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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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  • lizziewizzie
    lizziewizzie Dressagediva

    Posted

    is there a life without horses?

    this has been an uplifting discussion, loving the thoughts about taking on distressed animals. i am down to one retired anglo-arab. have had a cob too...love thoroughbreds.

    looking at maybe driving ponies.

    i really want you to be able to get back in the saddle. there seem to be some great tips here about finding the root cause of this condition. i've just started out on this exploration and it maybe a long haul...but there must be a way? ideas/suggestions for full remission?

    liz

  • lizziewizzie
    lizziewizzie Dressagediva

    Posted

    another thought....there are some cob specific saddle makers in the UK....how about contacting to expressyour preference to buying in the Uk and asking if they'd  consider trialling the same design?
  • kate207
    kate207 Dressagediva

    Posted

    Still no sign of a suitable loan/rescue, but I had a private lesson today in a local yard. I requested and got a sheepskin saddlesaver, wore my oldest softest pair of breeches and very well worn-in underwear and applied some cream just beforehand. I also rode a hole shorter than I'd normally do. Since it was a private lesson it was only 45 mins, and so far no ill-effects. Even one session a week would be so good for the morale. It was a rather nice novelty to be handed a clean tacked-up horse and have it taken away at the end of the ride while i went off for a cup of tea - i could get used to this.
  • lizziewizzie
    lizziewizzie Dressagediva

    Posted

    Hi Dressagediva

    Was wondering how the appointment with your WOW saddle fitter went at the end of April? Any news? Any improvement generally?

     

    • Dressagediva
      Dressagediva lizziewizzie

      Posted

      Sadly my horse has been prescribed another 3 months controlled exercise (walk) introducing trot in very small increments (30 seconds only this week!) so saddle fitting won't work until he is established back in trot and therefore I will have to wait for another month or so at least.  WOW were very helpful but admitted they wouldn't be able to produce a saddle with a completely clear channel, only one covered in leather so not sure that will be the answer, in the meantime I have found coconut oil and Vaseline help immensely and can manage a gentle ride in walk without discomfort. I think this is aided by the fact that my flare up died down as certain stresses in my life were ironed out, so making changes there helped too! 
    • lizziewizzie
      lizziewizzie Dressagediva

      Posted

      oh dear  sorry to hear

      Is he on box rest following an injury? I suppose there's benefit in that timing wise you're both resting at the same  time...and so are well synchronised at least! Brilliant news about the improvements you're experiencing. I have found that quitting gluten and grains has really helped.

      Well done for making personal changes...I'm all curious now.  Relationships?? x

  • pasogirl
    pasogirl Dressagediva

    Posted

    Hi,  I am a 65 year old woman and I have a conditon called vulvodynia.  I am an avid rider and thougth I was going to have to give up riding.    I now ride in a treeless Sensation saddle and the seat is has a custom made channel in it.  The saddles are hand made in British Columbia,  Canada.  Because the seat is detachable it's easy to put a channel in it.  They also made the seat extra thick for me so it suspends the crotch area.  This can be done with any treeless saddle that has a detachable seat.  Nickers saddlery in B.C. has been fantastic in helping me keep in the saddle.  I have also taken the seat off a Barefoot saddle and cut a channel in it and then added some extra padding under the seat to make it thicker.  You don't have to give up riding.  
    • Dressagediva
      Dressagediva pasogirl

      Posted

      Thank you pasogirl! That's really helpful as I have spoken to so many saddlers in the hope they could do this but haven't yet been able to find one that feels the saddle would also fit my horse properly (high withered MW cob). However I have seen Sensation saddles mentioned in other equine forums so will try to find a fitter in the UK. Thank you again!
    • lizziewizzie
      lizziewizzie pasogirl

      Posted

      hi there...I'm so glad to see this thread being kept alive! Taking a guess ...you ride a pasofino?

      Its great to have found a community of horse-lovers who understand what we're going through. Do so hope your suggestion helps...it sounds very good to me. Do you show or enjoy a particular discipline?

    • pasogirl
      pasogirl lizziewizzie

      Posted

      Hi,  yes,  I ride Paso Finos!  I used to show and also did endurance riding.  Now I just trail ride which is very enjoyable.  I live in Alberta,  lots of wide open spaces.  
    • lizziewizzie
      lizziewizzie pasogirl

      Posted

      sounds wonderful!

      they seem to be a very dignified breed. we used to do a bit of showing and I worked for someone who had some success in that he got to Wembley having qualified for the Horse of the Year Show....so that was rather special.

      I'm full of admiration for the french guy who worked with the Camargue ponies....I've adopted a wild herd....to stop them starving! My mare used to run with them on farriery advice to avoid the lush grass and so now I know them all.

      What do you like in particular about the Paso Fino? I see you mention the gait below. I don't have much experience with gaited horses. I had a bit of a go on a trotter who belonged to a friend and she also rode in iceland where they tolt but thats about all i know.

      Would love to hear more from us all about our horses or current mounts!

  • pasogirl
    pasogirl Dressagediva

    Posted

    You could also look at the new Ghost saddle.  The seat comes off so a channel can be cut into the seat.  It has detachable panels and would probably work with your horse's withers.  I see that someone mentioned the Setzi saddle which could work.
  • kate207
    kate207 Dressagediva

    Posted

    i'm still having my weekly lesson, and so far so good, even tho we're doing a lot of sitting trot work - its nice to have someone concentrate on your riding rather than on how your horse is going, it's amazing how I've neglected the basics over the last few years. I bought a pair of cycling underpants which pad the relevant areas and are a huge help! They were very cheap in one of the german discount supermarkets, don't think I can mention the name in the forum but Im sure you can make a guess!

     

    • lizziewizzie
      lizziewizzie kate207

      Posted

      hey thanks for the update!

      great news about the cycling shorts...very practical. I'll have to find a horse I can try it out on.

      So glad you're enjoying your lessons. Great that you can work on yourself.

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