Hip problems in sitting trot

[Anvil83]

In a lesson I had a while ago my instructor said that I have very narrow hips & am more built for riding a TB. I got on a cobby type & my left hip kept twinging whenever I tried to get my leg back underneath me, also I kept pinching the saddle with my knees to stay on. She asked me to take my stirrups away & try sitting trot & then canter. I was dreadful, my left hip was aching like hell & that leg kept creeping up & I nearly fell off. I don't feel that I am with the horses movement at all, I just feel perched on or like my thighs are a clothes peg! :D But my right hip joint is fine, it releases well & allows my right leg to hang down nice & long, it never creeps up at all, I am not sitting crooked or anything, which is an avenue I explored, I feel like giving up riding. I've been doing Yoga & Pilates but that hip just isn't getting any better. It's definitely the left hip joint, coz on both reins it was the same hip & leg I was having trouble with.

I've been finding that lots of no stirrup work just makes my hip hurt even more. Also getting to grips with sitting on your seat more in sitting trot VS legs going forward is driving me mad :eek:

[Julz]

Is your hip sore at all? perhaps a visit to the dr to rule out any problems? If all is well, then you are possibly not suited to riding very wide cob types, and should stick to the narrower types....

Hope this helps!

[Anvil83]

Yeah it does get quite sore, it's strange coz the way my legs hang around the horse, it looks like my right leg is longer than the other, but I measured them at home & my legs are both the same, so must be the left hip joint just isn't letting that leg hang down. I will ask my doctor, probably have to go to a physiotherapist. I hope that I am able to ride wider horses in the future coz the college I'm going to only has horses that are a wider build :(

[Julz]

It's difficult to measure your own legs properly - you know how to do it? you should be lying down and a tape measure goes from your belly button to the outside ankle joint on each leg... might be easier if you get some one else to do it for you... but also this does not mean that your legs/pelvis is straight...

Have you had hip problems in the past? or fallen awkwardly?

your doctor may refer you to an orthopaedic speciallist, or perhaps you could ask for referral?

Please let me know how you get on... would be interested.

[Anvil83]

Hi, no I've never had any hip problems before or fallen awkwardly.

Thanks julz, for explaining the way to measure my legs properly, I'll have to try that. Will keep you informed of any progress.

[Joyscarer]

I'm at the first stage of what you described. I know I have a problem where I can't open up my hip joints as much as I would like.

I'll start on the exercises to improve matters but sometimes we just have to have to accept the limitations our bodies present us with and do the best we can inspite of this. :)

I hope all goes well at the docs.

[Afellpony]

I have a problem with pain in both my hips and legs when I ride or walk now. The result of walking 5 miles 5 days a week for the last 6 years. I walked from Charing X Station to the hopsital I worked in and back to Charing X again as I thought it was the healthier option. Now I'm not so sure.

[Jarani]

You can't fix your genes, I guess. I'm much more comfortable riding big draft types, or stocky QHs, or big cobs. What is my horse? I lean TB. :p I may be a natural rider on the stockier, bigger horse, but I want to be able to ride all kinds of horses, and after riding mine for almost a year, my body sort of adapted to it. :) All I can say, is keep trying, stick with it, and good job with the exercises. I had to develop a bit of muscle before I could ride my TB comfortably. Good luck!!

[LMS]

Not every rider is built to ride every type of horse.

In my case, my hips are wide enough but I have the early onset of osteoarthritis in the left hip. It started out with on & off pain & then progressed to such debilitating flare ups that we had an x-ray done. It showed a cyst in the superior lip of the acetabulum (close to the surface at the top of the socket).

I went to a physio who noticed that my legs weren't even & that was because there was narrowing betwen the femoral head & acetabulum (space between ball & socket).

Upon further investigation (an MRI with dye injectedat the site), we saw that there was tearing on the femoral head. (Likened to wear & tear on a carpet)

Because of this problem, I'd noticed that over the last few years, riding wider horses was getting increasingly more & more uncomfortable.

What happens is that the rocking movement tends to increase the pressure of the femoral head into the acetabulum. Great for people with congenital dislocation of the hip (CDH) but canprove painful for people with narrow hips or with osteoarthritis(and some other disabilities)

I would suggest investigating it further with a health professional and avoid riding the wider horses.

[Anvil83]

Gosh, I hope I haven't got anything seriously wrong with my hips. I will stick to the narrower horses for now & if it's still hurting then I'll book an appointment with my doctor, it's just I don't have pain all the time, only when horse riding so the doctor will think I'm wasting his time. Thanks everyone for your advice. It's quite a relief that some people just aren't meant to ride wider horses, I just thought I was the odd one out.

[Julz]

If your doctor thinks you're wasting his time, get a new doctor....

it could literally be anyting...to do with your pelvis, tendons, muscles..anything at all... perhaps you wont get pain sitting on a narrow horse, perhaps you will... but you'll never know until to get checked out...

I'm not meaning to frighten you by any means but IMO any new pain should be checked out.

All the best,

Julz xx

[Anvil83]

Thanks Julz, no don't worry, you didn't frighten me, I just hope that there isn't anything wrong with my hips because it might mean not riding for a while, which would be dreadful. I'll keep you posted. Thanks again everyone.

[abichan]

I have a similar type problem on the left hip too though its being taken care of with physio. I ride a narrow TB too. ;) The issue may also be one sided dominance and less strength and flexibility to one side. I can suggest some exercises you can practice on your own but the best option would be to see a health professional to help you out as the others have mentioned as well.

[Jaimee]

I had the same problem. Saw a chiropractor and my hips were out. It can cause your legs to seem different lengths. Now the scary thing is this is VERY common. My Mum went to a different chiro at the same time (we hadnt spoken- didnt know we were both going) and her hips were out also- diffferent problem. She had the twinging, I just had crooked riding. I had always thought my saddle was a bit crooked, so I changed it. Turns out is was me Neither of us have any issues now. Mum was going to give up because the pain was so bad every time.


It's possible its not the horse either, it is the twist of the saddle (twist= the width of the seat between your seat bones). If the horse is particularly wide for your build you need a narrower twist saddle that possibly sits you a bit higher off the horse.

[~*sugarlump*~]

I Don't know if it would help you much, but my friend had hip problems and.....don't laugh :p...... but she started doing hoola hooping, you know, twirling a hoop round your waist and hips. might not make much difference, but it loosened up her hips a fair bit, but we actually both started doing it, as apparently it helps get rid of love handles :rolleyes:

[Anvil83]

That's a great idea, thanks for that sugarlump!! :) I'll go & buy one asap.