Does this happen to anybody when riding ?

[western]

When I ride after a few minuets my right ankel acts like its sore and stiff. When I get up the next day it hurts. My left one is just fine. I do not know if maybe I am holding my ankels to far straight up to the sky that is causeing it but if it is wouldn't it happen to my left ankel. My stirrup length fits my legs. i ride in a western saddle. Usually for a half an hour or one hour. But always its my right ankel that just kills me. So maybe it could be that I am not balanced or relaxing. I try to keep my feet slightly bent up. I ride by myself and I am the only person in my family that rides horses. I ride a few times a week so maybe getting out more might help on balancing. none of my other parts of my body hurts after the ride just my right ankle. Has this happend to anybody that rides ?

 

[HorseyGurl]

Maybe you should try to lengthen your right stirrup. I know sometimes when I ride even though my stirrups feel fine at a stand still, when I start riding one of my knees starts hurting. If I lengthen that side by just a hole it feels a lot better.

Also, really think about relaxing that ankle. Most people have one strong and one weak side. For me, my weak side is the left, and I have keep thinking, "Relax my left ankle". My right side is fine and relaxes on it's own, but left I have to really concentrate of relaxing.

 

[MI Horsey]

It could be because you are forcing your heel to do something it shouldn't be doing .
A while back my right ankle always hurt when I rode and became swollen and stiff for a few days after .What helped me was that my instructor took a good look at my seat and position and figgured out that it was my hip angle that put my ankle out of place .Sounds odd but since I opened my hips more I get no more pain and my legs and ankles just fall into the place they're supposed to be in .

 

[Vicki&Milo]

Mine always used to do that, I started wearing an ankle support, but then it just stopped again!
Sorry I can't be much help, but remain hopeful that yours will do the same-keep smiling.
Vicki xx

 

[gordo]

I have heard people rave about those endurance type stirrups for ankle pain. They have give in them so ease the chance of ankle-ache! Maybe look on ebay??

 

[Skib]

If it is a pain in one ankle (or knee) it could be referred pain from your back. Western riding involves more sitting trot than English riding so can put more pressure on your spine.
As one gets older, the cushioning between the vertebrae in the lower back get worn and lose elasticity. Then the nerves leading to one leg (or both legs)can get squashed. So one feels the pain in a knee or ankle.
I had knee X rays when I was much younger and no one could see anything wrong. It was ages before it was correctly diagnosed as degeneration in my spine.
If the problem is in your spine, lengthening the stirrup may not help, as it will reduce the weight on your ankle but increase the pressue on your seat/spine.

 

[western]

Thanks for replying ! Would opening the legs more help too while riding. I try both posting and sitting trot. Posting helps the horse relax more. But I do both. I try not to grip with my legs but will opening them more would work ?