Compared to other issues this is small potatoes but today while I was riding I either pulled or strained a muscle high on the inside of my thigh (probably adductor). I didn’t “do” anything that I’m aware of to set it off but during a canter it just started to “burn” and continued getting worse. I dismounted and tried to walk it off but as soon as I re-mounted it started to hurt again. My left leg was totally ineffective so I walked a bit then quit.
I’m sure I’m not the only one this has happened to. Anyone have any suggestions to get me back riding ASAP without risking real damage? It doesn’t really hurt (just a tiny twinge) if I’m just walking, stairs are a little painful, and getting out of a chair needs to be done carefully. It looks like the weather is going to be bad the next two days so I’ll not be riding at least until Thursday but I’m wondering if I should give it a couple more days. It’s hard to gauge since it only hurts in the saddle, not so much on the ground.
Also I think I need to work on stretching prior to getting on. Does anyone have any favorite stretches for that muscle group?
Google “KT Tape for Adductor muscle strain” and go from there.
Every time I pull a muscle I suffer through it until I remember to grab my KT tape. I pulled a groin muscle (also probably adductor muscle) last summer at a horseshow that was absolutely KILLING me when I rode. KT-taped it up and was able to make it through the rest of the show and come out of it in better shape than I expected. Lived in the KT tape for about a month while continuing to ride at my normal frequency and came out of it healed.
Thanks! This is new to me. We’re in the midst of another winter storm so it’s unlikely I’ll be able to get to the barn for several days. I’m hoping my order shows up by the end of the week so I can try it out. Damn thigh started burning like it was on fire. I didn’t try to push through it so I’m hoping I kept the damage to a minimum.
Hey OP! How have you healed? And did the tape work for you? Last summer I woke up one morning with unbearable pain in my upper inner thigh of my right leg. I saw horrible doctors. The first one I saw made it seem like she thought I was faking and there was nothing wrong with me, even though I couldn’t walk and was in tears every time she moved my leg and she didn’t give me any pain medicine. The second doctor thought I was some kind of mystery patient and none of them bothered to do x-rays, so I had to drive home from college and see my doctor back home who said it was a strained adductor muscle and after doing research it looks like that was what it was. I couldn’t move and the thought of lifting my leg up on a horse made me cringe. I had to use crutches or a wheelchair to move around. It only took about a week though and I was back on my feet and normal again and riding.
Yesterday, after riding I was hosing my horse off and I felt the same area pop and now I’m sore again. It’s nowhere near as bad as the pain I had last year, but I’m worried I’ll wake up and be in the same kind of pain again. If it gets worse tomorrow I may need to go to urgent care.
The tape did help but it still took about 6-8 weeks to heal completely. After the first few days I was OK just going about my daily business but if I moved the wrong way it would “bite” me.
I did ride but I couldn’t canter until it healed completely. Walk and trot were fine but it would start to burn, badly, when I cantered.
He did have a big spook on a windy day before I was completely healed which set me back a bit. I was trying a little canter to see where I was and he did a sit and spin right into my thigh. The pain was pretty bad. I stayed walk trot for another few weeks after that. I really think he spooked because I wasn’t communicating with my thigh, it was loose and I felt him start to suck back but I couldn’t put my thigh on and next thing I know I’m facing the other way doubled over. I didn’t come off but damn it hurt.
I really think I strained it in the first place because I got on “cold”. I usually walk out to get my horse which is about a 15 minute walk (big field) and I usually walk up to the arena. That morning I was in a hurry, I had an early lesson and I had driven for an hour, and I had asked that he be left in so I didn’t get my walk through the field, then I hacked up to the ring instead of walking.
At the age of 58 I need some more warm up, so now I make sure to stretch and I’m walking to the arena instead of hacking. The arena is a few minute walk from the barn and slightly uphill so it’s enough of a walk to help warm up my muscles a little.
I hope you woke today without pain. It hurts like an SOB.
