For the past 6 months or so I have been dealing with increasingly worsening weakness, joint pain and stiffness in my hands and wrists. I am trying my best to keep riding and working towards my goals despite this but my horse is a bit of a freight train and riding can hurt. Anyone else with painful hands have something that helps you continue riding? Gloves or reins that help support or take the strain off of your hands?
I wear Neuman riding gloves and have reins that are comfortable for my hands. Figure out what reins feel best in your hands whether you need thicker or thinner, braided or smooth, or rubber. Once you find the reins that are comfortable to hold then with gloves that should hopefully help.
Thanks, I will look into the Neuman gloves. Out of what I have tried, my thick rubber reins are the most comfortable, but my cheap leather gloves aren’t cutting it. They offer some grip, but no support. Also least one set of reins will need replacing soon and I am curious what has proven to be most comfortable to others.
I got something like this
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM5198710701P
when my greenie bopped me in the hand when he flung his head up to right himself after he tripped and went down on his knees. In retrospect, I must have cracked something in my hand or at the least bruised it really badly. The glove really helped with everyday activities.
Can you reduce your horse’s freight traininess (yes, I just made up that word) with training? Or maybe we should call it de-training? Sorry, that was a pretty pitiful pun.
I have rheumatoid arthritis and my hands just suck a lot of the time. I drive instead of riding, but that gives no relief to the hands–having less aids available can cause more reliance on reins, not less. So I work hard on voice commands with my ponies. That combined with a soft mouth saves a lot of wear and tear on my hands.
I realize that may not be the answer for many disciplines–just throwing it out there in case it can help you.
Rebecca
Vesper Sparrow- thanks I’ll definitely look into those!
RMJacobs- haha I’m working very hard on that! He is actually really good with voice commands, and I could ride with very little contact if I wanted him going around with his nose stuck way out in the air.
The Bionic gloves are nice, if you can still find some (I think they are not made anymore). I have a couple of pairs. Thinline reins are supposed to be nice to hold - I haven’t ridden with them, but they do seem to have a slight “give” looking at them in the shop. Something like the tempurpedic material. Honestly, though, having tried glucosamine, chrondroitin, celadrin, & supplements with bromelain, msm, yucca etc., plus lots of advil, there are only two things that really have helped me - a horse that is naturally light in the bridle, and prescription meds (currently meloxocam).
My hands are chronically painful, I have MP from all the years of grooming. I like rubber reins. I will say though, nothing has been as helpful as my trainer teaching my horse not to pull at all and to stay in a frame. It was worth it, as even putting on gloves is painful some days. Celebrex has been my friend also. Good luck.
Glad someone started this thread because the other day I was wondering about how people deal with arthritis in their wrists, hands and fingers.
Not an issue for me or anyone I personally know who rides, happily.
However some nerve impingement from C6/C7 in my neck a few months ago – likely aggravated by getting unceremoniously ejected onto a rock hard ring over a year before – gave rise to a lot of the classic tingling and some numbness in my right ring and little fingers (though no motor problems apart from brief awkwardness about how it felt holding a pen). To my surprise it never seemed to have any effect on my riding although feeling the contact in my right hand seemingly would have been impeded a bit.
But it led me to think about what problems arthritis, neuromotor impairment or severe numbness might create.
Anyone else have cervical injuries or other sensory issues that might affect their use of reins?
When I was a working student, mucking stalls, riding 6-8 horses a day, I started having problems with my hands. It first started with the right one going numb while riding. Of course one of the horses likes to escape out the right side anyways, so that was fun not being able to feel my right hand!
It eventually progressed to both. I felt like all the joints in my fingers were swollen. I had a serious talk with my boss and cut out the stall mucking. It improved a lot.
I wore braces at night on my wrist etc.
I never did actually get it looked at. I no longer have that job and it doesn’t bug me as much.
I actually think that it is/was connected to my cervical vertebrae.
I like the Rockel gloves as they are really grippy which helps the reins not slip out of your hands.
I always had the most trouble with soft webbed reins as you really must keep your hand closed.
There are some inflatable cervical stretcher devices that can be used briefly a couple times a day in place of a chiro visit.
Mine is called a Pneu-Neck (best price by far at overstock.com), and my RI liked it so much when she tried mine that I bought her one of her own as her Christmas present.
A few minutes gives some relief and 10-12 max (advised by my chiro, who liked the thing) will actually make some small incremental beneficial changes over time.
[QUOTE=LadyEldorado;6060851]
Vesper Sparrow- thanks I’ll definitely look into those![/QUOTE]
Lady, I wore mine under my regular riding gloves and they worked great. I also used them when I sprained my wrist… seemed to help with the swelling.
Thanks for all the replies! I actually had been looking at the bionic gloves but hadn’t heard from anyone who actually used them. And they do still make them!
http://www.bionicgloves.com/shop/?cat=31&id=43#.TwR34Rxr4-8
I was also looking at the SSG Technicals if anyone has used these? http://www.smartpakequine.com/ssg-pro-show-technical-6426p.aspx?cm_vc=Search
And I am definitely working on my guy being lighter in the bridle. He’s doing a lot better, but with him being part belgian, he’s very strong when he’s not being good.
I do have tingling and numbness too when I ride so maybe those supports under some really good gloves would help that.
I have hand pain and weakness from nerves in my neck getting smooshed (foraminal stenosis.) People here recommended Thinline reins and I have to say they absolutely made a difference. I don’t have to grip as hard to keep the reins from sliding through my fingers and they’re comfortable, unlike every rubber rein I ever tried. I wear SSG All-weather gloves, but they’re what I’ve been wearing forever and haven’t looked into seeing if there’s anything better for the issue.
I urge anyone who is having hand pain that hasn’t seen a doctor about it to do so. Sometimes it’s a little thing, sometimes your nerves are being damaged beyond repair and you want to stop that earlier as opposed to later.
I agree with Desert Topaz (pretty name!) about seeing a doctor with hand pain. I put up with tingling and loss of feeling in my pinky and ring finger on my left hand for years, thinking it was just rheumatoid arthritis and my meds were already doing the best they could. My rheumatologist finally said I really needed to give physical therapy a try, so I did. Oh, my…what an improvement! I got back the feeling in those fingers in the first session. I have to work to keep it–I can tell right now I’ve been lazy about doing the exercises because my pinky feels dead. But the exercises aren’t hard–I just need to be consistent with them.
For the person who mentioned similar symptoms (sorry, can’t remember who said it), the problem can be in the neck or elbow. Mine happens to be mostly in the elbow (ulnar nerve entrapment) but working it from the neck down is what frees it up.
Rebecca
I actually just saw my doctor the other day. She isn’t sure what’s going on yet, but is thinking it’s fibromyalgia related because my mom has fibro. I also have quite a few other fibromyalgia symptoms, but she wants me to go see a rheumatologist for a diagnosis.
And thanks for the ideas! Keep them coming if anyone else has something that has worked for them!
For me i wear ssg all weather gloves(i find them non restrictive and long lasting).
And im getting custom reins with hand slits yipppeee:D:D:D
and for stronger horses i have my happy mouth gag( dont shoot me its used on horses that know better
A friend at the barn has arthritis in her hands and makes sure she rubs a nice layer of Voltaren under her SSG gloves. Just a thought.
Lateralwork, does the Meloxicam give you insomnia? I am currently taking it for muscle spasms from knee surgeries, and the insomnia I have from it is just the pits.
Yes, Voltaren gel - it’s a prescription.
Also, I’ll cut up a Flector patch (anti-inflammatory, prescription), wrap it around a clean finger, when going to bed, tape to keep it secure & snug. Then things are much better in the a.m. Really sinks the anti-inflammatory med into that specific area.
Voltaren is prescription in the US only though. If you can’t get an Rx for it, have a friend outside the US mail you some, and give it a test run to see if it helps.
