Trochanteric Bursitis

[OneGrayPony]

So I’ve been dealing with this hip pain for approximately a gazillion years, making it positively impossible to ride in my dressage saddle or any horse that is wide, and the new Ortho took one poke to the outside of my thigh and said “Bursitis”. He did also X-ray the hip itself to be sure it was ok, and if it doesn’t fully resolve we’ll look at the lower back too, but until then, PT, injection, and pain meds.

Then the next question is - how the heck are those of us with bursitis riding? Everything I’m reading is like “well don’t aggravate it” but riding almost directly aggravates it…as well as sleeping on my side, or walking, or doing anything.

It seems like dressage might be out, should I go back to hunter-land? Ride side-saddle? I just am not even sure what to do right now. How do you cope? Did your injections work? Pain meds? Do you ride anyway?

[RMJacobs]

I gave up riding eons ago due to rheumatoid arthritis, but I can address your question on injections. They are magic for my hip bursitis. I’m thinking it’s getting to be time for another round, because my husband just touched one of my hip bursas yesterday and I yelped and jumped. I practically had to climb down off the ceiling fan. Man, that hurt.

I drove for about 13 years, and I found the motion of the cart at a trot was actually good for my hip bursas and lower back. I definitely feel the lack after giving up driving two years ago when I retired my pony.

Rebecca

[Jackie_Cochran]

I do not know if this will help you. The last time period that my hip bursitis started acting up I traced it down. It happened ONLY when I got my foot parallel to the horse’s side. Once I allowed my toes to point out around 30 degrees the pain stopped and did not return until the next time.

I have been suffering from sporadic hip bursitis for over 30 years, and lately EVERY TIME I get my foot parallel to the horse’s side, I start hurting.

[OneGrayPony]

@RMJacobs

I gave up riding eons ago due to rheumatoid arthritis, but I can address your question on injections. They are magic for my hip bursitis. I’m thinking it’s getting to be time for another round, because my husband just touched one of my hip bursas yesterday and I yelped and jumped. I practically had to climb down off the ceiling fan. Man, that hurt.

That’s exactly what finally got me to go to the Dr. I had been trying to manage it myself by icing, taking buckets of Advil, and not riding in my dressage saddle, but my husband poked me and after peeling myself off the ceiling I thought “well, guess it’s time to go in”.

@RMJacobs

I drove for about 13 years, and I found the motion of the cart at a trot was actually good for my hip bursas and lower back. I definitely feel the lack after giving up driving two years ago when I retired my pony.

Well it’s good to know something helps. I’m not quite ready to give up riding if I don’t have to, but luckily I own a member of a breed very well suited to driving if that ends up being the case. I just keep reading advice to “let it heal” and I’m thinking - let what heal? This has gone on so long it’s chronic for sure. I mean, of course, there are times when it gets worse and times when it gets slightly better (in that it only hurts when pressed on instead of being a constant pain) but I haven’t ridden pain-free in at least 5 years without sitting in an absolute chair seat with my stirrups jacked up, which is not entirely good for anyone involved.

[OneGrayPony]

@Jackie Cochran

I do not know if this will help you. The last time period that my hip bursitis started acting up I traced it down. It happened ONLY when I got my foot parallel to the horse’s side. Once I allowed my toes to point out around 30 degrees the pain stopped and did not return until the next time.

I have been suffering from sporadic hip bursitis for over 30 years, and lately EVERY TIME I get my foot parallel to the horse’s side, I start hurting.

That’s good to know to Jackie. What kind of saddle are you riding in?

[Jackie_Cochran]

The last time I was using my Pegasus Butterfly Claudia jumping saddle. It also happened I think occasionally in my Stubben Siegfried and my Crosby Wide Front PDN, the Wintec GP & GP wide, my no longer made German dressage saddle, and the EZ-Fit treeless saddle. Luckily for me I ride Forward Seat where having the toes out at around a 30 degree angle is considered proper. When I ride a proper Forward Seat my hips are fine, it is the rest of me I have problems with from my MS.

The last time it happened I was practicing my “rider’s push-ups”. I eventually realized as I lowered my chest to the horse’s neck that my toes turned themselves in on their own. Now that I concentrate at keeping my toes out at my normal angle when I do the “rider’s push-ups” my hip pain has not returned.

My hip bursitis is one of the reasons why I have no desire to learn dressage, where having the rider’s foot parallel to the horse’s side is desirable. To me, with my hips, riding dressage would be an exercise in pain instead of a wonderful experience.

[OneGrayPony]

@Jackie Cochran

When I ride a proper Forward Seat my hips are fine, it is the rest of me I have problems with from my MS.

It may be that I need to go back to it. My Crosby PDN never let me down on that account, but it became too small for me. Maybe I need to find a larger PDN. No thigh blocks, no deep seat, just a nice forward flap. I can’t turn my toes in either, and if I DO get my hip into that position, it’s never gonna come back out.

@Jackie Cochran

My hip bursitis is one of the reasons why I have no desire to learn dressage, where having the rider’s foot parallel to the horse’s side is desirable. To me, with my hips, riding dressage would be an exercise in pain instead of a wonderful experience.

It’s a bummer. I finally feel like I have the mental focus to really appreciate dressage, and my body is just like “NOPE”. I hated it when I was younger and eventing, and so much braver than I am now.

[Jackie_Cochran]

One Gray Pony, when I learned I had MS I had been riding seriously (Forward Seat) for 23 years. I sat down and THOUGHT about every single seat that I had ridden, seen ridden, or read about, searching for the most secure seat for my particular handicap. Side-saddle–gee, all the writers insist that the rider has to have really good balance not to hurt the horse and my balance is horrible. Western, to me no fun at all and then I remembered that LOTS of people manage to fall out of Western saddles, able bodied people. Dressage–required EXCELLENT balance, great coordination, precisely graded aids, great reflexes, etc… etc., etc…

Then I realized that, just maybe, the reason why there is not a strong school of riding the Forward Seat on the flat is because EVERYONE was have lots and lots of fun, galloping, going cross-country, jumping, and generally having a lot of fun while their horses did not tend to suffer too badly compared to other horse games.

So I realized it was up to me to develop a Forward Seat suitable for my myriad of handicaps. Littauer, in “Forward Riding” has a Forward Seat for Slow Equitation, which is mostly what I use though my stirrups are not that long (I NEED the stability of the shorter stirrups!) It has been many years since I’ve cantered which I find extremely exhausting even in two-point.

I concentrate on the three speeds of the walk and trot. I do turns in place. I do some leg yielding. I work on getting the horses to obey me when I twitch my little finger when on contact. Since I can only ride for 30 minutes at a time the horses do not get bored out of their minds.

You want to join me in developing a school for fine riding using the Forward Seat principles? It isn’t as exciting as jumping and galloping, or as high level dressage, but the horses do not seem to mind at all becoming softer, better balanced, and more responsive to my subtle aids.

[OneGrayPony]

@Jackie Cochran

One Gray Pony, when I learned I had MS I had been riding seriously (Forward Seat) for 23 years. I sat down and THOUGHT about every single seat that I had ridden, seen ridden, or read about, searching for the most secure seat for my particular handicap. Side-saddle–gee, all the writers insist that the rider has to have really good balance not to hurt the horse and my balance is horrible. Western, to me no fun at all and then I remembered that LOTS of people manage to fall out of Western saddles, able bodied people. Dressage–required EXCELLENT balance, great coordination, precisely graded aids, great reflexes, etc… etc., etc…

Then I realized that, just maybe, the reason why there is not a strong school of riding the Forward Seat on the flat is because EVERYONE was have lots and lots of fun, galloping, going cross-country, jumping, and generally having a lot of fun while their horses did not tend to suffer too badly compared to other horse games.

So I realized it was up to me to develop a Forward Seat suitable for my myriad of handicaps. Littauer, in “Forward Riding” has a Forward Seat for Slow Equitation, which is mostly what I use though my stirrups are not that long (I NEED the stability of the shorter stirrups!) It has been many years since I’ve cantered which I find extremely exhausting even in two-point.

I concentrate on the three speeds of the walk and trot. I do turns in place. I do some leg yielding. I work on getting the horses to obey me when I twitch my little finger when on contact. Since I can only ride for 30 minutes at a time the horses do not get bored out of their minds.

You want to join me in developing a school for fine riding using the Forward Seat principles? It isn’t as exciting as jumping and galloping, or as high level dressage, but the horses do not seem to mind at all becoming softer, better balanced, and more responsive to my subtle aids.

I’ll have to dig out my Littauer because I don’t recall the concept of Forward Seat for Slow Equitation (though I’m quite familiar with the American System of Forward Riding, based on his work) but it sounds delightful as you describe it. I think it’s probably because at the time I read it, I was one of those crazy galloping jumping folks and flatwork was a means to an end (I wouldn’t be surprised as to what I skipped entirely). My old TB mare was just a dream to flat in a forward seat soft and rhythmic - well yes, I think I could get behind that idea! I’ll have to see if I can get past the immediate pain and healing part, but I would definitely love to join you in that endeavor. My current horse I think would be particularly well suited as well, as he is not a big back mover (part of the reason I thought he’d work for me for dressage).

Thanks for the encouragement. Wrestling with the idea that my riding life is changed significantly is a little difficult all the way around.

[Jackie_Cochran]

This concept is mainly in his first FS books. In Commonsense Horsemanship Wrangel (sp?) like all the FS authors, tends to get to the jumping.

Littauer’s “Forward Riding” (also under two other titles, “The Forward Seat–Modern Horsemanship for Beginners”, same book) is to me better than what is in Commonsense Horsemanship. It REALLY would have helped my riding a lot if I had read earlier Littauer when I got my first horse!

Littauer’s “More About Forward Riding” is about schooling. Basically it is repeated in “Schooling the Horse” but with an interesting difference.

In his earlier books Littauer did write about the adult riders who started riding the Forward Seat, and discusses some of their problems. Of course he was talking about American riders in the 1930s-40s, but a lot of the riders back then he saw were essentially self taught, basically riding the seat described in Louis Taylors’ “Ride American”–starting with a chair seat and jumping with their hearts in their mouths. I wish I had read “Forward Riding” a lot earlier. It would have saved me a lot of mistakes.

[RMJacobs]

@OneGrayPony, I have never had a bout of bursitis clear up on its own. Sometime heat will help me keep sort of moving in the short term, but the injections have always proven necessary once it takes hold. Driving my pony helped prevent it, as does bike riding, but once it’s there, I’m stuck with dealing with it.

I like ice on inflamed joints, but not on bursitis for some reason. But what works for one person isn’t necessarily the right answer for others.

Good luck getting this resolved! I’m going to be very curious if PT helps, so would you post an update down the road?

Rebecca

[OneGrayPony]

Will be happy to post updates! So far tonight I’m in a lot of pain. They say the injections make things worse before they get better, so here’s hoping it means it’s going to really work!

im going to look for my copy of Littauer’s book! I’m not sure if it made the move, but I can’t wait to re-read it now!

[Jackie_Cochran]

Welcome home to sanity, logic, and listening to your horse. Littauer is not confused about much, and he will correct himself in print if he sees and error in his method. If you have a lot of free time now consider ordering OTHER FS books.

Piero Santini, taught by Caprilli himself, is not as crystal clear as Littauer, but his books are worth reading. As an example I had read “Riding Reflections” when I was 20 or so, at that time I did not get much out of it but 23 years later, when I was finally diagnosed with MS, it was one of his discussions about hands that showed me the way forward.

After pages about hands, and the absolute necessity for a strong, independent seat for good hands, he then writes about and exception he personally knew who Santini wrote had the BEST hands Santini had ever seen. Santini wrote that this person, elderly, weak, and with an atrociously insecure seat, managed to ride horses, including bolters, borers, and other bit evaders, with no problems at all because his hands were so soft and he used his hands well. When I looked at my very weak, shaky and crippled nervous system and body, and I remembered that, I concentrated on making my hands soft, responsive to the horse, and on timing my hand aids correctly. This paid off and lets me ride horses who are not the safest for beginners and cripples.

“Forward Freely” by Michael Kirschner is also a good book. Kirschner has a “purer” FS than Littauer, and he taught equitation at Mary Washington College in Virginia (lucky girls!) Since the college could not afford “good horses” he had to deal with whatever the college could afford. It is interesting how the use of the FS transformed these problem horses into productive citizens.

These books are on Amazon and most of them are under $20.00, in fact there is a copy of Kirschner on Amazon for ninety-seven cents!

[Magicboy]

I get acupuncture for hip bursitis and sciatica. I can’t use any nsaids, not that they’d help severe pain very much. But the acupuncture has been a great help and I haven’t had a flare for about a year now. I am a dressage rider and over the years have done Pilates to stretch tight hip flexors

[OneGrayPony]

@Magicboy

I get acupuncture for hip bursitis and sciatica. I can’t use any nsaids, not that they’d help severe pain very much. But the acupuncture has been a great help and I haven’t had a flare for about a year now. I am a dressage rider and over the years have done Pilates to stretch tight hip flexors

Thanks Magicboy. I’ve been working on it with Yoga, but it doesn’t seem to be helping. The pain is pretty dramatic and locks my hip into a static position when I do overuse it, which riding in my dressage saddle does 100%. Then I suffer for days needing to ice it and taking enough Advil to kill an elephant. I will try acupuncture! I’m not a huge believer in alternative medicines but you never know what will work.

[OneGrayPony]

@Jackie Cochran

Welcome home to sanity, logic, and listening to your horse. Littauer is not confused about much, and he will correct himself in print if he sees and error in his method. If you have a lot of free time now consider ordering OTHER FS books.

Piero Santini, taught by Caprilli himself, is not as crystal clear as Littauer, but his books are worth reading. As an example I had read “Riding Reflections” when I was 20 or so, at that time I did not get much out of it but 23 years later, when I was finally diagnosed with MS, it was one of his discussions about hands that showed me the way forward.

After pages about hands, and the absolute necessity for a strong, independent seat for good hands, he then writes about and exception he personally knew who Santini wrote had the BEST hands Santini had ever seen. Santini wrote that this person, elderly, weak, and with an atrociously insecure seat, managed to ride horses, including bolters, borers, and other bit evaders, with no problems at all because his hands were so soft and he used his hands well. When I looked at my very weak, shaky and crippled nervous system and body, and I remembered that, I concentrated on making my hands soft, responsive to the horse, and on timing my hand aids correctly. This paid off and lets me ride horses who are not the safest for beginners and cripples.

“Forward Freely” by Michael Kirschner is also a good book. Kirschner has a “purer” FS than Littauer, and he taught equitation at Mary Washington College in Virginia (lucky girls!) Since the college could not afford “good horses” he had to deal with whatever the college could afford. It is interesting how the use of the FS transformed these problem horses into productive citizens.

These books are on Amazon and most of them are under $20.00, in fact there is a copy of Kirschner on Amazon for ninety-seven cents!

I just found these on Youtube - thought you might enjoy them! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2czMjOcF-4

[OneGrayPony]

@Jackie Cochran

The Sweet Briar Film Archives on You Tube has a lot more videos of Littauer and the FS.

My riding teacher had been trained Hunt Seat, ala George Morris. She had not been aware of the FS as a separate school of Hunt Seat riding. After over a decade of me riding with her she now has a thorough understanding of the FS, she is the first non-FS riding teacher who actually LISTENED to me when I told her that the FS was the most secure seat for me considering my MS, even though I just walk and trot now. She is not a “total” convert, but she cheerfully makes sure that I ride the pure FS during my lessons.

My riding teacher has done well with me. When I went to North Forks School of Equitation in Jefferson, MD to take my first lesson from a FS teacher in decades, Karen Fenwick, who runs the school said my FS was quite good considering my handicaps. I try to get a lesson in at North Forks every few years, Karen and I have great discussions and it is SO GOOD to ride horses trained in the FS, though the last few lessons she put me on recently acquired horses for her riding school. My “selling point” to riding teachers is that I show the horses that even if the rider is unsteady etc., that the horses are still expected to obey their rider.

The current FS organization now is the ANRC, at anrc.org on the web.

I just wish I could still feel as secure in the saddle as I used to, but life changes and I am grateful that I can still ride horses even with my horrendously weak seat (well it feels horrible to me compared to what I used to be able to ride.) I love riding horses so much, and the FS lets me go on riding even as my MS gets worse. Riding horses FS is the main reason why I can still walk on my own two feet, before I got back into riding I was using an electric wheelchair a lot. I got back into riding and I did not have to replace my wheelchair when it gave up the ghost and that was around 15 years ago.

I’m familiar with the ANRC - I got the American System of Forward Riding video series…I’d say maybe 10-15 years ago (I don’t remember when they came out, but I’m pretty sure I was still living in a different state) when I was showing hunters and teaching. I loved the method, but couldn’t find anyone local to work with who taught it. Then when I thought maybe I shouldn’t jump anymore, I gave up hunters altogether. Maybe that was a silly thought I didn’t realize there were any other FS schools. That’s encouraging.

I found the Sweet Briar archives and have been working my way through them today.

It’s hard to have limitations no matter what they are. I took time off in addition to the pain and lack of flexibility issues, and I feel like I’m all thumbs when I’m trying to ride. It’s horribly frustrating and way different than when you’re a beginner and you don’t know what it’s supposed to feel like. I’m so glad riding this way has kept you going, and that you’re able to. I’m going to dig out my CC saddle today and see if I can at least walk on my gelding. That can’t hurt THAT badly right? But I think the tip forward will help my hips as it’s bringing my body back and my thigh back simultaneously while also pivoting my leg out that just kills.

[Jackie_Cochran]

Just remember that back in the day the saddles were made for really skinny TBs and the channel under the saddle may be too narrow for today’s horses.

I did find a Crosby Prix des World, the Lynn Palm jumping saddle, that has a nice wide channel, but the panels are made of foam instead of being stuffed with wool. Unfortunately these saddles, the Crosby’s are no longer made. I found the Lynn Palm saddle to be similar to ride in as my Crosby Wide Front PDN, and I found mine used on Ebay.

Then I got my Pegasus Butterfly saddle since I never know which horse I will be riding (I no longer own horses.) In this saddle it is SO EASY to move my seat forward since it does not have a standard pommel for my crotch to run into. The Pegasus Butterfly saddle has a nice wide channel. I found it challenging to adjust to this saddle because the front is hinged so it can fit many horses, and the horse’s shoulders were moving my seat to the side. Finally I got some silicone grip full seat breeches and I no longer have that problem.

I have read many dressage writers who claim that women cannot ride dressage as well as men because of our conformation. Those writers recommend that women go back to the side saddle for riding dressage. Since side saddles are RARE and because it is SO IMPORTANT that a side saddle fit the horse properly, it can be challenging to find the right side saddle for you and your horse.

In Santini’s FS books he has chapters on riding FS in a side saddle. Thank the heavens that we women are no longer required to ride in one, I LOVE riding astride!

[OneGrayPony]

@Jackie Cochran

Just remember that back in the day the saddles were made for really skinny TBs and the channel under the saddle may be too narrow for today’s horses.

I did find a Crosby Prix des World, the Lynn Palm jumping saddle, that has a nice wide channel, but the panels are made of foam instead of being stuffed with wool. Unfortunately these saddles, the Crosby’s are no longer made. I found the Lynn Palm saddle to be similar to ride in as my Crosby Wide Front PDN, and I found mine used on Ebay.

Then I got my Pegasus Butterfly saddle since I never know which horse I will be riding (I no longer own horses.) In this saddle it is SO EASY to move my seat forward since it does not have a standard pommel for my crotch to run into. The Pegasus Butterfly saddle has a nice wide channel. I found it challenging to adjust to this saddle because the front is hinged so it can fit many horses, and the horse’s shoulders were moving my seat to the side. Finally I got some silicone grip full seat breeches and I no longer have that problem.

I have read many dressage writers who claim that women cannot ride dressage as well as men because of our conformation. Those writers recommend that women go back to the side saddle for riding dressage. Since side saddles are RARE and because it is SO IMPORTANT that a side saddle fit the horse properly, it can be challenging to find the right side saddle for you and your horse.

In Santini’s FS books he has chapters on riding FS in a side saddle. Thank the heavens that we women are no longer required to ride in one, I LOVE riding astride!

I’ll take a look for a Crosby PDW. I really loved my PDN for sure. I’ll take a look at the Butterfly too, because I don’t know of it at all!

Silicone grip full seats are wonderful. I discovered the company stickyseats this year and I just adore their breeches.

Luckily, my horse is a Saddlebred, and not too wide. I had my Wintec AP Lite (I forget the exact model) which is more all purpose but still more forward than a dressage saddle, and it has a narrow twist, and riding was moderately comfortable if I did tilt more forward than I would in a dressage saddle. I think a PDN would have a slightly more forward placed stirrup hanger, and that might be more comfortable still.

Walking wasn’t too bad today, and luckily he had been out so was happy to walk along on a loose rein like a TB. Nice, flat and relaxed. You definitely would not have believed his breed to look at him!

PT tomorrow, so we’ll see both a. how I wake up and b. What the PT dude says!

[Magicboy]

It took me 5 acupuncture treatments to get relief from pain the first time. About a year later I was treated again for bursitis and it took only a few treatments. I had never experienced acupuncture before but I was fortunate to find a very well trained practitioner. My ortho doc was ok with it all I did the first treatments because I didn’t want shots into my hip joint or my spine. For some reason that just freaked me out but I tolerated the acupuncture very well.