Riding with Sesamoiditis (Human Sesamoiditis!)

[Miranda_and_Oscar]

Hi all,

I was told I have some inflammation and limited range of motion in my sesamoids about 2 weeks ago. The podiatrist I saw told me to wear a walking boot for 4-6 weeks. He said he doesn’t know anything about horseback riding and the exact role (and workload) that my feet are involved in. He therefore told me that he couldn’t tell me I wasn’t allowed to ride but that I need to be careful as not to make the pain worse and longer from healing.

I don’t have pain while I’m riding but I know when I ride, the stirrup is on the ball of my foot and my whole body weight is basically held there. Has anyone had any experience with this? I am trying to figure out if I can ride (just maybe slide the stirrup a bit further back than usual) or if riding is even what caused this?

Thanks!

[Simkie]

When I had sesamoiditis, years and years ago, I had no riding restrictions, and riding didn’t cause it or contribute to it. It was 100% due to inappropriate footwear and resolved (slowly) when I fixed that. Good luck, it sure does hurt!!

[AlterWhiner]

Ooh I had this and can offer some mild advice.

1. For when you’re out of the boot, these dancer’s pads changed my life. I have worn them every day for five years, and they make a huge difference. https://www.amazon.com/PediFix-Pedi-…df_B004G8L36W/

2. Wear riding boots with some padding and support. I splurge for the top-of-the-line Ariat Devon Pro paddocks. I find this is more important for walking around the barn than riding.

3. Buy stirrups with a wider footbed. I don’t like joints or anything fussy, but I have inexpensive, plastic, wide footbed stirrups that help distribute more weight off my sesamoid. I can ride in traditional fillis stirrups if I’m only riding one or two horses. But, when I ride a lot, they do make my food ache.

4. Be smart off the horse. Don’t wear high heels. Avoid lunges or other exercises where you’re really stressing your big toe joint.

[Jackie_Cochran]

Years ago I developed an agonizing pain in the balls of my feet. It got so bad I almost quit riding.

Then I changed a pad on my Fillis stirrups, noticed the almost knife edge that the pad covers and asked my tack store if she carried the old-fashioned Prussian sided stirrups, but she did not. Fortunately the next time I went to the tack store she had a pair of consignment Prussian sided stirrups, I switched my stirrups on the saddle, and my excruciating foot pain WENT AWAY and never returned.

I ride Forward Seat and I always have my weight go down into the stirrups. Fillis–excruciating pain eventually (it took several years for it to get so bad that I almost quit riding), Prussian sided stirrups no foot pain at all, ever.