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Kelly
Platinum Member
England
1571 Posts |
 Posted - 09 Oct 2008 : 11:23:49 AM
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For the last couple of years, maybe longer (Jack has been backed for 3 years but we did very little the first winter), I have felt crooked in the saddle.
It's got worse - I am adjusting myself even in walk now. I can't keep my right leg back where it should be, esp at anything faster than slow trot. My pelvis ends up facing slightly left. My left leg then goes back, at faster speeds.
I've looked at various causes:
Jack - chiropractor says he's fine physically.
Saddle - changed it - no difference.
Me - Jack's chiro said I was uneven, and a McTimoney chiro said I had a 'twisted and tilted' pelvis. I had two treatments and couldn't see any improvement, so stopped as it was expensive.
This morning, I've seen a 'normal' chiro, who struggled to find anything to cause it. I have some tightness is my sacroiliac joint, and in a groin muscle. This could cause the right side of my pelvis to be pulled forward, but he didn't think it was a major thing.
My mum doesn't appreciate the seriousness of my problems, and says Jack is difficult to ride (comfortwise).
I'm beginning to think it's my riding - am I asking Jack to 'bend' that way and so putting myself out? It doesn't seem that way - I feel at odds with him.
Does anyone have any thoughts, no matter how odd?
Please help - I can't ride properly, and I really want to continue Jacks educations with good schooling this winter. 
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Kelly
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Edited by - Kelly on 10 Oct 2008 3:07:01 PM
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Pixie
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
6586 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2008 : 11:26:09 AM
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| get a good independent teacher out to assess you. most horses are one sided and if you are one sided too it may be making the situation worse. |
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Zan
Platinum Member
Scotland
3213 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2008 : 11:30:03 AM
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I agree with Pixie---a good instructor can give you exercises to work on this. I would say "all" but I suppose should say "most"--riders are naturally one sided and same goes for horses. If it happens to be the same side for both of you you will be making each other worse. Very common |
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Kelly
Platinum Member
England
1571 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2008 : 11:35:34 AM
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Ooh, that was quick, thanks guys!
Can anyone recommend someone in West Yorkshire - Bradford, to be precise?
I can't afford many lessons, but might be able to stretch to an assessment! |
Kelly
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Pixie
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
6586 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2008 : 11:38:17 AM
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| look on the bhs register and find an II rather than an AI or an I. Google BHS Register of Trainers and hopefully you will find one in your area. |
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Pixie
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
6586 Posts |
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Crusaders Angel
Gold Member
England
531 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2008 : 11:57:15 AM
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The best thing you can buy is one of those huge gym balls. This will help you straighten up.
Once you can sit on the gym ball straight you need to keep that feeling of where "straight" is when you ride your horse. This will help him to find where "straight" is for him and he should fill in any gaps under you. It will be hard for him to start with so keep sessions short. It will be very hard for you not to follow him back into crookedness.
Pilates is also very helpful for developing core strength and stability.
Hope you manage to get everything sorted. Good for you for recognising the problem, there are loads of crooked people out there who don't realise it. I'm lucky (in a way) my mum studied the Alexander Technique and her horse won't go in front so I always have a "backseat rider" who tells me when I'm collapsing a hip or tipping my head. Sometimes though I wish she was more like a SatNav and you could turn the voice off 
Lucy |
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lehla
Silver Member
United Kingdom
336 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2008 : 12:01:23 PM
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hi kelly are you sure its defiantley you could it be jack throwing the saddle? do you find it worse on one reign ?i only ask because i had this with my jack a couple of years ago and it stemmed from a made to measure saddle that caused numeours problems starting with sore back and causing sore hocks because of this. resulting in jack throwing the saddle to one side needless to say the saddle wasnt made to measure so after sorting jack out and a saddle that fit for a long time after on one reign more than the other he would still try an throw the saddle it was all phycological(spelling) it was in his head so i forgot about the schooling plus because of what had happend he hated the school arabs are so sensative he associated shool=pain so i did tons an tons of hacking something he really enjoyed he ended up mummys mountain goat ha ha sorry to go on but i know what its like feeling like youve hit a brick wall hope this helps lehla |
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zelus
Bronze Member
England
137 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2008 : 12:08:06 PM
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Hi im a reg instructor in west yorks. Sorry only BHSAI INT TEACHING!!!! Also im a ridden panel judge so if you want to pm me ill see what i can do.
Kathryn oldroyd |
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Crusaders Angel
Gold Member
England
531 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2008 : 12:20:33 PM
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Forgot about the saddle 
Have a look at the panels on the underside of the saddle.
Are they the same length? If one of the panels is even slightly longer it can cause the horse to twist its self so that the longer panel is not pinching the shoulder.
Are they symetrical in shape? If one panel is slightly thicker/broader than this can alter how the saddle lies on the muscles and how it moves.
Are the panels smooth or do they have bumps in? The panels should be smooth and flat with out any curve in them or any hard lumps in the flocking.
Do they feel hard or is there a slight give in them? Sometimes if the flocking is too hard it can give the horse the impression that it is more rigid than it really is.
Is the channel at least 3 fingers wide? If the channel isn't wide enough for the panels to sit either side of the spine this can cause the horse to twist its barrel in order to create space.
Sorry for the essay - the number of new saddles I have seen in the last few weeks which are not symetrical is unreal. If I had the money I would have kept them and saved some poor horse from having to wear them. As it was I sent them back with a strongly worded letter as to why I didn't want to keep them and why I thought they shouldn't ever be sold on. Don't for one minute think it would have stopped them being sold on but felt I had to do something  .
Lucy |
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Kelly
Platinum Member
England
1571 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2008 : 12:32:56 PM
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Thank you all for your responses, you're a helpful bunch
Lucy and Leyla - re saddles. I've had two main ones with Jack - a Barefoot Cheyenne, completely treeless, and now a Heather Moffet Fhoenix, part treed with a rigid cantle for rider support and a soft 'tree' of layers of leather. The problem does not appear to have changed with the change of a saddle, it's just got worse over the last few months (which doesn't coincide with the new saddle). The cheyenne didn't have panels as such, and I used a suberpad. The Fhoenix does have panels, and I have changed the flat ones to wedge ones but had to cut them down - and it has got worse since. Coincidence?
I'll check the panels out. The gullet width is fine. Jack's chiro is happy with his back, no tenderness or muscle wastage. He's the ideal candidate for treeless - wide, flat back, and I'm lightweight and don't spend long in the saddle, no jumping etc (yet )
Lucy - gym ball - it's on the list! I've wanted one for a while, will be getting one this weekend
I wonder how long it will take for my OH to push me off it? And then how long it will take for me to cook him a meal again?  |
Kelly
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Edited by - Kelly on 09 Oct 2008 12:42:44 PM |
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Crusaders Angel
Gold Member
England
531 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2008 : 12:54:19 PM
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If you cut the wedge ones down they might not be symetrical. If that is the only change you have made then this could be the cause, or it could be that the bearing surface has decreased and that is what he is unhappy about.
I'm not really sure how they differ (the flat ones and the wedge ones) so can't be more helpful, sorry.
Lucy |
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Kelly
Platinum Member
England
1571 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2008 : 12:55:51 PM
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It might be the cause of it getting a bit worse, but the problem was there a long time before. You have made me think though - I will look at them again : ) Thank you.
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Kelly
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SP28
Junior Member
United Kingdom
35 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2008 : 1:03:08 PM
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Hi kelly
Have you tried Pilates or Yoga it may be something as simple as stretching out the muscles down one side. Or try a sport physio who could asses the muscles and then give you some excercises to do at home.
Just a thought |
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Kelly
Platinum Member
England
1571 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2008 : 1:06:40 PM
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Hi Sally
I've done short courses of each before, but didn't stick to them. I plan to start yoga next week - wish me luck!
The chiro this morning says I have stiffness in a sacroiliac joint, and also in a muscle down the inside of my groin. He has manipulated/stretched them, and given me some exercises.
He didn't think they were serious enough to cause such a magnitude of problem though! |
Kelly
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Esther
Gold Member
United Kingdom
866 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2008 : 1:14:08 PM
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Kerry here (using Esther's log in)
Ah, and here's the but - he's just looking at you and assessing you isn't he? What he's not doing from the sound of it is assessing you, then the horse, and then both of you together.
I'm a sports massage therapist and I specialise in massage for horse riders. I could, if you want, bob over from Castleford and do an assessment of you both and see if I can help you sort the issue? |
paranoid horsemother
 
Photo on far right thanks to West End Photography
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Kelly
Platinum Member
England
1571 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2008 : 1:20:34 PM
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Kerry, you're right. And though my chiro has ridden, he mentioned that 'there's no much movement when you're riding', so I don't think he understands very well!
I have pm'ed you, via Esther's log in!
Such nice people on AL |
Kelly
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NUTTER
Platinum Member
England
2452 Posts |
Posted - 09 Oct 2008 : 1:25:32 PM
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Hope you get to the bottom of the problem Kelly..
This thread has been really helpfull to me also after today!!
I do pilates and i would agree give it a go as it does strenthen you, as regards to the ball thats very interesting as i cannot balance and stay for 2 seconds!!
So i shall be doing this exercise now on a daily basis..
Thinking about the ball when i had my physio 3 times a week at hospitol this was one of the exercises they gave us for correct posture and balence ..
Which i always gave up on and never succeded..
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Kelly
Platinum Member
England
1571 Posts |
Posted - 10 Oct 2008 : 3:06:35 PM
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Hello all (if anyone's still reading this!)
I had to post, as I'm still on a high
I schooled Jack last night, and he gave me half an hour of the best work he's EVER done - he was an absolute little star.
It may have helped that my position was much better - once I'd found my balance, I could stay where I should be with a minimum of effort - even in canter it was much better - leg moved, but not so much!
Whatever the chiro did yesterday, it's helped It was only a tiny change, but has made a major difference.
So Jack and I probably helped each other
I have also booked a lesson/assessment with a lady not far from me - Bekki Marsden, if anyone knows of her. I can't wait until next Thursday now, am giddy with excitement  |
Kelly
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Pixie
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
6586 Posts |
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madmare
Platinum Member
England
2129 Posts |
Posted - 10 Oct 2008 : 6:31:09 PM
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My 'thing' for improving balance is to take your feet out of your stirrups, and pull your foot so your thigh is pointing almost straight down and your heel is touching the back of your thigh...hold for 5 seconds, and then let go...do this on both legs, and it will help to stretch any tension out of your legs, which may just be making you feel cockeyed.
Hope this helps.
Emma xx |
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Kazhak
Silver Member
Australia
352 Posts |
Posted - 11 Oct 2008 : 01:14:01 AM
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Hi I only just caught onto this thread, I have had similar problems in the past (Same unbalanced feeling where 1 leg is forward & 1 is back) & hope that you have managed to find out what the real problem is.
For me it turned out my jaw drops out of place & this makes my right side weak & when i ride at a canter on the off lead I get one leg moving forward & the other moving back,
my doctor has said that this problem could come from when i was born, & I still need to go back regularly to get it fixed, I know the problem is an ongoing one for me, even when i walk on the ground I notice the difference.
anyways i eally hope you've got things running straight the way they Should
Kazh
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Dot
Gold Member
England
669 Posts |
Posted - 11 Oct 2008 : 3:49:39 PM
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Hi Kelly,
I was in a road traffic accident in February where I landed on a cats eye on my right hand side. I have been to see my Osteopath 11 times since then, off to see him on Monday again.
Initially I was lame and the most uncomfortable thing was sitting! After my first visit I walked out sound and much more comfortable. I refused to ride for quite a while (8-10 weeks)because I was
a) in pain
b) know I would not be sitting square and did not want to cause my remaining horse back problems. He got lunged rather a lot.
I still find certain chairs intensley uncomfortable for more then 10 minutes. Driving one of our cars for more than an hour causes my whole right hand side to stiffen up again. When my Osteo was on holiday it got so bad, almost back to post the accident I had to get pain killers from my doctor. I had to have two differnt sorts in the end I was on opiods... and they did not get rid of the pain completely.
At present there is still some tightness in my right buttock and I can feel this when I lie down in bed and if I place a hand on each cheek and walk up stairs. During the 8 months since this accident I have had periods where I feel fine and do not feel sat off to the right hand side, so not all bad. I have also had periods where I could only get left canter from horses I know did not have a bias prior to my accident. I know I was fine before this accident as I got myself checked out the year before when I was having some issues completing ER's with one of my competition horses and was petty much told go away and stop waisting your money and my time. Different chap tot he one I use now, but again came well recomended.
So yes a good osteo/ chiro can make all the difference to how you ride even though it does not feel like they may do much at the time. I am very lucky in that my osteopath came by recomendation and used to ride but now drives 4 in hand carriages.
Hope this encourages you to keep going to your chiro.
Dot
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Dot
www.threelowsfarm.com
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Crusaders Angel
Gold Member
England
531 Posts |
Posted - 13 Oct 2008 : 10:09:29 AM
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Well done Kelly Keep up the good work
Lucy |
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Songbird
Bronze Member
England
152 Posts |
Posted - 13 Oct 2008 : 7:58:16 PM
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Zak and I have endless crooked probs . Years ago I thought it was the saddle but my saddler ran behind us one day and explained what he was seeing, that Zak was throwing me to the right because we were both crooked .
I do subscribe to the belief that the foal lies curled up to one side in the womb and comes out sometimes with the muscles shorter on one side because of this . Hence ''stiff to one side ''. Zak is always softer to the right , add to this that I am so strong on my right side we do have a bit of a struggle .
I do my best to be aware of everything that I'm feeling and ride accordingly , trying not to be too ''right sided ''. I also find that removing the stirrups helps you to sit really centrally.
Zak tends to go with quarters to the right so I ride lots of lateral work , ie shoulder in to help straighten him . I too wonder if my own '' conformation '' contributes to the problem . My right leg was broken so badly in several places that I'm sure it's not the same length as my left . I experiment with differing lengths of stirrup leathers in the constant quest to ride straight.
Lots of luck to you if you need a teacher look in the British Dressage trainers directory , or better stiil try Kath Oldroyd if you live near her.
Lots of luck
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Kit Rolfe |
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