Horsepeople, what do you do to manage your back pain?

Question

Now that I'm getting up in years (j/k, 20 years old- such a geezer, aren't I?), or perhaps because I have been riding harder/correctly, I've noticed that riding is taking its toll on my back. I have low-to-mid-grade back pain all the time, but my muscles ache for several days after a lesson.

What have you done to lessen (or even get rid of?) your back pain?
Back exercises?
Chiropractor?
Saddle seat pads?
Switch disciplines?
Back brace/support?
New horse with smoother gaits?
Go to gaited horses?
New saddle?
Pharmaceuticals?
Or anything else you have found does the trick.

I am thinking my older (as in, probably as old as I am) Collegiate saddle with a rock-hard seat may be a contributing factor, so I have ordered a Cashel tush cush for it. Has anyone had success with these?
How about you trail riders? I'm hoping to get a trail horse soon- what brand have you found to be a comfortable, no-ache trail saddle?

Answer 1

It is rather young to have chronic back pain...I would get it looked into farther by your doctor, for myself , being over 40 and a fulltime Trainer I have a bulging L5 disk injury, I get steroid injections, pool therapy, ice therapy, narcotics, trigger point injections, acupuncture and just riding, believe it or not but the stronger you are, the more core strength you have and the more you condition your muscles the less your chronic pain will be.

Answer 2

Don't worry, I'm only 23 but after tumbling down an entire flight of stairs early last year, two broken tail bones, numerous falls, being bucked off, car accident injuries, and a few other health problems that affect my back...it is is pretty bent out of shape! I had gone to physical therapy for about a year and thought that this really helped me the best so maybe try a chiropractor? I've been considering one. I always use some type of posture or back brace when I ride but I am working on building my muscles in my back up again. I also do exercises for core muscles, mostly a floor workout but it helps. I wish I could remember the names of the exercises but I can tell you how to do them, email me if you want more info? [e-mail]



I'm considering using an old black saddle that I have or getting a new one because mine doesn't work well with many pads and I want to get a nicer, shock absorbing pad for her sake and mine so...can't use my saddle. My dad was looking at a Cashel Tush Cushion and I don't know if he ordered it or not but since he only rides a few times a year now, I might test it out. I doubted it at first but the more I looked into them for my dad I thought that since Pippi turns into a pogo horse sometimes it would be nice to have some extra cushion on my seat for once :P I usually just take 600 to 800mg of ibuprofen for the pain, and I have some other prescriptions to take if it gets really out of hand. Also, when you take the pain medicine...if you can get a warm heating pad or warm water onto the area that is bothering you, that works wonders. Hot tubs are great but unfortunately I don't own one so I had to make do. Getting a new mattress REALLY helps, when I moved a few years ago I switched mattresses I felt great for a long while. I haven't considered switching to gaited horses yet :)

Answer 3

I had a horseback riding accident last summer and since then, my back has been very messed up. I am 16 so don't feel too bad lol. I have pain in my mid to lower back almost all the time when I ride.



In the beginning, after it happened I did a few months of physical therapy. They thought that I might of had a pinched nerve or some torn muscles, but all it was, was swollen/enlarged muscles that were being even more irritated by the motion of riding unsupported.



I began to wear a velcroe back brace when riding, and let me tell you...it has helped wonders. It helps me to sit correct in the saddle, and it really offers support for your back as far as motion and moving with your horse goes. It can be put under your shirt so no one can see it too!



After riding, I do still have a very sore back. In this case, I have resorted to a chiropractor as well as hot and cold patches with pain killer. I am not one to rely on medication, so I prefer to buy the patches that have the low amount of motrin in them. Wear them at night, and in the morning you will feel like new. Well, until you ride again haha.



If you have not had any injuries, I can not really tell you what could be wrong. Maybe strengthening those back muscles with help. To do that, I would suggest physical therapy just to learn to control your back, the way you carry yourself, and like I said to strengthen it.



Its a lot to swallow, but if you take it easy and really work hard to get the problem fixed instead of letting it get worse, you will be a lot better off.



Back exercises? - just try stretching out. have someone massage you.

Chiropractor? - Miracle worker...I swear by them.

Saddle seat pads? - I have not tried this...who knows? Give it a shot.

Switch disciplines? - I used to run barrels, not I compete WP. Its

so much better for your back as it is smoother and more relaxed.

Back brace/support? - definatly! get one from your doctor, or go to a sporting store. Maybe even a tack and feed store would carry them?

New horse with smoother gaits? - Na. Try training the horse you have to slow down a bit, consider WP training. It does wonders.

Go to gaited horses? - You can try, but I am sticking with Paints and QH's

New saddle? - I have a super comfortable Denver Saddlery rough out trail/roping saddle that fits me perfect. You just need to find one that supports your body.

Pharmaceuticals? Don't even know what this is. If you mean medication, try taking 800-1200mg of Motrin an hour before you ride. I do this if I know It is going to be a rough ride (I own a 4 year old) or if you plan to ride for a long time. It helps.

Answer 4

I think my ability to manage pain has shot up through the roof since I moved to Champaign. ^_^ To elaborate: --It gets *Cold* here. Mainly from wind chill, since we get the tail end of both Lake Effect Winds (from up around Chicago) and Prairie Effect Winds (coming from points south and west). And these days....well, I can take a fair bit of cold. It stings but I can still function. I've been out in single-digit weather with my sweat-jacket on, no thermals, no gloves. My winter coat is too big and a bit messed up/falling apart. --Also, both of my shoulders have been overrotated, and my left one has been hyper-extended three times, the first time by a couple of *inches*. Oh, and did I mention that I slipped and fell on some ice three years ago, hyper-extended my left knee (when my left heel touched my left buttcheek, I heard a pop, ok?), and had it in me to *walk the rest of the way home on that leg*? I figured at the time, "I can't afford the doctor's bills, and if Tiger Woods can blow out his knee and *play golf* on the bad leg, I'll be ok." It took my leg the better part of a month to start healing, but it did--now my kneecap is just a bit high and lumpy. O_o So yeah, I think my ability to take some kinds of pain has gone through the roof in the past few years. ^_^ Not that I like it, but I can still think and function in spite of it. Hope this helps. ^_^

Answer 5

I tend to get a bad back if I haven't been sitting up straight in the saddle, infact I get it with everything I do.

I've always been told I have a good posture, but it's mainly because if I slouch all the time my back just goes.

I go to see the doctor if my back plays up, and have been to see back people in the past which has helped. But the main thing that's helped is lifting things correctly using my back properly, and holding myself properly when riding.

Answer 6

circle y saddles are very good for the back but you can really buy anything i prefer a rancher saddle they are most comfortable for me and suit my purposes. 20 is not too early to get back pain i am only 28 but a mom (lifting kids all day is the equivalent of shoveling poo and mucking and riding just different muscles) i am a western rider who does barrels but mostly trail rides and works on training horses, riding 6 days a week. I take narcotic pain medication (prescribed for a chronic illness not for my back) i also do support braces here is a link to the 2 i use the shoulders brace for posture and the full back (this link is for the uk i couldnt find one for usa but same idea) and deep heat (icy hot) at night.



http://www.proline-sports.co.uk/acatalog/Equestrian_Back_proline_posture_braces.htm



back exercises help, stretch before and after you ride (i installed a pull up bar in the doorway to the tack room. i hang from it prior to saddling my horses and when i am done riding to strecth my entire back). work your core muscles not just when you are riding but really work on your core at home)



get rid of the saddle, get a gel cushed saddle pad for now until you buy a new saddle for some reason it helps me in saddle not just comfier for my horse. also if you love your old saddle (i have one that was passed down in my family and still love to use it) you can have a leather worker retool and redo the seat. they can add cushioning in their for you and mend any worn leather. good luck

Answer 7

Under the age of 15: Back problem? There IS no back problem!



Age 16 to age 18: Nice horsey tossed me off twice in a row trying to get over a fence. Solution? A couple days in bed, and two years riding hunters solely in two point position-- no sitting trot, and NO western.



18- 21: Riding all sorts again, but still staying mostly English to save my back, and getting picky about what trots I sit. "Son, they can call you a pleasure horse, but if that's all the smoother you go, forget it." Lots of sit ups and leg lifts, along with stretching exercises.



22-24: Stupid western saddles don't fit anymore. Took me two years to find out I needed to be in a size 16" western seat. Even then, most saddles weren't comfortable.



25 - 32: If it's a Circle Y 16" equitation seat, I can ride it. If it isn't, don't even ask me to stay in it for more than an hour. English saddles still fine, but a few added falls and a baby mean that I'm more careful what I ride, and I'm not starting any rank babies anymore-- they hurt when they blow up. Meds for my polycystic ovarian syndrome somehow make my back hurt less-- wish I had known THAT ten years ago. or Fifteen, even.



32-36: Sticking with Circle Y saddles, maintaining my back exercises, and bought a new bed mattress (yea, much more comfy sleep). Time constraints and the fact that I divorced result in horses that don't really do much in English, so I'm mostly western. Probably just as well, since I've put on pounds now.



In the last year: I switched to gaited horses for something new. I don't know that they are really that much smoother (my gelding can really bounce me when he messes up his canter), but they sure are fun. To go with them I bought Crestridge saddles-- a Guffey (comfy big time!), a Crusade Lite( Also comfy!) and an Ovation (Nice, seat is a little narrow for me though). These are my trail saddles now, to go with my trail horses. Also, when I ride trails, I don't walk the whole time, because it really kills my seat and back. I have to mix it up, do some gaiting, some cantering, back to a walk, and so on. It's only a problem on longer trail rides, over an hour.



Also, I've seen people recommend Tucker saddles for trail riding. I've also personally known people who bought them and hated them. All those people are, without exception, NEW Tucker owners. The company was bought out a couple of years ago, and the same maker isn't making the saddles. Evidently the quality is going down because of that. The same could be said for new Circle Y saddles-- the original makers of Circle Y sold out, and now they make Reinsman saddles.



It's not horridly important, but these little industry shifts are good to keep in mind if you decide to saddle shop.



Also, you didn't specify what discipline you ride in right now, but I honestly can't do formal dressage-- those deep sitting trots kill my back, even to this day. I still love and respect dressage, and I use the techniques often, but no more actual showing or fitting a horse for show.

Answer 8

for a trail saddle I cant express enough how comfortable the Big Horn endurance saddle is. Its got a balanced seat so you can get up out of it without leaning forward or back.. And I've used them on a wide range of horses from a skinny arab to a standard bred to a quarter horse. Its got center fire rigging that makes it fit alot of horses without slipping about.





And for back pain....I've degenerative disc disease in my lower back. been to chiropractors, used braces, used saddle pads..



what works for me is a daily dose of ibuprofen and something called the Miracle ball. http://www.elainepetrone.com/ its just a soft ball.. easy to use and easy to take with you.. and by god it relieves the pain in my back.. I make time to lay on the thing for 20 minutes a day and its just that simple.

Answer 9

Im 18, I don't get back pain :P

Just kidding.

But I have had back pain, I do pilates (sometimes) and that helps stretch all your muscles.



One of my friends goes to a Chiropractor, she says it works wonders.

Answer 10

I would wonder if perhaps you're forcing yourself into a posture your body is trying to tell you is not healthy. Soreness because you're developing muscle is one thing...

i would be hesitant to blame my saddle first thing and would investigate where i'm holding tension while i'm riding (if you're female, make sure you're not hyper-flexing your lumbar vertebrae).

also, i would wonder if my horse's way of going is contributing. work on downward transitions/half halts and lateral work to get him using himself correctly.

unless you're riding hours and hours a day, i doubt it's your saddle, but rather, your posture or your horse's posture and movement.

Answer 11

I was on medication for years for it but finally got referred to a physio who worked with me for 6 months or so and seems to have pretty much sussed it.

Medication free now.

That plus a change of bed - yes I said BED - makes a big difference.

Answer 12

Massage therapy, Physical therapy, Chiropractic work, acupuncture, lumbar support belt, pharmaceuticals, yes....Lumbar and Cervical laminectomies, yes, back exercises, yes, kept my same horse and saddle.



A Tucker trail saddle is/has been pretty much the gold standard for trail riding saddles....



http://www.outfitterssupply.com/tucker-saddles.asp



I ride a Circle Y reiner saddle on trail rides. It fits my seat and my horse's spine.



A Cashel tush cush will help with the southern most "bony" parts of you anatomy.



EDIT: The rule of saddles..when shopping for a new one, it has to fit your seat and the horse's spine. You'll sit in a lot of saddles before finding one that is truly comfortable and fits your seat....your horse's spine for fit is just as important.

I won't buy a cheapie; I'll spend a lot of money if I need to and I take care of them.....my current saddle is over 10 years old and is in beautiful shape. Saddle weight is important to me....I don't want to lug something around in the neighborhood of 45 to 50 pounds. Your horse doesn't want to either.



Currently I'm a fan of Bob's Saddles, also Blue Ribbon (for the show pen). Neither are inexpensive.



Here is a link to reviews of the majority of trail saddle manufacturers and their saddles.



http://www.horsetackreview.com/results-reader-reviews/Trail%20Saddles

Answer 13

I stretch good before i ride and take 2 aleve about an hour before or if you ride daily you can take aleve once every morning it helps with any inflammation

Answer 14

Yoga. And if bad then get a gaited horse.

Answer 15

i have scoliosis but i ignore it.. i'm so used to it and if it's tooo bad i do like stretches and stuff...