Riding with a fused spine???

[jessiez]

I’m new to the forums and thought i’d start here

Any riders out there who have had spinal fusions??

I am fused T7-11 and T4-L2 due to Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis. Riding is difficult and not like it used to be 15 years ago. I ride crooked and some horses tolerate it and some do not.

I don’t show anymore because I hate being judged. I don’t consider this a disability and will always ride no matter how many times i’m told not to but I am hoping to hear of other equestrians out there that maybe have fused spines also?? If so, how do you show and ride? How do you manage pain?

Thanks!

[kdreger]

I am not fused yet, wish it would happen soon. I have a lot of pain when I am riding. I did find a saddle that helps and I had to add 1/4" onto the right stirrup to shorten it a bit. With the curvature you have has anyone adjusted your stirrups to you rather then “even”? It may help to find an OT who could make suggestions on what might help you.
When I found the right saddle for me I went from a 1/2 hour ride to 8 hours… Now with the bulging disks that ride time is way down again. I did get to ride my horse for the first time in 18 months and ride for over an hour…

[jessiez]

My curves were 57 and 72 before the fusion. They were brought down to the 20’s with two rods. I do recommend fusions only if you can’t handle the pain and your curves start to effect your daily life (walking, breathing). It’s a major surgery and I was kept from riding for 2 years. I do still ride but fight the pain every now and then. I’m trying to save for a comfy saddle also I’ve got a floaty arab so that’s nice for my back! I swear i’ll go gaited in the future though! What is an OT, I haven’t heard of that. I also have two super uneven stirrups and have to have them both adjusted constantly for comfort. Thanks for your reply! Good luck if you chose to go through with the fusion Make sure you get several opinions.

[Trinket]

I had mine fused…going on 5 years I think now (Both curves well above 50, I think up by my shoulder was like 70 something)? I’ve started riding again not long ago, and I still fight pain. And I cannot post at all, I just can’t get that level of balance anymore…I went gaited. Also have a cloud of a saddle.
Took a long while (and a long time till ahead) working on balance. BUT I’ve improved, and the horses don’t seem to mind that I’m uneven. However, I still don’t like people seeing me ride much.
Just kept pushing onward, it got better.

However it should be noted I’m not a super avid rider, I only do short arena work and trails, so my unevenness I guess is more or less tolerated. I’d be worried about doing heavy work being uneven, not good for the horse long term.

[Mukluk]

Mr Mukluk is going to have L5-S1 fused. Will wait a good year before attempting riding. Hope he will be able to ride. Fingers crossed.

[findthedistance]

I am fused T5-L4 to correct scoliosis. I was riding in weekly lessons at the time of my procedure and I was back in the saddle (with surgeon’s blessing) at 3 months post-op. I was jumping again at 6 months. I’m now 12 years post-op and while I do compensate for my lack of flexibility, I don’t routinely experience pain – while riding or in general. Riding in a full seat at any gait is most likely to cause pain, but my tolerance for trot and canter is directly correlated to my core strength. I post the trot and use a half-seat at the canter, mixing in sitting work to tolerance. I also don’t even bother trying to sit the trot on a hollow, inverted horse. If the back isn’t up, there’s nowhere to sit anyway.

I am not a very competitive person, but I have shown in the years since my fusion. (Local & B rated hunters, IHSA, unrecognized horse trials, etc.) My back hasn’t played a role in that decision-making process. While not very competitive, I despise trail riding for the sake of trail riding, especially at the walk. Riding at the walk for extended periods is the one riding-related activity that is pretty much guaranteed to make me hurt afterward. (At the same time, I love to school in a field, do conditioning work, and generally ride out whenever possible.)

I do not have a leg length discrepancy, so I make a point to ride with my stirrups even. They don’t always feel even to me, but I think I ride straighter when they are even, regardless of my perception. I was receiving regular instruction both before and after my fusion, so I don’t think I ride more crooked than the average non-fused person. That said, I got very good correction and am relatively straight to begin with.