# Knee problems when riding?



## NordicJuniper (Jun 9, 2009)

Sorry wasn't sure where to put this.

I have noticed that sometimes when I ride my left knee will start to hurt really bad. It doesn't hurt too much when I am moving and actively riding but when we stop to take a break or if I take my feet out of the stirrups and straighten my knee it hurts. Sometimes this also happens when I am at work, it hurts to straighten it. If I keep it bent it is only a slight irritating pain but when I go to walk I have to kind of limp so that my knee doesn't straighten out all of the way or else it is pretty bad pain. It also happens randomly when I get out of bed and sometimes even starts to hurt while I am laying in bed.

Someone suggested that maybe the fluid that my knee is supposed to produce between my knee cap and my joint is not being produced properly and is therefore causing rubbing. I can't afford to go to the doctors especially because it only happens every so often. It will happen and then go on for a few days but then I won't notice it for a few weeks or more. It just depends.

Any ideas?


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

Gotta question for you. Do u notice this mainly with riding? I also have the same problem or similar. I was thinking it could be the stirrups but I don't know. I wanted to try those stirrup swivels or knee savers. They sell them on ebay for around 30 bucks. Otherwise try a knee brace. ??
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## RedTree (Jan 20, 2010)

have you hurt it? like a sports accident or anything, if so a knee brace would be good


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

If you are riding English, I would see a doctor. If you are riding Western I would also see a doctor but first try "turning" your stirrups http://www.horseforum.com/horse-tack-equipment/turning-western-stirrups-17669/ it will take the stress off your hips, knees, and ankles without having to buy those silly add-ons.


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## MudPaint (Aug 14, 2010)

Mine do this too. No injuries, but probably too many fences. I was told to try yoga and stretching each morning and being certain I'm drinking enough water. It's amazing how not getting enough water will make you sore and creaky.


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## NordicJuniper (Jun 9, 2009)

Thank you for the responses. It has never been injured before. It didn't used to do it until about a year ago.

I do notice mainly when riding but sometimes it happens when I am not riding as well. It seems like anything that puts pressure on it like standing at work for 6 hours or something like that is what makes it hurt. 

I don't notice it all of the time though, only about 25% of the time maybe even less. I do ride english so maybe I am putting too much weight down on that knee or something.

I will try drinking more water :] and stretching and see if that helps out. If worse comes to worse I will try a brace.


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## Beau Baby (Oct 28, 2008)

Mine do this too. If I do my 1 hour jump or flat lesson its not so bad. But when I went to a couple 3-day events this year after sitting in the saddle a couple hours it really started to hurt. I also can't go on really long trail rides cause my knee can't handle it. Its dumb cause i'm only 16.


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## NordicJuniper (Jun 9, 2009)

I feel ya Beau I am only 18. If I could afford a doctor I would go see one but alas I can't so unless it gets a lot worse I will just have to brush it off.

My boyfriend is actually going in for an MRI tomorrow on his knee. He has already been examined by a doctor, had x-rays, saw an orthopedic surgeon and is now going for an MRI. He has a Ganglian Cist on the outside of his knee and they are doing the MRI to see if he needs surgery or not.

Dang all these knee problems!


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## sdellin (Jul 14, 2010)

Have you been riding for a long time? I assume you have, but when I first started getting into English riding (as opposed to Western) I had problems with my knees hurting. It was because I had to position them differently in the stirrups. Now I'm used to the positioning so it doesn't hurt anymore.


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

Well ladies and gentlemen, looks like we will just have to cut our legs off!  ya, I only notice this when I ride for a long time. Iridehorses, I never knew you could turn your stirrups. When I ride and it starts to hurt I just take my feet out of the stirrups for awhile. But it sounds like most of you ride English and have to be proper. I don't show or have a trainer to worry about. So when I ride its for me not someone or something. So for you guys that do you'll have to find someway to relieve that pain. I don't know that much if anything about English so I don't have a solution to this problem.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## MudPaint (Aug 14, 2010)

mbender, yea english can be hard on your knees, especially if your jumping. Your legs are your shock absorbers. I often drop my irons when they're really bad too. But that's not an option in the show pen.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Have you considered using jointed stirrups?

English riding, jumping especially, is hard on one's joints.

I've found that I can ride for a much longer time using jointed stirrups. I can barely make it past 1/2 hour with regular hard irons anymore.


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## WalnutPixie (Oct 15, 2010)

My knees used to hurt when I would ride, especially when i was first learning to post and was accidentally putting a lot of pressure in the stirrups. 
Recently I have started riding mostly bareback or at least stirrup-less and have had no leg pain at all. 
I am begining to suspect stirrups as the culprit! Maybe you could try dropping the stirrups whenever your knee begins to hurt and just finishing your ride without them.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

My knees are the same way, but I don't notice it until after I am done riding. Then they will pop and grind and just be generally sore and weak feeling. 
I asked my trainer to watch me to see if I am doing anything funky when I ride, which she says I am not. 

I really should go and get checked out, but I hate taking care of myself, and I am not a fan of going to the Drs.


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## charlicata (Jan 12, 2010)

My right knee would hurt when I rode Rosie. Then it started hurting from the hip down. I even got rid of a saddle that I had wanted and finally saved up for, for years. Ended up with a saddle that was used with more padding. I rode her a little this past weekend. When we got back (in pain by this time) and I unsaddled her, I had DH hold her standing square. When I looked at her square on from the front, I realized that her right side sticks out farther than her left. I'm assuming it's from so many years of being a brood mare. So, I'm now on the look out for one of those saddle pads that can be adjusted by adding panels.


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

I have this too except it my right knee...it hurts A LOT..everyday for me. 
I did hurt in in 6th grade while running the mile. there was a dip in the ground i didn't see and well i ended up twisting my knee a small bit and also I am kinda hard on my body and need to stop


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## NordicJuniper (Jun 9, 2009)

Glad to know I am not the only one with this mystery problem. A lot of your problems with your knees (everyone in the thread :]) seem similar to mine except that my knee hurts the most while riding when I stretch it straight. 

For example after jumping and riding for a while I can feel a slight irritation in my ankle and knee on my left side, but if I try taking my feet out of the irons and just letting my legs hang the pain in my left knee increases. It is the same for when it hurts at work. After standing for a long time and working it starts to hurt but same as in the saddle if I keep it bent it is merely irritating pain but when I straighten it to walk it hurts worse and I end up looking like I have a limp to take pressure off of it again.

That is what makes me wonder if maybe the fluid in my knee isn't funtioning right, maybe my joint is rubbing my knee cap when I straighten my leg? Gah I dunno lol. If it gets more prevelant I will get it checked out, for now I will survive lol.


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## Smarby (Oct 27, 2007)

I also get this problem, I have a fairly intense pain in one of my knees when riding. It's worse if I'm jumping/XC probably due to the shorter stirrups.
I suppose you could do some kind of gentle stretching excersies, loosening up your knee joint before you get on. It might help to do a bit of no stirrup work during the ride just to loosen off your knee as well, it's probably due to it stiffening up.
You could try wearing a tubeygrip [a stretchy bandage type thing] over your knee to help support it.


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## Strange (Jan 11, 2009)

NordicJuniper said:


> That is what makes me wonder if maybe the fluid in my knee isn't funtioning right, maybe my joint is rubbing my knee cap when I straighten my leg? Gah I dunno lol. If it gets more prevelant I will get it checked out, for now I will survive lol.



How long have you been riding? 

I have a condition called patellofemoral syndrome where basically my knee caps (both knees have the problem) rub against my femur because they're moving more at an angle as opposed to straight up and down, and it's been aggravated by riding a lot. Usually you don't get pain until you finish growing and everything is "set" but I started getting pain in my knees when I was about 12. It got to the point where both knees would just swell up. There would be no inflammation, just some swelling and it would hurt to walk/run/ride. 

One of the best things I've found is to do a TON of exercises to build up your quadriceps (the front of your thigh) because it will help with the elasticity and movement of your kneecaps, regardless of whether or not you've got a lack of fluid. I also occasionally wear a knee brace (you can buy one for like $30 at wal mart) on my right knee, which is generally worse than my left. I also never felt pain until I stretched out my leg, so it could be possible that you have the same issue I do.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

I just wanted to add that my mom has issues with her knees hurting as well, although hers are probably due to the fact that she is getting up in age. :wink: We both ride Western, although I have been venturing into the English riding for the past 3 years while I am going to grad school (which is not close to home). 

Anyway, my mom swears by GLUCOSAMINE and CHONDROITIN supplements. She takes them every single day and she notices when she forgets to take them, because her knees start hurting especially when she rides. But if she takes it, no knee pain!

Glucosamine and chondroitin are two of the things that make up the cartilage in your joints that does slowly degrade with age. Taking the supplements is thought to increase production of cartilage. 

So even though you are only 18, it would still be worth a shot to try the supplements. They certainly aren't going to hurt you in any way if you don't actually need them (it's actually been shown to be protective), but who knows, it might help with the pain. You can get them anywhere you can buy multivitamins. There's a few different formulas; my mom usually buys all 3 formulas and just rotates through them (takes 1 kind one day, the next kind the next day, etc). 

I do agree that it would be best to see a doctor for the knee pain, but I understand completely. If I am not dying or a limb doesn't need to be cut off, I usually don't see the doctor either.  I just put up with whatever it is. (Which really is strange coming from my mouth because I am in optometry school right now to become an eye doctor.) My excuse is I have no money to see the doctor because I am a poor grad student where nothing but sleep and Vitamin C can cure!


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## NordicJuniper (Jun 9, 2009)

I have been riding for about 12 years or so but the last 5 have been more serious riding. 

I will have to try the supplements and also try the stretches and exercising. I am bound to find something that will help eventually :]

Thanks Strange, Beau and Smarby. Strange it does sound like maybe I have a similiar if not the same problem that you have. I will definitely give your suggestions a try. I already wear a brace on my left wrist when I jump due to tendonitis and a previous compression fracture that did not heal properly, I want to avoid the knee brace if I can. I am gonna look like Terminator on horseback pretty soon ;]


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

All you young folks with knee pain! Wait til you are middle aged!
Anyway, I perked up when I heard one person who said she was diagnosed wtih petallofemoral syndrome. I have that , too. It comes and goes and when I keep my quads strong, it is better. But I also play badminotn which is really hard on ones knees. Anyway, along with taking anti inflammatories when I really need to, I started to read this book called, "Pain Free". It's kind of old but it talks about exersizes to help reduce pain in the body. ONe of the things he talks about is how malalingments of the pelvis can be the basis of near about all other pain problems. If the pelvis is not square and we don't track out knees straight through with each of the millions and millions of steps that we take, then knee and foot trouble are not far behind. One exersize that helps is to stand with your feet pointed straight ahead and shoulder distance apart. Stand up straight and gently engage your core muscles to not droop in any place along your spine. Then, all you do is squeeze your buttocks closed as tight as you can for about 20 seconds. release and repeat over and over again. You try not to engage any other muscle, only the gluteal. You may feel the femur roll forward a little in the hip socket as it squares itself to where it should be. When it is rolled to the outside, it causes your knee to track to the outside instead of straight through. It helped me alot and is so easy to do. Do it with care to stand as I explained, and to isolate those muscles and hold it. I do it while doing dishes, at the grocery checkout , you name it.'

Also , the author recommend to NOT use knee braces unless you are recovering from an injury. More often than not they cause problems rather than prevent. I don't know if I agree with that, but I did find that the knee brace I had was pushing my patella (knee cap) off to one side a bit which felt bad. So, I play badminton without a brace as much as I can and ride without too. 

I will be looking into getting some offset stirrups for my dressage saddle. It hurts me to sit in it for longer than an hour.


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

I have the same problem, in both knees...osteoarthritus runs in my family, as do just plain bad joints (many of my relatives have had atleast one, or several joint surgeries...ugggh). I have knee braces that I will use on longer rides, otherwise I will just flop my feet out of the stirrups for a while, or get off and walk for a few moments. 

I have had success with different joint supplements, but haven't taken them in a while...I probably should, especially with it getting colder now!


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## rottenweiler (Apr 16, 2009)

Wow, sounds like there are a lot of us 'knee pain' riders out there. I have had problems with my left knee since, maybe, high school. I ran cross country in middle school and I don't know if that had anything to do with it...my knee always 'popped' when I did stretches and squats anyway. But now it is hurting enough to get in the way of my riding. I used to ride once or twice a week when I was younger, showed in jumpers and flat courses, with no knee problems. But, alas, maybe it's just age. I was hoping to read this thread and find someone with the same type of pain that I have that would have some secret miracle cure that I could try! So, the pain in my left knee (my right is fine) is mainly along the BACK of my knee when I ride. When I'm walking, running it is the side of my knee and almost always also the back. There have been times that I felt like my knee joint was 'loose', it feels like it comes out of joint when I'm walking. That hasn't happened for a LONG time but when it did, I would wear a knee brace and it would be better in a day or so. When I ride, if I can just SIT in the saddle with my feet in the stirrups it doesn't hurt. But when I have to use my leg to go faster, or leg yields, it's really painful. Also my instructor says I don't put my left heel down I mostly ride with my left foot flat, even when I'm really TRYING to put my heel down. My right is fine. I do have problems with my sacroiliac in my pelvis on that side so I have also thought maybe that has something to do with it. I go to the chiropractor once a month and he says that side is always 'stuck' and it takes some work to get it adjusted again. I've been thinking about riding with my knee brace to see if it helps and I was wondering if other people do and what kind of brace they wear. This is they type I have Ace Neoprene Open Patella Knee Brace#


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## OliviaAndGypsy (Jun 24, 2011)

Well the swivel stirrups aren't that good. My grandpa has em' because his knees are bad and he hated them, although your probably younger haha. So maybe they'll be better for u

But i'm talking about Western though so if its english stirrups i dunno.


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## rottenweiler (Apr 16, 2009)

tinyliny said:


> Also , the author recommend to NOT use knee braces unless you are recovering from an injury. More often than not they cause problems rather than prevent. I don't know if I agree with that, but I did find that the knee brace I had was pushing my patella (knee cap) off to one side a bit which felt bad. So, I play badminton without a brace as much as I can and ride without too.


Well just to test it, I wore my knee brace all day yesterday while working and found that not only did my knee hurt MORE at the end of the day but also my ankle and hip hurt. So I decided NOT to ride with it on today. Instead I used this gel (arnica gel) last night and this morning before I rode and it worked great. It's a topical gel that is good for sore muscles and bruises. I have also started taking joint supplements too. I used to for a while but stopped. And I took someone else's advice and went today and got a different kind than what I have been taking so I can rotate usage


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## arashowjumper (Apr 28, 2011)

i have a permanent injure caused by a horse fall in my right knee, i broke my ligaments so when it happened everyone wanted to make a surgery but me, almost 8 yrs from that ans still no surgery.
i do get some condroitine pills, they really do help and i use arnica too and when the pain is just to much i rub it with alcohol and get a couple of aspirins (especially in cold weather).


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## Skipsfirstspike (Mar 22, 2010)

I know someone with bad knees, rides western, he got some special knee saving stirrups. The bottom, or 'step' part of the stirrup is angled, higher on the inside, lower on the outside. He finds them comfortable and believes he gets some relief with them.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Rather than spending a fortune going to doctors and thinking your leg will need to be amputated  - maybe you should look at your position, and how well your saddle suits your body type. In my own saddle, on my own horse, I have no pain. Today I rode my coaches 17h PSG wb, and we have very different body shapes. Her saddle is suited to her long legs, not my short ones, and I got off with very sore knees from having to subconsciously hold myself in place in the saddle. 

You could also be sitting crookedly in the saddle, gripping with one thigh/knee, twisting out slightly in one lower leg... the list is endless. I'd analyse your position before I went racing out to the doctor.


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