# Yay for back problems



## Gallop On (May 1, 2011)

I purchased my own English saddle about 4 weeks back. It had been loved, but was still beautiful and in even better shape. I switched from Western riding to riding solely English, the transition was awesome, it was easy and such a happy time, as my baby boy was a load more responsive in English. The saddle fit both me and the horse (We had it checked.) But soon after I mastered trotting and cantering in the saddle I started jumping again (We had both done it before (I jumped bareback up to about 4 feet)) And jumping with the saddle was a cinch. But soon afterward, after my daily riding for about 2-3 hours, when I was done I noticed that my back was hurting a little bit. Not enough to make me worry, just enough to make me think that I was probably soar, because of the jumping with a saddle. Our progress was awesome, but soon, my back was getting worse, when I would land a jump, after cantering a few strides, if I moved at all in the wrong way it sent me to a hault, the pain was horrid! It got worse and worse, my whole body froze if I moved it in the wrong direction. But I was still pushing through, I refused to stop (stupid) But I only felt in certain times, never continuous, just if I moved wrong.

Today, we went on a trail ride (I in my English saddle) and we were walking till we got to a open field, we cantered around there for awhile then moved onto another field, when I cantered, the pain was wretched, it didn't stop, it just kept on throbbing as we ran. I stopped and took a deep breath, that even hurt my back. I didnt move for awhile, then tried again, the pain shot through my back like hot spikes. I gave up and settled to a dull walk the rest of the way home. Trotting, walking, cantering, sent me crouching over my horses neck to escape the pain.

So now, after today, I will not be riding English for a long while till my back heals up, I gave up. I will still ride, bareback and Western, but I just cant do English at the moment. 

So, what do you think, is it the saddle? Did I pull my back and it just wont heal? When I ride bareback, walk trot and canter it doesnt hurt, just when I get in the English saddle, and canter is when I feel it most, there is where the never ending hot pain comes in. So, what does it sound like? Walking around the house, bending wrong, or anything like that of course hurts, but mostly during the canter... or if I get my trot beat messed up


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## Reiterin (Mar 28, 2010)

That's strange. I don't really ride english, so I don't know much about the position etc. 
I hope you figure it out and your back feels better soon. (I know how horrible back pain can be.)


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## GunSmoke (Sep 27, 2011)

I would strongly recommend seeing a doctor. I took a nasty spill and landed on my back on a jump last fall. The pain would come and go. Sometimes not there and sometimes enough to make me not be able to stand up straight. I waited 8 months to see a doctor and the issues with my spine had gone on for so long that the damage is now not fixable and I'll have back pain for the rest of my life. It's not worth ignoring!


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## Gallop On (May 1, 2011)

GunSmoke said:


> I would strongly recommend seeing a doctor. I took a nasty spill and landed on my back on a jump last fall. The pain would come and go. Sometimes not there and sometimes enough to make me not be able to stand up straight. I waited 8 months to see a doctor and the issues with my spine had gone on for so long that the damage is now not fixable and I'll have back pain for the rest of my life. It's not worth ignoring!


Oh my, the bad thing is that I too _cant_ stand up straight sometimes... The pain is just way not bearable. Seeing a doctor is up to my parents, they dont think its that bad, although they said I cant jump again till it heals.


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## BravadoThePony (Nov 7, 2011)

I went through a period of having some pretty wretched back pain from my riding which was caused by riding with my back over arched and my lower back muscles tight and not relaxed. So that could possibly be the cause? I think English tends to take more core strength to keep your back straight at the canter/while jumping than bareback.
Hope a speedy recovery to your back, back injuries/pain are the worst.


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## RiddlesDarkAngel5 (Jun 2, 2009)

I have chronic back pain from a couple falls I had when I was younger so I can definitely relate. It may be that your using different muscles than you were bareback or western. You might try some stretches to help loosen up your back muscles. That helped me


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## Gallop On (May 1, 2011)

BravadoThePony said:


> I went through a period of having some pretty wretched back pain from my riding which was caused by riding with my back over arched and my lower back muscles tight and not relaxed. So that could possibly be the cause? I think English tends to take more core strength to keep your back straight at the canter/while jumping than bareback.
> Hope a speedy recovery to your back, back injuries/pain are the worst.


Defiantly could be a option, as when I ride my back is way tight... don't know why, but it is and I never seem to be able to relax it. And, it also is my lower back... :-x 



RiddlesDarkAngel5 said:


> I have chronic back pain from a couple falls I had when I was younger so I can definitely relate. It may be that your using different muscles than you were bareback or western. You might try some stretches to help loosen up your back muscles. That helped me


Stretches, great idea! Like what kind though? Do they have stretches specifically for riders?


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## RiddlesDarkAngel5 (Jun 2, 2009)

Honestly, yoga helped me the most. The stretches involved in yoga target all of the back. Makes me feel great. Also have you seen a chiropractor? Since you're experiencing throbbing pain you may have a vertebrae out...also something that really helped my riding related back pain


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

The worst I've ever hurt my back was when I bent over and pulled my daughter's empty backpack out of the rear seat of a Toyota Celica. Something twisted a bit wrong, and I wore a back brace for 6 weeks.

My GUESS is something similar happened during your ride. I doubt the saddle is any more to blame than my Celica was. And once hurt, it will tend to get worse until rested and maybe treated.


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## Gallop On (May 1, 2011)

RiddlesDarkAngel5 said:


> Honestly, yoga helped me the most. The stretches involved in yoga target all of the back. Makes me feel great. Also have you seen a chiropractor? Since you're experiencing throbbing pain you may have a vertebrae out...also something that really helped my riding related back pain


Yoga, I never though about that, I will defiantly be starting that. No, I haven't seen a chiropractor, I honestly should be to young to be getting back problems like this...  Chiropractors are just so stinking expensive...



bsms said:


> The worst I've ever hurt my back was when I bent over and pulled my daughter's empty backpack out of the rear seat of a Toyota Celica. Something twisted a bit wrong, and I wore a back brace for 6 weeks.
> 
> My GUESS is something similar happened during your ride. I doubt the saddle is any more to blame than my Celica was. And once hurt, it will tend to get worse until rested and maybe treated.


If it gets worse, I fear for my riding. I'v started riding again, and I just physically cant go into a two point. And, lol, Im glad the saddle isnt to blame, thats what everyone has been blaming it on :shock: As far as resting it, not possible. One week without jumping, is one week without happiness. Wow, thats a _long_ time to have on a back brace... did you ever go riding during that period?


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

I didn't ride horses when I hurt my back in the Celica. 

As a long-time runner (40 years), sometimes you need to listen to your body and back off for a little while. Otherwise, you may aggravate things until you have to spend far longer in recovery - or not at all. If my knees start to get tender, I can quit for a few days & get some new shoes, or I can press on. If I choose Door #2, I may hurt myself enough to need weeks. And I've known runners who had to quit for months because they didn't listen when the pain was milder. In fact, I've known several who can no longer run at all...age brings out damage sometimes from years earlier.

Better a week or 6 without happiness, than messing up something that will never recover...


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## Gallop On (May 1, 2011)

bsms said:


> I didn't ride horses when I hurt my back in the Celica.
> 
> As a long-time runner (40 years), sometimes you need to listen to your body and back off for a little while. Otherwise, you may aggravate things until you have to spend far longer in recovery - or not at all. If my knees start to get tender, I can quit for a few days & get some new shoes, or I can press on. If I choose Door #2, I may hurt myself enough to need weeks. And I've known runners who had to quit for months because they didn't listen when the pain was milder. In fact, I've known several who can no longer run at all...age brings out damage sometimes from years earlier.
> 
> Better a week or 6 without happiness, than messing up something that will never recover...


*Sigh* yes, I agree... But I _think_ my back might be getting better! As long as I don't do any out of normal moves :lol:


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

I HAVE had back pain due to the way a saddle sits me on the horse. 

It first started when I bought a flex-tree saddle. Loved the saddle, but it killed my back. It got worse and worse and worse until finally I couldn't ride in it anymore and I had to get shots in my back. (I did not want to give up on that saddle).

Ever since then I am really susceptable to posture induced back pain while riding. If a saddle is a tad too wide for the horse or otherwise forces me to lean back, even minutely, then my back will flare up again. Instead of fighting it, I now realize that if a saddle hurts my back it's better to just sell the saddle then try to make it work. Luckily I have a great saddle right now that never hurts my back. But man, some saddles will just not work for me anymore. It seems to me that if the saddle slopes even slightly downhill on the horse, forcing me to compensate by leaning back ever so slightly, it is the kiss of death for my back. 

So yes, I believe a saddle can cause back pain. It may not be the saddle's fault, but if you already have back problems then the posture of the saddle can cause pain, at least in my case. 

I ride western by the way.


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## DuffyDuck (Sep 27, 2011)

bsms said:


> Better a week or 6 without happiness, than messing up something that will never recover...


This is very important.
Your back is not something to mess with.
About 10years ago a rider in Dusseldorf (about 10 mins from here) got thrown off her horse on the trails, she got back on, back niggled a bit and ten minutes later she was dead- spine shot up in to her brain. Not saying this is what you have, but you can't mess around with your back at all!

Get to the docs, they'll prescribe you some thing, especialy if its effecting you this badly...


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

| Back Brace

https://www.ecogold.ca/product_info.php?products_id=46&osCsid=qpuqkk32igvpiilq6bcjfsqpr6

and yoga/generally staying fit and lifting weights.

I looove my Back on Track and I notice a huge difference when using the Ecogold secure products, compared to a "normal" saddle pad, or even other memory foam products in how it affects my back.

It is easy to wrench your back out (I've done it - luckily only once) and then re aggravate it with over use. I find that if I'm doing more than I'm used to (ie riding multiple horses a day or walking around on concrete all day) then my back gets sore and so I have memory foam slippers (<3) and my back on track. I find that I can ride tons more if I'm using ecogold secure pads on all the horses as well.

Good luck!!


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