BE careful!!
There is a recommended maximal width and flexion angle for the prosthesis.
Depending on your leg length and the width of the horse, you could be outside those limits which could lead to problems.
If your rehab professional or therapist does not know how to determine that, PM me and it is 5 minutes to walk you through it.
REgards,
Medical Mike
equestrian medical researcher
www.equicision.com
Hi Mike,
Unfortunately, my horse is very wide. I rode for about 10 mins. yesterday and had the same spasm in the groin area.
At this point, I donāt want to do anything that could jeopardize my recovery.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
My horse is wide like a barrelā¦ The saddle that fits him has the widest Wintech insert. My english saddle lets me perch high enough that my leg angle is comfortable. If youāre riding a western saddle a tush cush may help elevate your body.
I ride in Heather Moffetās seat savers on both my English and Western saddles. My horse is a barrel and both saddles are wide!
Theyāre a fairly dense memory foam, so theyāre pretty comfy, too.
I personally wouldnāt have been able to use the op leg at 7 weeks. It was tough for me at 4 months. You may still have a lot of internal swelling going on - which will make it grumpy. Internal swelling can last a LOOONNNGG time.
Donāt try to push yourself into a bad spellā¦lots of people do that inadvertantly.
This is a really good chart for reference - I put a copy on my fridge!
http://www.bonesmart.org/public_forum/how-long-does-healing-take-t5860.html
I just had total hip replacement on my right hip 5 weeks ago. My doctor said I can ride again after 3 months and jump after 6 months. I have no pain whatsoever in my hip and canāt wait to get back on. Hopefully Iāll be able to hold my position better now that I am no longer in pain.
Iāve been on the horse s few more times and my pain has subsided.
Iām now able to do a posting trot, with no discomfort.
Prior to the surgery, my OS said it would be three months until I could ride again. After reviewing the X Rays and assessing my flexibility, he gave me the OK to ride.
I know I still have a lot of healing to do and Iām taking it easy on myself.
:D:D
I have several clients who, after their hip or knee replacements, could not ride astride any more. I have built sidesaddles for them or restored āOld Nameā sidesaddles for them to ride.
I have an off-side or sidesaddle with horns on the right side I am building for a lady who can not ride astride any more. With her replacement she canāt ride on the left side of the horse. With this Western Off-Side sidesaddle she can ride the trails again and enjoy her horse.
Where there is a will there is a way.
I hope you ladies can begin to ride astride again. But if for some reason you can not, let me try to help.
Kind regards, sadlmakr
Just this last weekend I went trail riding with a friend who had a double hip replacement. Her surgeon was a rider and he gave her a hip that had more movement in a certain direction. She is so delighted to have no pain she is a new woman. . . but a cautious one.
hip replacement and riding
Do you know what type of movement your friends OS used.
I am having a hip replacment next week and I sure would love to ride a little bit in the spring.
I posted before about the different hip options.
Click at this site link for an unvarnished look at the various options you may have.
I chose a Birmingham resurfacing after getting a second opinion from a surgeon that did both total hip replacement & resurfacing.
The site has a detailed explanation of the merits of both.
Update:
Itās been four months since my hip surgery! Iām back on the horse and pain free.
Iām so happy I had the procedure done, it has changed my life!!!:winkgrin:
EXCELLENT !!! BE PROUD !!!
GREAT NEWS !!! 
:D:yes:
GOOD FOR YOU BE PROUD
THR 12/22/10 started walking without aids 17 days post surgery. The first week and a half, I never thought Iād walk again, then one day got up to use the toilet and didnāt use the cane, havenāt picked it up since.
I am walking about 6/10s of a mile 2 times a day along with PT.
I AM GOING TO RIDE AGAIN
Congratulations ~
YES ~ :yes: YOU WILL !!!
Glad you are up and around ~
[QUOTE=casper324;5365530]
THR 12/22/10 started walking without aids 17 days post surgery. The first week and a half, I never thought Iād walk again, then one day got up to use the toilet and didnāt use the cane, havenāt picked it up since.
I am walking about 6/10s of a mile 2 times a day along with PT.
I AM GOING TO RIDE AGAIN[/QUOTE]
Yes, you will ride again!
Recovery can take some time, but well worth the wait.
I got the go ahead to ride 8 weeks post op. I tried, but my body let me know it was too soon.
Started riding 12 weeks post op, just 15 mins. twice a week.
Iām now 18 weeks post op and ride with no pain at all.
Iām fitting up and my new hip is working better then the old one did.
THR - Recovery and riding
Had my THR (right) 12/20/10. Rode until about three weeks before surgery. Was up the day of surgery and walked with crutches the next day. Was discharged the day after that. Was fit before surgery. The PTs said my fitness and core strength really helped as I could lift the operated leg back into bed the evening of surgery. Went back to work 1/3. Started driving again 1/4. Did all the exercises with more reps than required. At my post op checkup, Doc cleared me to ride again after 3 mos, but said he would really prefer 4 mos. Iām going to see how I feel then. Was knocked down by a dog (not mine) two weeks ago in a dog park. Torqued my left knee and had to take it easy for a week thereafter. Now I am back walking a couple of miles a day (but avoiding the dog park). In a couple of weeks, Iāll see what I can find to ride. Sold my horse last year and have been riding for the BO since. Fabulously talented mounts, but some are less than reliable. Had the THR, in fact, from ātraumatic arthritisā after being bucked off an ornery but talented jumper onto the arena fence in '09. Looking forward to getting back. Have some trepidation, but mostly about finding a suitable first mount. Think I should start back on something more reliable that what I usally ride.
Hi Calllabista,
Congrats on having the surgery done!
Thereās many thing that go on during the healing process. I found a great place for advice and information.
http://bonesmart.org/public_forum/
There are a few riders on this board who can help you with any questions. Give it a try.
[QUOTE=Gideon;5207603]
I did it! I got on my horse for the first time, since my surgery.
Mounted from the right side and sat in the saddle. I felt a minor spasm, but it passed after a few seconds.
Hubby walked me around for about 10 mins and I was in heaven.
I canāt believe how nervous I was, but it felt great to be on a horse again.:D[/QUOTE]
Good for you so did I! I got the OK at 6 weeks but I waited 9 weeks PO. I wasnāt ready earlier mentally or physically. I had to mount on the right side and have the DH lift me off but I did even post for a corn field!
Of course today after 2 days of riding, I feel like a truck hit me. Then I remember I would have felt this way after not riding for 2 years regardless.
Enjoy your new hip and often new life.
I just had a partial revision of my left THR last Tuesday 3/1. Iāve had the hip for 10 years - got it JUST before the new polyethylene liner material came into use, so I wore out the acetabular liner. Got the new acetabular liner and a new ball, and they should last me for life, as the stem is in great shape with lots of good dense bone around it.
My surgery went so well that I donāt really have to observe the usual THR precautions as long as I use common sense. Like others have posted, it helped immensely that I was already quite fit going in.
For anyone facing this, I urge you to inquire about having an epidural as opposed to general anesthetic. I had the epi for both my original THR and this most recent surgery, and let me tell you, the recovery time is MARKEDLY shorter. I was allowed to eat and drink whatever I wanted after, was much more alert immediately following surgery (wide awake and asking lots of questions before I even got out of the recovery room), and generally just felt better.
If you think you canāt handle being awake for surgery (it never bothered me - in fact I am getting the video from my surgeon), donāt worry. Theyāll sedate you and you probably wonāt remember much. I do remember quite a lot from Tuesdayās surgery, but thatās because I asked the anesthesiologist to sedate me as lightly as he was comfortable with.
Hi Mara,
I also had an epidural for my surgery and highly recommend it.
The epi was left in for about 2-3 days and helped with the post op pain.
Iām happy to hear your surgery went well. Iām 6 months post op and back to my normal riding routine.
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