dressagediva

      Posted

      also have you read anita's advice that floridated water was the issue for her? that is si resolvable
    • Dressagediva
      Dressagediva lizziewizzie

      Posted

      I haven't ruled out the idea!  Yes I saw the comment about the water.  Interesting.

       

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