Have any of you had a lumbar fusion and continued to ride? I am a First Level rider and hope to continue. Walk, trot canter and lateral work. I thank you in advance for your response.
Itās going to depend greatly on what lumbar vertebrae are involved, how many, and the type of fusion and the reason for the surgery.
However, in general, my experience has been that dressage is about the worst choice if you are able to return to riding with Lspine fusions. Once fused, you lose movement capabilities in that vertebral space, so that ones surrounding it must make up for it, and the torque and stress place on the rest of your spine increases the likelihood for bone spurs and degeneration.
If there is any kind of metal implantation involved, my experience with the handful of people Iāve worked with who have had spinal fusions is that they cannot return to riding, or if they do it is because theyāve weighed the pros and cons and only return to a very low level of pleasure riding (walk, maybe a jog on a nice, steady-eddy type, but thatās about it). The risk with metal is if you were to take a fall or any significant impact, the force could rip the metal screws/plates/pins out and shatter the vertebrae.
The particulars of your case are going to be the biggest determining factor, but either way, L-spine is probably the most likely to significantly impact your riding (compared to C-spine or T-spine).
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I had a non-instrumented fusion at L5-S1 and partial L4-L5 discectomy in 2007. The surgeon threw in a hemilaminectomy at the lower level for good measure too. Until a few months ago, I was nearly nerve pain free (no ridiculopathy since 2008). However, Iāve since been diagnosed with severe facet syndrome and bony degeneration at those two levels and the beginning stages at the next level up. Iāve begun conservative treatment for the resulting neuropathy, and am having good results (facet injections and gabapentin).
I ride at least 5 days/week up to 2 horses each day, and do both dressage and jumping. I currently compete at I-1 and Novice eventing, but find that doing cross country conditioning work and having saddles that help me maintain a posterior pelvic tilt are the key. Iāve also found that sitting trot is the most difficult/uncomfortable, so I limit how much I do (some rides I donāt do any). My overall mantra is āfitness is my friendā. 
Good luck with whatever treatment you pursue.
My daughter has lumbar spinal fusion along with the hardware. She had spinal surgery to correct a curve due to scoliosis. She is a teenager.
She returned to riding about 8 months after her surgery. She can absolutely walk, trot, canter, do lateral work, etc. She does a great job of controlling the horse from her seat. You would never know her lumbar spine is fused.
āWhen your Doc gives you the green light to ride - I say go for it.
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My specialist wanted me to have an ALIF (Anterior Lumber Interbody Fusion). I weighed up the pros and cons and decided against it - if anything went wrong, it would be super difficult to āundoā. I have since discovered Pilates and swear by regular (ie almost daily) Pilates.
My husband, who is a trail rider, had an L5-SI fusion in April 2015ā¦ He decided to wait a year post surgery before getting back in the saddle. He has gone on a few rides (walk, trot so far). He has not noticed any back issues but does have some issues with foot/leg numbness that has been going on for some time. He has also been able to ski and cycle as well. He has not had any back pain since the surgery so it was a huge success.
My fusion was L 4-5. My surgeon clear me to start ringing at 6 months, slowly. I have no pain when riding and I wish I had done it sooner.
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Nadia, that is the best news. I am trying to put off a fusion at L4-5, having had a decompression surgery. I have a horse close to FEI, and a 2 year old that is very promising. I hope I will be able to have the results you had when I get it done.
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I have a fusion (cage, rods, screws) at L5-S1. Done in 2013. I was cleared to ride in 6 months, carefully. It was the best decision I ever made - changed my life.
I am primarily a hunter/jumper rider that dabbles in dressage, but I can sit trot all day long now, and still walk the next day!
Thank you
My thanks to all of you who responded. I am going to a neurosurgeon next week after a failed back surgery (and a replaced hip with a stroke followed by breast cancer - all in one year.) However, I started riding late in life and am no quitter, but will stay in the arena and off the trails. I wish you all nothing but blue ribbons and peaceful trail rides. Border Collie
I have an L4-S1 fusion with screws and rods, I had a compression fracture of L5 13 years ago. I started riding walk only 2 months out of the hospital with Dr. approvalāI was only allowed to ride my steady old fellow, my Dr. thought it would be great PT, turned out, itās the only PT I ever had.
I competed in IHSA Hunter eq all through college, have done all the training from first ride on with my current horses. Currently doing lower level eventing, schooling up to 4ft at home. The biggest challenge I have is sitting the trotā¦ so itās unlikely that I will ever go very far in regular Dressage, but hopefully Iāll get good enough to muddle through for Eventing dressage!
Good luck!
Did you have the fusion? What were your results and are you still riding?
I have lumbar fusion and Iām a trainer. Doesnāt bother me at all. In fact it happen naturally/spontaneously and solved a long-standing case of sciatica.
I knew that I had a wonky bit in my lumbar area: a Significant spondylolisthesis. I injured my back when I was 16 and pushed several tons of hay up a ladder into the loft. I didnāt tell my mom because I knew she would be mad at me. I ignored it, and gradually itās sort of improved to the degree. I categorically refused to allow anybody to x-ray it because I knew they would tell me to stop riding. Which I would refuse to do.
So for several decades I had sciatica in one form or another. And very gradually it just went away and I honestly never thought about it. It happened very slowly and then one day I realized I had not had any low back pain or sciatica for a number of years.
Flash forward to three months ago, and I was in the hospital for an emergency appendectomy. As part of prep they do imaging, and after I was out of the hospital I read the notesā¦and surprise surpriseā¦ full fusion between L5 and L6. Problem solved. And apparently had been solved for many years.
So, I have course donāt know how relevant this is to your situation. But bodies do you have a way of compensating and healing. I have no problem with any dressage movements, I can sit and he tried I need to, and I have no back pain whatsoever.
So I definitely can at the very least so that lumber fusion does not mean that you canāt be a supple Rider!
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Hi! I did not have a fusion. I did have a spinal decompression surgery, which my surgeon was not sure it was going to work, but was more conservative than a fusion so I went for it. I did not think it worked, in fact I felt I would be heading for a fusion anyway, but after about 18 months it healed and I have been riding ever since!
I am so grateful for my surgeon who did not want to fuse me right out of the gate, which I feel has given me more years in the saddle. I still have to be careful what type of horses I choose to sit on, as certain types of movement really aggravate my back. I had to move away from WB to PRE, which helped especially in that time that it wasnāt clear if the surgery was successful. Now, I can ride some WB, but they have to be through their backs and not jarring . I am sticking with PRE, and only riding one horse (I used to always have and ride 2) which my back seems to like. Also I strength train several times a week to get everything as strong as possible.
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do you do mat or reformer? Iāve got a lot of herniations and stiffness and was doing mat but injured back by overdoing it. Want to get back to it but not sure which is best for flexibility.
I had two herniations and a tear, and pilates reformer has been a godsend. I find it more helpful for my back than mat work, since the reformer stabilizes my back and holds me in the correct position.
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