# Lower back pain after riding lessons



## Horsev3erandrider824 (Dec 13, 2012)

Hi so i was wondering if anyone has experienced lower back pain after getting off and putting away your horse. I have never fallen off (knock on wood) a horse yet, so no accidents. i am just curious if anyone else has experienced this. It happens almost every week after i ride and more recently it has been happening during the day as well. I have been working on jumping (nothing very high) and just working on flatwork for an hour in my lessons. if you have any suggestions on how to limit the pain (excises anything really) that would be great! thanks!


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

sounds to me as though you are3 bracing your back whilst riding. to keep your back straight you need to use your stomach muscles.


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## Horsev3erandrider824 (Dec 13, 2012)

What do you mean by bracing my riding with my back? So do I need to stregthen my stomach muscles? When I am riding we have mirrors in the arena, so I use them to watch my posture. I'm just curious by what you mean


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

To sit up, instead of pulling yourself upright with your back, think about pressing yourself upright with your stomach. Try it in a chair so you get the feel. Exaggerate it so you feel the muscles until you know what you're feeling for. Sit in a chair and press your chest to your knees with your back, then use your stomach to push yourself up (be sure not to use your shoulders and back).

I don't know what your horse or tack situation is but you could get a Thinline pad to help. They are pricey but you can get like new and irregular ones for very reasonable prices on eBay.
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## Horsev3erandrider824 (Dec 13, 2012)

Okay thanks now i understand.


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## LexusK (Jan 18, 2013)

How deep of a seat is your saddle? Do you feel the same ache in other saddles, or do you only use one saddle? Also, have you ever injured your tailbone in the past (falling on ice, falling down the stairs, etc.)? Sometimes these injuries take years to completely heal - I fell down a set of stairs in 2009 and bruised my tail bone, and when I sit too long I can still feel a slight ache.


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## Horsev3erandrider824 (Dec 13, 2012)

I ride In a lot of different saddles but the one I mainly ride in isnt a very deep seat saddle and I get the pain in the different saddles I ride In. I have never fallen down stairs or seem to remember hurting my tailbone but it could be possible I just can't remeber an insident involving it.
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## waleybean (Jan 20, 2013)

I used to get that when I first started riding. You are probably tensing up.


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## ligoleth (Sep 9, 2011)

Same as waleybean. I used to get the nastiest back ache riding Chance. First I thought it was because he was gaited (might have been it, as my instructors sister commented on a sore back, and a girl I work with rode some icelandics with a sore back), but as I relaxed more, no more back ache!
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