# Shooting Pain in Lower Leg with Dismount?



## tlkng1 (Dec 14, 2011)

Try landing on the balls of your feet...don't land flat or heel down. I know, especially in cooler weather, when I land flat or more towards the back of my foot I get the same type of pain.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

what other activities cause this pain? like going up or down stairs? can you duplicate the pain in other situation?

I get off a 17hh horse, and I hold on firmly to the cantle while lowering myself to the ground. would this help you?


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## SeemsLegit (Oct 26, 2012)

tlkng1 said:


> Try landing on the balls of your feet...don't land flat or heel down. I know, especially in cooler weather, when I land flat or more towards the back of my foot I get the same type of pain.


Thank you! I'll give this a shot, better than enduring it for sure.(;



tinyliny said:


> what other activities cause this pain? like going up or down stairs? can you duplicate the pain in other situation?
> 
> I get off a 17hh horse, and I hold on firmly to the cantle while lowering myself to the ground. would this help you?


Nothing that I've come across as of late, not at all. The only thing that I can think of that compares was jumping from the top of the jungle-jim when I was in grade five or six, which was a hell of a lot higher!(': I usually lower myself down slowly when in the saddle, but even still it's quite a reach and I can't do the same bareback unless I try to awkwardly cling to my girl's nonexistent withers/mane. Super appreciated though, so thank you! I tend to forget about it until the moment I'm two-seconds from landing, so I'll have to remember to lower myself off more frequently. 

Thanks, both of you! It's not an urgent issue, but definitely an irritant/discomfort nonetheless.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

If I get a painful spasm I drink a lot of water.


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## SeemsLegit (Oct 26, 2012)

Saddlebag said:


> If I get a painful spasm I drink a lot of water.


I don't think it's a spasm or any sort of cramping, because it happens each and every time I dismount and has for years. Thank you, though! I probably should drink more water, regardless.(;


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

that would make dismounting become really something you'd want to avoid. all I can think of is that, after riding for some time, there is a build up of blood in your lower legs. So, when you land, it is more painful. not sure why, but , does this happen if you ride in a saddle and post?
I have some impinged nerve issues on my left leg. if I ride seated for more than an hour, I have pain/tingling, loss of function in my left leg. landiing on dismount hurts and it takes a bit for the full function to come back, as the blood supply evens out. But, if I post a lot, it troubles me LESS! 

what do you make of that?


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

I also am not a tall person and when I get off I don't use stirrups either. My sequence is ball to heel when the feet touch the ground (in quick succession) and I maintain contact with the pommel/horn of the saddle to help control the descent - I prefer to avoid the splat factor wherever possible.

If I may suggest, you might want to see a chiropractor - perhaps your ankles are just a little out of plumb (which may have resulted from your illness or convalescence or maybe not).


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## livelovelaughride (Sep 13, 2011)

Can you come forward toward the (horse's) shoulder as you dismount? Then as you lightly land, bend your knees to dissapate the shock. My boy is a tall one to dismount from and I always try to move further forward to dismount, then use whatever I can do to slow my motion down so I land slowly. But I haven't done it bareback for awhile. 

It sounds to me as if there is something irritating the sciatic nerve or a lumbar disc, in the jarring when you land. Hope not!


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

A friend of mine has very bad plantar fasciitis and cannot "normally" dismount a horse.
She grabs onto the neck and swings down onto the ground. It looks super fancy and when I try to do it I always feel like I'm going to land on my head (I am far less graceful) but it is less jarring.
So maybe try grabbing the neck and swinging (preferably on a broke horse while you're figuring it out).

Good luck!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

Make sure you have enough magnesium in your diet. Also, don't just flop down, bend your knees and lower yourself down slowly. Breathe out as you do.


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