# Too unfit to ride? Need perspective.



## thisiswater (Mar 17, 2016)

Boy have I had a wakeup call! 

I had my first lesson in 30 years yesterday and could hardly get out of bed this morning! I am very, very out of shape. I expected to be sore but not _this_ sore.

My fitness plan has been to practice yoga and Pilates and start riding once a week, but now I'm wondering if I need more yoga and Pilates before I ride again. I chose to start riding first, maybe I have things backwards. I'm middle aged, overweight (but OK for horses) and just so discouraged, shocked, and unable to decide how to proceed.

I loved my lesson, love the barn and rode a privately owned (not lesson) horse who was a delight. Maybe I need to be more candid with my instructor (who is, of course, about 25 and weighs maybe 110!). Maybe I need to tell her I need to ease into this very gradually. :icon_rolleyes::icon_rolleyes:


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## Tihannah (Apr 7, 2015)

I'm 40 and have been riding 4-5 days for the past year. Last week I went on vacation and didn't ride for 6 days. The first day I came back and rode, I was sore all over for days. Riding is great exercise for getting back in shape, but you'll find A LOT of sore days. Its absolutely normal, but you'll get used to it.


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## Kyleen Drake (May 26, 2016)

I'm 42. I broke out my right knee - bad. Doctors said I'd never walk again. I was on bed-rest for a year! I could not put any weight on it at all. It would collapse out from under me if I ignored my doctors and tried, even with a massive brace / cast on it. Here it is ages later, I'm walking again but WAY out of shape. I'm in a size 18 women's jeans. My normal jean size is about a size 10. 

Few days ago I had my first riding lesson. It is the first time I had been on a horse since I was seven years old. I'm still hurting! Bow legged and husband laughing at me like no tomorrow! And nothing to do about it but "Cowgirl Up" grin and bear it and truck on..

I feel your pain! >.<


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## Triumvirate (Jan 24, 2015)

IMHO, there's not really any exercises that can truly mimic the exercise of riding. I'm a bodybuilder and it doesn't matter what I do in the gym or how much I stretch, if I haven't ridden in a while, I WILL be sore. 

Outside exercises can definitely help aid in core strength and balance, but the absolute best way to get in riding shape is actual riding IMO.


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## thisiswater (Mar 17, 2016)

Thanks for the perspective! Kyleen what a story! I hope you send photos of you riding to those doctors!


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## Kyleen Drake (May 26, 2016)

Give it a chance and a horse can not only heal what's wrong in your heart.. but can give even the most trapped person the sensation of freedom.. it can turn an unhealthy person healthy and make an individual very introspective about the choices they've made in their lives... So are you too unfit to ride? Heck no! That horse will make you fit if you ride often enough. That greasy gross food won't look appealing to you anymore at fast food places if you know it's going to hinder your riding lessons. Bad habits start to melt away when you have something around that makes you a lot happier and healthier. Don't even have to ride a horse to feel it. Just being around one and getting a few horsie kisses is enough to lift the spirits of most.. 

My grandmother died recently. I don't like to talk about it. I don't like to hear about it. And I sure as hell don't enjoy the "so sorry" stories. But... Someone here on the forums invited me to come visit her place, her horses.. I went. Being around her horses was the first time I smiled in the past six months.

And I never care what a silly old doctor says.. Us "Okies" tend to have what we call 'grit' and we don't like being told we can't do something. Then get hell bent to prove we can.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

I started riding again last fall and was sore too, but not that bad. Maybe you overdid it for a first lesson? My first lesson I mostly walked and only trotted a little bit (like twice on the long sides of the arena, that's it!). It was really more about figuring out my balance and position. Several months later, I ride 2-3 times a week, but not usually more than 45 minutes to an hour at a time.

How long did you ride and what did your trainer have you do that made you so sore? Are you riding English or Western? I find I cannot ride in a Western saddle anymore (I'm 45) even though it's all I rode in as a teenager. Western saddles kill my thighs because there are bumps where there shouldn't be, and the wide Western stirrups make me twist my knees, which is really, really bad for me.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

when you are unskilled at riding, you use all strength to compensate for the lack of balance, balance that you will have after you become better at it. once you are better at balancing, you will use HALF as much energy to ride because you do not WORK to stay balanced, you ARE balanced.

I used to notice this when going skiing; the skilled skiers were not half as tired as I was, even those many years my senior. they knew how to let the skis work for them, instead of trying to muscle around every turn.


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## Kyleen Drake (May 26, 2016)

I like to think of the extra I have on my bum as 'padding' for when I'm in the saddle.. hehehehe


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Kyleen Drake said:


> Give it a chance and a horse can not only heal what's wrong in your heart.. but can give even the most trapped person the sensation of freedom.. it can turn an unhealthy person healthy and make an individual very introspective about the choices they've made in their lives... So are you too unfit to ride? Heck no! That horse will make you fit if you ride often enough. That greasy gross food won't look appealing to you anymore at fast food places if you know it's going to hinder your riding lessons. Bad habits start to melt away when you have something around that makes you a lot happier and healthier. Don't even have to ride a horse to feel it. Just being around one and getting a few horsie kisses is enough to lift the spirits of most..


I second this! Since having horses I'm healthier and stronger than I've been in years, maybe decades! After having two kids and always putting everyone else first, I was finally doing something I'd been longing to do all my life. Instead of staying in watching Netflix with chips and wine, I'd spend any spare time hanging out at the barn with my horse! Even when I was boarding him (he's home now), I would spend hours working with him, cleaning his stall, hauling bales of hay and enjoying every minute of it. It gave me something to focus on. I soon lost a few pounds and saw my strength and energy levels go up. Even in bitterly cold winter temperatures, I'd bundle up and go to the barn rather than stay in. Part of me came back to life.


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## Jan1975 (Sep 7, 2015)

I've been a runner for years, but I do feel a LOT stronger now that I've been riding for several months! It's a different kind of fit. I was often sore in the beginning but hardly ever now.


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## Kay Armstrong (Jun 28, 2015)

I am almost 51 and had a riding break of about 7 years. Started back riding a year ago. I too was surprised at how sore I was the first week or two....still only riding once a week but what a difference. Loving every minute of it, just tell your instructor you need to take it easy in getting back into it. Best Wishes and happy riding!


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

Welcome back to horses!!

Agree with Tiny about the compensation! Add adrenaline to that, and it is no wonder you are sore.....

If you feel like you are having trouble with your balance, try giving up wheat for a few weeks. The inflammation that it causes is systemic, so it includes your ears, and that affects your balance.


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

Riding is a physical exertion just like yoga. It takes time to build the fitness level to do it a certain way. For example, you can do yoga at a certain level right now given your physical abilities. In three years you'll be so much better because your abilities will grow. Riding is no different.


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## ChitChatChet (Sep 9, 2013)

I have found, interestingly, for me is that I don't loose shape too easily. So once I got over the horrid soreness of not having ridden a lot in years I took off 8 months from riding and then rode 12 miles one day and 19 the next. Very little soreness, thankfully!

Then I took up walking with my neighbor.... oh boy was I SORE. ACK. A couple of years walking with her and then I again took off 8 months. I walked 10 miles one day and then a few days later 15 miles. The following week it was 12 in one day. No soreness. Phew!

It will take some time to get over that soreness but it will be SO worth it in the end!!!


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## Kyleen Drake (May 26, 2016)

Yoga, at my age, is a blessing and a curse! I bless what it can do for me when it comes to keeping my joints loose. And I curse it when I'm doing it. >.< A lot of people think yoga can't be a good workout, until they try it.. I think I would be even more sore in that saddle if I hadn't.


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## thisiswater (Mar 17, 2016)

I find Yoga to be extremely challenging and I was an excellent athlete when I was young!


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## Kyleen Drake (May 26, 2016)

I don't mind walking. Anything more than that and I don't like it. I'd do it, but I won't like it. Running? Hate it. Lifting weights? Hate it. I would much rather be out at a farm doing gardening. A barn lifting bails.. Something that at least I get something done. Gyms I hate!


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

When I got a horse last year I lost 25 lbs, without trying real hard. I now weigh what I weighed when I was 15. I'm 59, and have been trying to lose 25 lbs my whole adult life, and this is the first time it feels permanent. I do yoga (another yoga hater here) because I now *like* moving and stretching. My balance changed. My posture changed. I carry myself differently.

I've gotten a bit sore from time to time (a three hour ride of mostly trotting up and down hills will do it). But I ride enough that it isn't troubling. 

Horses really can change your relationship to your own body, I'm living proof.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

ChitChatChet said:


> I have found, interestingly, for me is that I don't loose shape too easily. So once I got over the horrid soreness of not having ridden a lot in years I took off 8 months from riding and then rode 12 miles one day and 19 the next. Very little soreness, thankfully!
> 
> Then I took up walking with my neighbor.... oh boy was I SORE. ACK. A couple of years walking with her and then I again took off 8 months. I walked 10 miles one day and then a few days later 15 miles. The following week it was 12 in one day. No soreness. Phew!
> 
> It will take some time to get over that soreness but it will be SO worth it in the end!!!


15 miles in a day is not walking. It's hiking. 3 miles is walking. Just my opinion.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I used to be able to walk miles and miles. But my knees and back are so painful now that a really good day us when I can walk a mile or two.


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## jenkat86 (May 20, 2014)

thisiswater said:


> Boy have I had a wakeup call!
> 
> I had my first lesson in 30 years yesterday and could hardly get out of bed this morning! I am very, very out of shape. I expected to be sore but not _this_ sore.
> 
> ...



Well something must be wrong...you shouldn't hurt that much after riding a horse. Afterall, you're just sitting up there and the horse is doing all the work. 

JUST KIDDING!:wink:

I still haven't found anything to prevent soreness...but I have found that after a long, difficult ride drinking a tall glass of milk before bed and soaking in an Epsom salt bath tend to help my muscles immensely!


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## ChitChatChet (Sep 9, 2013)

tinyliny said:


> I used to be able to walk miles and miles. But my knees and back are so painful now that a really good day us when I can walk a mile or two.



What do you use for stirrup leathers? 

I ride western and have trained my fenders to lay so its easier on my knees but still a day in the saddle and WOW my knees hurt.

Sometimes I am tempted to put English stirrup leathers on my western saddle so there less there to keep my knees from being comfortable.

I wonder what I am doing wrong?


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## ChitChatChet (Sep 9, 2013)

jenkat86 said:


> Well something must be wrong...you shouldn't hurt that much after riding a horse. Afterall, you're just sitting up there and the horse is doing all the work.
> 
> JUST KIDDING!:wink:
> 
> I still haven't found anything to prevent soreness...but I have found that after a long, difficult ride drinking a tall glass of milk before bed and soaking in an Epsom salt bath tend to help my muscles immensely!


Or a hot tub!


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## Mulefeather (Feb 22, 2014)

I will also add in that in addition to Yoga or pilates, I will recommend trying to do some sort of strength exercises such as lifting weights. I really love kettle bell exercises, they are easy to do, don't require any expensive equipment besides the kettle bell itself, and the kettle bell is a very versatile piece of equipment. If you go to a discount store like Marshall's, you can often buy them for $10. 

Also, try sitting on a yoga ball and doing some hip/thigh/core exercises. These will help your riding a lot. 

Riding is like any other form of exercise, you have to build up strength and endurance- and it helps to do other forms of exercise to benefit your riding. Start slow, start with good form, and don't let the initial aches and pains scare you off  

I like to take a supplement of gelatin capsules (you can buy them at GNC, and Amazon sells a liquid-soluble gelatin under the name Great Lakes). This really, REALLY helps with muscle recovery. 

Also, look into the Absorbine Liniment Gel. So, so many people I know use this rather than Icy Hot or other stuff because it REALLY works for soreness and pain. Yes, it's meant for horses, but it's great for people too!


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

Mulefeather said:


> I will also add in that in addition to Yoga or pilates, I will recommend trying to do some sort of strength exercises such as lifting weights. I really love kettle bell exercises, they are easy to do, don't require any expensive equipment besides the kettle bell itself, and the kettle bell is a very versatile piece of equipment. If you go to a discount store like Marshall's, you can often buy them for $10.
> 
> Also, try sitting on a yoga ball and doing some hip/thigh/core exercises. These will help your riding a lot.
> 
> ...


Never thought of that, and it's sitting right there in my tack box.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

ChitChatChet said:


> What do you use for stirrup leathers?
> 
> I ride western and have trained my fenders to lay so its easier on my knees but still a day in the saddle and WOW my knees hurt.
> 
> ...



my knee trouble is not related to riding. however, when I was riding Western, I used to put the saddle away with a broom stick through the stirrups to retain the 'turn'. I ride now in a dressage saddle and have , usually, little knee pain. it's standing that kills me. not a lot of cartilage left in there.


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## Triumvirate (Jan 24, 2015)

tinyliny said:


> my knee trouble is not related to riding. however, when I was riding Western, I used to put the saddle away with a broom stick through the stirrups to retain the 'turn'. I ride now in a dressage saddle and have , usually, little knee pain. it's standing that kills me. not a lot of cartilage left in there.


Maybe a bit off topic but I have noticed that the broom method ALWAYS leaves one stirrup longer than the other due to the uneven weight of the broom. It doesn't even matter if it's switched up regularly, it always happens. Have you experienced this also or is it just me?

OP, one thing you may want to do is take some BCAA's after you ride. In activities where muscle breaks down (which is probably occurring here), the muscle needs to build itself back up and amino acids are what build iT back up. BCAAs contain essential amino acids (meaning your body does not produce them naturally) so taking them after you ride gives you a jumpstart on muscle recovery. 

I take Xtend BCAAs, which also has electrolytes which will help replenish that too. It also comes in a TON of flavors though I've only tried green apple and it's not exactly the greatest. I have to dilute it with way more water than recommended for it to be drinkable (not really selling this well here). But other flavors may be a lot better, I just haven't tried them. Of course there's MANY other brands out there and some may taste better and still have much of the same ingredients (it's all pretty much the same anyways). It's just something for you to consider.


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## thisiswater (Mar 17, 2016)

About back pain: I have 2 herniated discs. I have cortisone injections 1 - 2 times per year and it's miraculous. Try them. Also, I've been taking turmeric/cumin for about 6 months and have *no* more inflammation.


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

Also miraculous: DH has been diagnosed(about 15 years ago) with degenerative disc disease. About 2 times per year, he would have spasms confining him to bed, or the chair, or where ever he was when the spasm started. We gave up wheat 1 1/2 years ago, and he has NOT had a single twinge, even hauling hay!


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## thisiswater (Mar 17, 2016)

I believe wheat to be very inflammatory in some people. I haven't done a no-wheat trial though. I love my pasta! Semolina or homemade, unfortunately!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

thisiswater said:


> About back pain: I have 2 herniated discs. I have cortisone injections 1 - 2 times per year and it's miraculous. Try them. Also, I've been taking turmeric/cumin for about 6 months and have *no* more inflammation.



please be aware that cortisone injections can be very damaging to the joint, done too many times. my step dad had them regularly into his hip and still ended up needing a hip replacement. they are wonderful, for the time that they work, though. have experienced how wonderful that can be.

will try the turmeric.


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