# Hip Cramp and Ankle Pain while riding



## SouthernTrails (Dec 19, 2008)

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Google Crooked Stirrups and Slanted Stirrups.

Not sure if they make them in English or just Western, nor am I sure whether you ride English or Western, but those type of Stirrups have helped many people with ankle, hip and back problems.


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## mcfarawayland (Jun 19, 2013)

Okay, I will take a look. Unfortunately most of the time I ride at a lesson barn since I am away at college and we have to use their saddle. But I do have a horse (and tack) at home so at least it might help there

ETA: I ride English in my lessons and sort of Western at home.. (It's complicated lol, but the horse is trained Western but doesn't mind an English saddle. So sometimes I use an English, sometimes a Western)


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

did it not bother you , before? same saddle, same hrose, same amount of time in saddle. what has changed? are you sitting more , at home?


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

If you're riding English in your lessons, they should not have a problem if you bring your own leathers and irons. Buy swivel stirrups and leathers and use those in your lessons.

The hip cramp sounds like just that. You may need to do a small warm up on the ground for yourself with some stretching. Are you active in addition to horseback riding?


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## mcfarawayland (Jun 19, 2013)

tinyliny, it only bothered me a few times over the summer but now it's nearly every ride (for the hip cramp); the ankle pain is new. Except I am now at a lesson barn so it's a different horse and different tack every time. Sometimes the saddle is tiny, sometimes it's huge. I am also riding twice a week now where I was not riding consistently since May. I just graduated high school this summer so I think I am actually more active now since I'm constantly walking around campus.

DancingArabian: I could try that (not trying to be difficult) but I think it would be a hassle to have to swap out the leathers and irons every time. I will certainly check it out though and see if price wise I would be able to do that. I am fairly active outside of riding, I do a ton of walking and I'm trying to get to the gym more. I have tried some stretches and sideways lunges (I think that's what it's called) but it hasn't helped.


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Walking and gym is great, but you can get tight hamstrings and similarly get tight muscles in other spots. DH and I are recreational mountain trail walkers and the backs of my legs were drum-tight as a result, and caused me much agony in my early Yoga and Pilates classes, until I had that kind of stretching exercise on a regular basis. I think both Yoga and Pilates are super complementary exercise to horse riding, for a tonne of reasons including the core strength, flexibility all over, and posture.

How long are the stirrup leathers you are riding in? Do you get similar pains riding stirrupless? Often, letting the stirrup leathers down a few holes can be more comfortable, and put you in a better riding position.

Offset stirrup irons like ST was suggesting can be very helpful; just make sure they take the outside of your foot higher, not the inside. Swapping them over is super easy if you have your own set of stirrups on leathers, with English saddles anyway - you just pull the whole leather out still buckled, though the quick-release mechanism (and do it back up if it's a jointed one - many are just free to the back now). Pulling out the usual leathers/stirrups and replacing with your own should take around 10 seconds - less time than adjusting shared leathers to your individual length.

You can also pull your inner thigh muscles back out from between your femur and the saddle to get closer to the horse - do this in the middle of the thigh.

Don't push your heels down to get the desired position - think "toes up" instead (and do it gently) and "drop weight down, relax and sit deep" - don't force or clamp _anything_, or you'll get tension problems.

On trails, get off and walk with your horse a while every 20-30 min - to give your legs and its back a chance to stretch and unwind, and get circulation cranking again.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

It's extremely easy to swap out leathers and irons on an English saddle, so if that could alleviate the issue it's a quick, easy fix.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Iliospoas muscle. The spasms were bad when standing still so finally saw the chiro. Huge heating pad then he pulled and pushed at the same time. It made a huge diff. It still spasms but nothing like it did, not as often nor anywhere near as painful. I should probably go back. It's common amongst those who sit at a desk for hours without good posture.


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## mcfarawayland (Jun 19, 2013)

Thanks guys! 
SueC- Well the lessons I am in are hunter, so we usually jump (crossrails or something else very low) and the instructor wants our stirrups shorter for this. Mine are usually still around my ankle bone if I let them hang, maybe just above. Okay! I thought it would be more complicated but I'll look into it. I usually do pull my thigh back at the beginning and a few times later on. I think yoga or pilates sound like a good idea.


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## Ebby (Sep 29, 2014)

It might not be stretches that you need. I used to experience a similar issue a couple of years ago. I had a lot of ankle and hip pain while riding. My coach at the time ended up recommending I have a chiropractic riding evaluator come watch me (I can't remember exactly what she called herself) but she studied the human body and it's build and how it related to riding. 

She watched my ride and within minutes of looking at me she knew why I was experiencing pain. It was actually coming from the way I was sitting and how I rode. I had my pelvic bone, legs, and ankles turning in directions that were improper. She did several exercises with me over several weeks to get me to change the way I rode and how I sat on the horse. It made a HUGE difference and now I don't experience anymore pain! I highly recommend finding someone like that in your area if you can!


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