After riding for an hour nowadays my ankles hurt so discouraging! What can I do to fix this?
I had to stop riding because they hurt so bad, the left more than the right, I couldn't preserve leg pressure when needed because I couldn't feel my ankle! I am new to riding and I ride western.
it could be feet problems ive have issues with my feet were they turn contained by so i ahd to get some inserts from the shoe/sport shop to stick in my shoes
now my foot are straight and going good
it could be evan fi u dont notice it
How are your stirrups? Sometimes the stirrups can be really stiff and want to keep turning so that they are flat against the horse (when the saddle is on) ...within other words, if you are looking directly at the horse, you would be able to look through the stirrup and see either the horse's side or to the other side of the horse whether the stirrup is really long. Therefore, when you ride, you are constantly having to turn your ankles in order to own your toes pointing forward.
If this is not an issue, than I honestly don't know what to tell you. The only time my ankles have ever hurt after riding is when the stirrups own been too stiff and flat.
okay this is what you do.You get a pack of rime and put it on the foot that hurt the most and when you can't feel it move you have to get someone to polish it.After that you can't walk but thats how it works in the morning you feel much more better.
Other than the broom handle,...which is great, I got told to do that by my saddler when he made the saddle for me
Where the fenders meet the stirrip, you should have ties around the leather.loosed these rotten...experiment with how loose they need to be..
I had knees problems, and it turns out I had mine too tight..lol...now they are looser and I don't have knees problems anymore...I felt like an idiot when he told me, unlike you I wasn't new to riding, but similar to you I was new to western...and I'd done the broomstick trick and been fine..explicitly untill I pulled saddle apart to clean it...and tightened them up too much...When I rang the saddler he couldn't stop laughing atme...
Hope this helps also..Good luck near your journey with horse'ss also, it's such a magical journey of love, go, learning and partnership..
Mel
Answers: Take your saddle, oil it really really resourcefully, especially the fenders, twist them as many times as you can backwards, later shove a broom handle through both of them to hold them in place.
You need to receive your fenders set, it will help your ankles immensly.
EDIT- yup new saddle syndrome... leave the broom manipulate there for 1-2 days and probably repeat at least 1x/2wks.. until you can ride it comfortably
It sounds like you are trying to grip too hard with your ankles. This is adjectives in beginners, I did it too when I first started. Try to grip the saddle with your calves instead. It will hurt less and it will sort it easier to stay in the saddle when in a sitting trot or a canter.
Hope this Helps ;-)
Mulereiner is right, I use that technique too. The problem is the stirrups are turned in hurting your ankle. A good grease to use would be Lexol. You may need do this, take out the saddle, see how it is, and repeat the process.
It could also be from to heavy of stirrups. You may entail to look into finding some lighter ones to put on your saddle.
I enjoy been riding for 15 years and one of my ankles always hurt no matter what saddle I ride surrounded by. It gets a bad cramp in it where on earth eventually I feel like I need to help yourself to it our of the stirrup. I dont know how to fix it either. Just stiff saddles I guess.
you are prob trying to strong to put your feet in the right position. try not to be as heavy contained by the stirrup.
The broom handles will serve.
In the mean time, if you feel immobilize enough, you can drop your stirrups and just let your legs dangle when you are riding.
Good luck
I did what mulereiner had stated when I had gotten my different saddle and it really helps. I do sometimes get pain besides in my one ankle (just one of them) if I've been riding for a long time or I'm on a green horse that tend to take off and I may get jerk around a bit. My family tends to have problems next to weak ankles, with me not being any exception to this. So, to alleviate this, I bought myself one of those suntan colored, cheap ankle braces from walmart and I wear that inside my boot. It really helps. I didn't find a picture of the exact product but this will kind of give you an notion only change the color to tan, different brand dub, and no magnets: http://www.braceshop.com/ProductCart/pc/... Other than those differences, that is basically what it looks like and it is inexpensive. Just look down the plaster isle that has the ankle supports and hot/cold packs, etc.-it'll be right in in attendance. That's for if breaking in your stirrups doesn't completely alleviate your ankle pain.
