I am a driver, but we do dressage too.
I have arthritus in my finger joints and it make it very painful to ride/drive with contact. Of course we are working toward self carriage, but on the way, especially when warming up, my fingers kill me. We have the disadvantage of having to carry a whip and having many more feet of rein than rider’s do. I have regular biothane reins and the fat, knobby ones like ridden rubber reins and have padded my whip handle with vet wrap so it is easier to hold. Neither of my hands close tightly, especially the right, where I have to carry to rein and whip.
Anyone on this forum that has found any devices that help? I know there are “bionic” gloves for riding and driving. I have thought about hand holds like harness racer’s use. I tried vet wrapping supports to the reins today thinking they may be easier to hold if they were stiff but that wasn’t any better. Any help would be appreciated.
I do not have arthritis in my hands. That said, arthritis usually responds well to warmth and over the counter meds such as Ibuprofen or Aleve if you can take them. Acetaminophen is not as effective, but some people cannot tolerate the others. Hand warmers could help in colder weather. Hope this helps!
I’ve suffer too. My hands ache so bad some days putting on polos is torture. I’ve started glucosamine chondroitin and noticed after about 3 weeks a definate difference. Still have days, but the pain and stiffness is much better. I know it doesn’t work for everyone, but you may want to give it a try.
A few months ago I started getting arthritis is my left hand at the top joints of my ring and middle finger. It was quite painful at times, especially after carrying water buckets, and I was starting to develop those bumps at the joint. Two months ago I started taking Cod Liver Oil (capsules) and I have not had any pain and the bumps have really gone down.
What makes those bumps form anyway?
I literally feel your pain. On top of arthritis, I have a very weak grip - I can not hold a gallon of milk with one hand and I can’t grip and hold much of anything. Even opening most of the doors are a challenge. I also have a condition when my fingers lock from a sudden pressure, even a light one: like puling a grass weed. Sometimes I can’t even unbend my fingers with my other hand. When my fingers lock, I have to go to the doctor to unlock them.
I take 800 ibuprofen and use arthritic creams. I use only bionic gloves and fat rubber reains. But the most relive that I get is from wrapping my hands at night with a spray of arnica on them. At the morning I do cold/hot water exercisers in the 2 kitchen sinks: put your hands in the hot water and slowly bend and unbend them to start to get the range of motions in them. After a couple of minutes put them in the cold water and repeat the exercise. Do that for 15 minutes. You can reduce the swelling (if you have any) as well as get better range of motions.
Sometimes I wake up with the hands that are so swollen that I can’t even bend or unbend my fingers completely until I do those cold/hot exercisers - those are the best.
On the horse, I never have a full contact for the long periods of time. I replace my inside rein then change the direction and release my “other” inside rein to give my hands a rest. But sometimes at the end of the ride it’s so painful; I want to scream from pain!
Unfortunately, there is not much else that can be done as I know off… I had thoughts of applying for the dispensation certificate to get the looped reins, but it seems that you have to miss a limb to get those.
Thanks guys.
The bumps are the joints reforming due to the arthritus. Because the tendons and ligaments don’t slide smoothly anymore, the pain.
I do magnesium and flax seed oil daily. I do ibrupofin daily. Was on Vioxx at one point. Arthritus is why I don’t ride any more but have been able to drive, although it is getting more difficult. At one time did the other joint stuff but never saw the results I have with the above. I also have a parafin bath that I use when they are really painful in the evening.
Keep the ideas coming and thanks again.
I have paraffin bath as well, but the cold/hot water helps me MUCH more - but doesn’t feel as good 
One Word!
Traumeel!
It is a homopathic cream available at the health food stores or Vitamin Shop. You have to get it! Rub it on your hands. I use it on the horse as well. I had a repetitive motion injury that was very, very painful. I rubbed this cream on and I am off Aleve and whatever else I was using!
Good luck!
my father has the bone-on-bone thing going on; piling on the glucosamine really helped him.
otherwise, a client at a therapeutic riding barn where i used to volunteer had severe arthritis in her hips; heat was really the only thing that gave her relief. (hence, the coming-and-sitting-on-a-nice-warm-horse 2x/week. 
) how about sleeping in mittens or gloves to try and keep your joints supple?
I rode those years ago with arthritis as well as a bad lower back and sciatic nerve problem. Just took pain pills and did it anyways.
When you want something that bad ( riding) you simply just do it. As you get older though it only gets worse.
I’m in the bone on bone area too, I’m still walking. Riding is actually easier than walking, the leg is very loose, I hardly use them other than lightly. I’ve been greatly helped by taking Lubrisyn. Yes, the horse HA. Before you all go half cocked on me, I ask my doctor if it would kill me and he said he did not think it would work, but if I wanted to try it, go ahead. I did, and I am amazed. It works pretty well, in fact enough that I no longer take Aleve daily (six pills) unless I am on my feet ALL day, or on vacation walking continuously. I also am on a low dose of Celebrex. Most of the time I limp around, and this has let me do much more with my leg. Only the left knee so far, so doctor thinks 38 years of getting on a horse contributed…now ain’t that a kick in the head?
One little side effect a slight rash on my lower legs. I can live with it, I enjoy walking more freely now.
A friend of ours has horrible arthritis in her poor little hands and feet.When she did ride she used those web reins with loops on them.
She put her hands in the loops and did not have to clutch the reins - somebody here will know what they are called, knowing the COTH crowd.
I have the knots on my joints, and I’m on various supplements as well as celebrex. I have a harder time buckling the bridle and pulling/buckling the girth than riding with contact!
I’ve found a pair of gloves that go in the microwave, then you put them on–they are magnificent. I wear them at night.
I can’t braid anymore–I tried, and my hands locked up the next day. I couldn’t unlock them by themselves. Not pretty.
Why is it that now that I can afford to “do” horses, my body’s giving out? Sigh.
[QUOTE=Kairoshorses;3149247]
I can’t braid anymore–I tried, and my hands locked up the next day. I couldn’t unlock them by themselves. Not pretty.
Why is it that now that I can afford to “do” horses, my body’s giving out? Sigh.[/QUOTE]
sigh…tell me about it!
I’ll try the herbal stuff. I’ve done gloves at night and it doesn’t seem to help much. I think driving would be more ok with hand holds (the loops that go on your reins, Freedomrider.com has them).
I roached my pony’s mane. No more braiding for me.
thin reins help me. I had always thought that thick padded racing reins would be better but it turns out the thin ones cause way less pain (at least for me).
Try using wax every day. Husband has some arthritis and was told to buy a hot wax machine where he “dunks” his hands in hot (not too hot) wax, leaves it on until it cools then peels it off.
Makes hands softer and joints feel better.
Yes, hands and wrists. Drugs and night gloves help. I prefer the thick passier rubber reins. Anything that has my knuckles together is very painful. The double is a real treat! My left is worse than my right, fortunately I need my whip on the right for my horse!
The bottom line is “getting older s*cks!”:mad:
So PF…
How much Lubrisyn do you take? Have considered trying it myself - but am not sure how much of the gunk to get in me…
