# chest pains after riding. Please Help!



## Lonannuniel (Jun 13, 2008)

It could be related to holding your breath...lack of oxygen can cause muscle cramps, but if is serious enough for you to need to call for help, I would suggest going to the doctor. They may not know much about riding or horses, but they do know about how you body will react in a certain situation, and they can also tell you if chest pain is related to being tense or holding your breath. =) hope that helps, and what ever is causing this, hopefully it is something simple and non-serious!


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## Northern (Mar 26, 2010)

If everyone who sees you ride says that you tense up, & you get the pain after a ride, it's likely that the tensing up is causing the pain.

I suggest that you work with a coach who can help you overcome this tensing up. Deep breathing, into your belly, & matching breaths with the horse, & consciously exhaling when you want the horse to slow to a stop, are all excellent practices. Good luck!


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## beauforever23 (May 6, 2010)

Lonannuniel said:


> It could be related to holding your breath...lack of oxygen can cause muscle cramps, but if is serious enough for you to need to call for help, I would suggest going to the doctor. They may not know much about riding or horses, but they do know about how you body will react in a certain situation, and they can also tell you if chest pain is related to being tense or holding your breath. =) hope that helps, and what ever is causing this, hopefully it is something simple and non-serious!



:hide: It's quite embarrassing. Alright, I am going to rephrase that, it's super embarrassing. It was serious enough that I had to call for help and crawl on yucky ground to get my cell phone. The snow is melting in our ring = yucky ring, even if I tried to stand up I couldn't because, ugh. 

I've never experienced pain so bad :lol: although, my BO had me laughing the whole time we were waiting for my fiance because, he kept saying "here we go" and just cracking jokes to make me laugh during a potentially dangerous situation, while my horse could care less and went & ate my BO's mare hay. 

Question : How could I work on fixing the 'holding the breath' because, it really annoys me & embarrasses me!


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## beauforever23 (May 6, 2010)

Northern said:


> If everyone who sees you ride says that you tense up, & you get the pain after a ride, it's likely that the tensing up is causing the pain.
> 
> I suggest that you work with a coach who can help you overcome this tensing up. Deep breathing, into your belly, & matching breaths with the horse, & consciously exhaling when you want the horse to slow to a stop, are all excellent practices. Good luck!




Thank You, I will be working with a dressage trainer starting in April but, till than I will start the deep breathing and exhaling.


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## Lonannuniel (Jun 13, 2008)

beauforever23 said:


> Question : How could I work on fixing the 'holding the breath' because, it really annoys me & embarrasses me!


For my forgetting to breath problem, I simply had to think about breathing. After fainting a few times in random places ( school..riding...a few other public places ) I had to literally add the word ' breath ' into all my thoughts. For riding, I told my trainer this problem, she put me on the lunge line, and told me to think about breathing, ONLY about breathing. After moving off the lunge line, my thoughts were, for example, " inside leg, breath, turn at m, breath, sit deep in the saddle, breath..." and so on. After doing this for quite awhile, I had re-trained myself to breath naturally and regularly. It's also good to notice when you tense up, and purposefully breath in that situation. this will teach yourself to breath whenever you feel that tenseness in your body. =)


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

I would hate for you to assume that it is a riding problem when it could be something worse, it is probably smarter to go to a Dr and get checked out. The Dr will likely not be familiar with horses, but they will be familiar with exercise in general and can do heart stress tests on a treadmill. 

To help your breathing while riding, trot, as you post, count down = breathe out, up = breathe in. Do the same with the strides of any gait, if they are too fast, then do it for two strides. Count to yourself all the time. 

Did you get light headed before the pain started? If you were holding your breathe, I would imagine that you would get light headed first.


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## beauforever23 (May 6, 2010)

Lonannuniel said:


> For my forgetting to breath problem, I simply had to think about breathing. After fainting a few times in random places ( school..riding...a few other public places ) I had to literally add the word ' breath ' into all my thoughts. For riding, I told my trainer this problem, she put me on the lunge line, and told me to think about breathing, ONLY about breathing. After moving off the lunge line, my thoughts were, for example, " inside leg, breath, turn at m, breath, sit deep in the saddle, breath..." and so on. After doing this for quite awhile, I had re-trained myself to breath naturally and regularly. It's also good to notice when you tense up, and purposefully breath in that situation. this will teach yourself to breath whenever you feel that tenseness in your body. =)



I most definitely will try that & will most likely get my new dressage trainer to throw me on the lunge line. I feel that should help with it a tons. I will also try to do what you just explained. 

Thanks.




AlexS said:


> I would hate for you to assume that it is a riding problem when it could be something worse, it is probably smarter to go to a Dr and get checked out. The Dr will likely not be familiar with horses, but they will be familiar with exercise in general and can do heart stress tests on a treadmill.
> 
> To help your breathing while riding, trot, as you post, count down = breathe out, up = breathe in. Do the same with the strides of any gait, if they are too fast, then do it for two strides. Count to yourself all the time.
> 
> Did you get light headed before the pain started? If you were holding your breathe, I would imagine that you would get light headed first.




Alex, you definitely have a point that it could be something totally worse. I have a doctors appointment wensday at 11 & I will also see if my doctor can preform a heart stress test on the treadmill so, I definitely will suggest that to him. 

Nope, didn't get light headed before the pain. Just when we came down from the canter, I felt this incredible amount of pain & hopped off of him as quickly as possible, chest hurt, stomach cramps {definitely not period cramps, i just got over that} & they were so bad that I couldn't walk.


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## Dressage10135 (Feb 11, 2009)

I agree with Alex, this sounds more serious than just forgetting to breathe when you ride. I do that all the time and the worst thing that happens is I feel a little light-headed or get a side ache. 

The symptoms you are having are NOT normal. Let us know how the appointment goes!


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

Just to be safe, I wouldn't ride (or just ride lightly) until you have an ok from a Dr, there is no reason to go dying on us or anything


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## beauforever23 (May 6, 2010)

Dressage10135 said:


> I agree with Alex, this sounds more serious than just forgetting to breathe when you ride. I do that all the time and the worst thing that happens is I feel a little light-headed or get a side ache.
> 
> The symptoms you are having are NOT normal. Let us know how the appointment goes!



Thanks, I will definitely let ya'll know how the appointment went. I hope it's nothing serious. what scares the crap out of me is that my family has a history of heart problems :shock: 





AlexS said:


> Just to be safe, I wouldn't ride (or just ride lightly) until you have an ok from a Dr, there is no reason to go dying on us or anything



No, hell no, I ain't going anywhere for a long time.  I think not riding sounds good to me right now. My fiance actually mentioned that when he had to come pick me up.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Beau,

Remembering what you went through a week or so ago, with the TSS possible scare, I think you really need a complete physical. Full bloodwork, urine analysis and if the Dr. feels like it, maybe an EKG if you continue to have chest pain.

Now, chest pain CAN be heartburn, from stomach acids goin back up the esophogus, and it has frequently been confused with a heart attack, but it usually isn't unbearable pain, even though it's strong pain.

If what's going on is something like a panic attack, well I don't know what to do about that. As for forgetting to breathe, try singing outloud. loudly, so that you must breath. Try Opera like loud.


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## beauforever23 (May 6, 2010)

tinyliny said:


> Beau,
> 
> Remembering what you went through a week or so ago, with the TSS possible scare, I think you really need a complete physical. Full bloodwork, urine analysis and if the Dr. feels like it, maybe an EKG if you continue to have chest pain.
> 
> ...




You know, I am wondering if what has been going on with the riding has anything to do with that scare I had. I am going to get the whole complete physical, bloodwork, urine, & I'm going to try to get them to send me out for a EKG too. 

I can only hope it's heartburn & not anything that has to do with my heart because, if it has anything to do with my heart than I'll have a heart attack. I'm serious. 

I have anxiety attacks & panic attacks sometimes & I'm supposed to take medication for it every morning but, I don't because, they make me extremely tired & than I sleep longer than usual & sleep most of the day, which conflicts with work schedule & well yeah. They are also for depression {which I haven't had in a long time } thank god!. 

I will most definitely try the Opera. I always used to like the Phantom Of The Opera. It was one of my favorite Opera's ever!.


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

Beau, the other thing you need to realize is your just getting over being sick. You need to be careful and make sure your all the way healed before doing any riding or work. Take care of yourself and get better. Let's just hope its nothing more serious than just recovery.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## beauforever23 (May 6, 2010)

You are right mbender but, when I was sick it was more of a stomach thing than chest. I really don't think stomach pains can cause chest pains & the cramping definitely wasn't my stomach hurting. 

I never had my appendix taken out & that side of my stomach has been bothering me lately which, makes me kind of wonder if it could have something to do with that?. 

Way, to many weird things going on with my body that shouldn't be :? i'm way to young!


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## zurmdahl (Feb 25, 2009)

I had chest pain like that when I was in 4th grade, it would be sudden and hurt so bad I could barely move. I had an EKG done and everything was normal so they decided it was a muscle thing which never made any sense to me but it could be the same thing with you! I hope everything works out well. Do you ever have chest pain when you're doing any other sort of exercise?


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## beauforever23 (May 6, 2010)

No, I never get any chest pain while doing anything else. It's just been while riding lately & I have no idea why


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## WickedNag (Sep 7, 2010)

You will go to the doctor for a physical and if he thinks it in necessary he will send you to a cardiologist. The cardiologist is the one who will do stress tests, determine if an ekg is necessary or if you need to have an ultrasound of your heart. I have very serious heart problems.... no pain, well a little now as I am getting worse. Light headed and short of breath. 

Good luck to you... it is hard living with heart problems. I have aortic valve stenosis and pulmonary hypertension.


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## Northern (Mar 26, 2010)

OP, I got a "Woman's World" March issue today, & I don't know if you're familiar with the mag, but they have lots of health blurbs. Well, there was one about how shallow breathing is better for anxiety - recent findings! Naturally I thought of the advice to breathe deeply that I'd just given you! So wanted to tell you! Perhaps you can access WW online, & it's commonly at the drugstore/supermarket.


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## beauforever23 (May 6, 2010)

Thanks everyone. I saw my doctor today and they ran an EKG which didn't come back all that well so, they are sending me to a cardiologist to do a stress test and to montior my heart rate.


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