Heather, any advice?

[Lindi]

Hi Heather,
I was just reading a thread about leg positioning. I have had numerous problems as I have 'post viral syndrome' whatever that means and so my legs and whole body ache all the time, especially when riding. I always feel bruised on my seatbones and just wondered how you teach a relaxed leg position. I ride with short stirrups as hurts my hips otherwise and my feet are atrocious, sticking out all over the place, any advice? Would put up pics but embarrased!

[ros]

Don't be embarrassed to post pics, Lindi - it could just help someone with a similar problem. (We've ALL got problems of one description or another :) )

[western]

well dont be the first one to hurt after a ride . I always hurt the next day after when i have been riding my horse for only about a hour and a half . I had a bit of problems on leg positioning when i started riding . But i always try to practice on keeping my body nice and straight and my legs on the proper gait. But horseback riding is also good because it also gives you exercise on strecting your legs and gives you some muscle work thats why the next day your kinda ache. But i guess thats all part of horse riding.

[galadriel]

I've had bursitus in my hips, and as a result I occasionally sit VERY amusingly in the saddle. I second the suggestion--post pics...it won't be any worse than any of us have ever done :) and maybe it will help!

[issy]

Do you use Heathers seat saver? if you dont already, you may find that it protects your seatbones nicely.

[Lindi]

It is so embarrasing as I've ridden since the age of six and I used to sit beautifully, it's only been the past year or so. I do use a seat saver but I may just invest in a Heather one if I can. I will post some piccies as soon as I figure out how, but don't fall off your chairs laughing!

[Heather]

Hi Lindi-

Of course we won't fall off out chairs laughing!! Post away!!
I invented the Seatbone Saver as I couldn't ride for six months due to seatbone damage caused by sitting in the correct position on most saddles which are not actually designed to allow you ti sit in the deepest most central part of the tree, despite all the books telling you to!

I had swellings the size of tennis balls on my seatbones, rendering even sitting in an armchair very uncomfortable, never mind a saddle. As you can imagine, not being able to ride for that length of time for someone who works with horses for a living, was a disaster. So I invented the SBS as a 'needs must'. It worked, absolutely, and I have never looked back. Of course my saddles now have it built in, but I never go abroad to teach or train, without a SBS in my suitcase. I know that the swellings would come back if I tried to ride on some of the instruments of torture I am presented with to ride on, on the Continent, but the SBS turns any saddle into a comfortable one, and also lends a feeling of continuity to each saddle which is a help too.

Heather

[Lindi]

Thankyou Heather, that sounds very familiar and I'm going to get one of your seat savers. I can't seem to post my pictures, I tried going to attach file and nothing happens. Can someone please tell me how to do it?

[Heather]

Hi Lindi,

Are you getting any message back from NR to say that the file is too big or is it just not being accepted?


Heather

[Mike]

Images need to be under 50KB in size to be posted. If you don't have software to do that for you (many graphics programs have compression options when you save as a jpg) you might find a online service like http://www.jpegwizard.com/ will help you out.

[Lindi]

Right, I'll try again and if this hasn't I will give up.

[Heather]

Pretty horse Lindi! I love piebalds!!

Looks to me as if your left hip is much tighter than your right, and why the foot is sticking out more. Can you post a pic from the side on?

Something like Alexander Technique might well help you. It just helps a lot with general body realignment and posture. As soon as I get time I am going to go for more AT lessons. It can be a great help.



Heather

[Lindi]

Hi Heather. I think you could be right about being tighter through one hip as it has been trouble for ages and I always get cramp on that side. Funnily I don't feel like this when I ride bareback and I can sit okay. It is worse when walking and cantering and I find I have to shift about a lot before I feel really comfortable. Someone mentioned that they hurt after riding, well I beleive that pain is abnormal and that if a few more riding instructors took this view instead of 'no pain no gain' then there would be a lot less horses and riders in agony.

She is a pretty horse, I wish she was mine!

I can't find the worst picture, the one that nearly made me cry! :D But this is bad enough anyway.

[ros]

Strange you should say that! I had a horrible twisted saddle but I didn't realise at the time. Then I got a nice straight saddle and it felt very odd - made my left hip hurt at first. I wonder if there's a connection...

[Heather]

Hi Linid-

This pic shows that you are not in the ear/shoulder/hip/heel line and are sitting too far to the back of the saddle.

When you first mount, without your stirrups, bring your knees and lower legs up over the front of the saddle flaps, and then slide your bum forwards until you aer much closer to the pommel and therefore central. Then drop your legs down again, making sure that you cannot see your toes over the tops of your knees.

Then you should be sitting in the correct line of balance. It is once you move off of course, that it is much more difficult to maintain, as the stirrup bars on this saddle are like all the rest, too far forward and pulling your thigh to the front of the saddle and pushing your bum to the back.

Just keep repostioning yourself as needed and spend time in walk to establish your postion at a speed which give you time to think and adjust!

Heather

[Lindi]

Ros,

When I first started riding this horse I didn't realise that the girl who used to ride her rode with odd stirrups and so I was using the same holes as her and riding around lop sided for about four months! Then when I re adjusted my stirrups to ride at a longer length they were even again but felt extremely odd. I suppose if I'm also tighter in that hip it would only make things feel worse. I honestly can't remember what it feels like to be sat in that correct allignment, on a saddle anyway!

It might be hard to practise my position at a slow pace Heather as Apache thinks she's a racehorse at the moment, however I will give it my best shot!

[Gill]

Lindi, I have been having treatment at my osteopath for the last few months for problems which look very similar to yours.
When I last had lessons I realised that it was physically impossible for me to sit as I knew I should.
My left leg stuck out at a strange angle and my right side felt too close to the saddle. It turned out that I had a totally twisted and tilted pelvis, with various joints jammed in my back. No wonder it was so horrible, and no wonder I could not do what my instructor (luckily sympathetic) was asking.
Now I am getting back to normal, though still taking care. It is wonderful to feel central again.
I really recommend an osteopath, and certainly don't just put up with it or think it can never get better.
Good luck with your riding.

[cvb]

.... really helped me. Even better if you can find a teacher who will work with you when you are ON the horse :D

Unfortunately there are not many AT teachers in Sweden.