RSI - any advice or tips?

Abserd

Abserd

New Member
Apr 12, 2007
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West Yorks
www.backlanestables.co.uk
Hi everyone, i'm fairly new, joined in April. Been riding for year and a half. Got RSI (repetitive strain injury) just from having loose joints (!) rather than work related. So my grip isn't very good generally but only really affects me when riding in 2 ways. First, if the horse puts its head down a lot then the constant pulling on my fingers makes them ache and lose some sensation and i worry i will drop the reins altogether and secondly when someone in the school gives me a leg up, i'm scared of putting too much pressure on my wrists so often land in a heap on the saddle (or like this week - my pony's rear end, she wasn't best pleased!) It's easier for me to use a mounting block but it's not always possible, especially on weekends when it's busy and there's so many people around willing to lend a hand but i feel stupid saying i can't put enough pressure on my wrists and often fall back down again. This week's lesson was good but i had to hold a crop with this pony, not that i had to use it at all but just holding an extra object caused my fingers to seize up. It means i have to think about who i ride on hacks cos i can't just drop the crop if i can't hold it any longer, like in the school.
Just wondered how other people with RSI or arthritis or just gripping problems in general manage? My instructors don't really give me any hassle but to them i just have 'weak wrists' as i haven't given them any more details. Some of the people who work there are so strong and can carry like 5 saddles at once and i can barely carry one! :rolleyes:
 
Hi Abserd, I am very new as well. Obviously its good to be able to mount from the ground, but there is no shame at all in using a mounting block - both places I ride at insist that all school riders use the mounting block, because its better for the horses' backs, the tack, the riders, etc. My instructor uses the block as well, simply because she gets on and off horses all day, and would knacker her back if she mounted from the ground every time. So I think you are doing yourself something of a disservice by not using the block, especially if by not doing so, you then affect your riding !

You could get a crop with a wrist loop, but from the things you've said, I wonder if the real problem is the ponies they are putting you on. If you have a rider with painful wrists, you don't put them on a pony that pulls its head down all the time. Similarly, if holding a crop means that you can't then hold the reins properly, you should be on a pony that doesn't need a crop ! Does your RI know about your health problems? Duh - just re-reading your post and I see you haven't mentioned anything beyond you having "weak wrists".

I would tell your RI. SHe can't be expected to read your mind, and "weak wrists" is a bit of an understatement given the problems you have described, IMHO. Are you having any treatment for the RSI?
 
Hi Abserd, welcome to the boards!

I think it would be a good idea to have a quiet chat with your riding instrutor, and just explain to her that you do suffer from problems with your joints, and that it can be difficult for you sometimes to hold a crop, or get on without a mounting block. Then you could maybe ask if there was a horse/pony you could ride who didn't need a crop, and wasn't likely to pull on your hands.

I agree with Gruntfuttock that maybe it would be an idea to have a crop with a strap on it that you could just loop round your arm when you weren't using it, if you did ride a horse/pony who needed a crop, or if you felt you'd benefit from one when hacking out.

And finally, don't feel stupid for asking people not to give you a leg up! I'm sure no-one is going to judge you in anyway for not wanting to put too much strain on your wrists, and if they do, then frankly they're not worth knowing! Riding is all about going out and having fun (well to me it is!) so try not to worry what people will think if you tell them about your RSI, and who cares if you can't carry 5 saddles at once, you're not going to be riding 5 horses in your lesson (at least I assume not!) so why should you need to carry 5 saddles ;)

Jess xx
 
Sorry to hear you have RSI I have too - got it from working, although I'm not working at the moment. It is difficult gripping - you have to find all different ways of doing things. It's annoying because I cant do the girth up, someone has to do that for me. When I hold the reins, I tend to try and leave my fingers fairly open, so the reins just rests in my hands. Haven't got much strength in my arms at the moment, so I'm having to change my pony's bit from a snaffle to a pelham. I cant do my girth up either, nor adust my stirrup leathers very easily. Usually someone does it for me.
Did you get your RSI from work? I did but they wouldn't give me compensation. They gave me another job which was awful and the guy I worked with hated me (I hated him too) and that lasted for 3 years. Anyway to cut a long story short, they made me redundant but paid me redundancy in lieu of compensation.
 
By the way, its really bad for saddles to be carried around stacked 5-high ! i would be very unimpressed if my saddle was on the bottom, with four other heavy saddles stacked on top of it. So the "superwomen" at the stables who are carrying five saddles at once are really not to be emulated or admired !
 
Sorry Gruntfuttock you've lost me. I thought this thread was concerning RSI not how many saddles someone carries LoL!​
 
Hi everyone! thanks so much for the advice. I will definitely make more of an attempt to say i need the block as it's easier for me in the future. I guess i sometimes feel a bit daft, unfit, old etc. but that's just something i need to get over. I really don't love having my bottom stuck up in the air while the young stable girl or instructor struggles to push me into the saddle. Not great!

"You could get a crop with a wrist loop, but from the things you've said, I wonder if the real problem is the ponies they are putting you on"

Yeah, got to be honest, most of the horses/ponies are really good and i will steer clear of those who put their heads down a lot or always try to eat hedges while out on a hack. My crop does have a loop but we've all been told not to use it for health & safety! It was mainly during my Riding and Road Safety training, it's apparently safer not to use the loop in case you fall off. I suppose it makes sense so you can change the side of the crop when you change the diagonal. That's ok in a lesson and i can drop it if necessary but i will start to use the loop on a hack because in my mind surely it's better to have control of your horse on a hack without worrying about gripping the crop as well - i will try this on Sunday when i'm next out on Sugar.

Quote: I would tell your RI. SHe can't be expected to read your mind, and "weak wrists" is a bit of an understatement given the problems you have described" Yeah i really must tell her a bit more about the RSI. I know they are a pretty relaxed lot so i doubt it will cause any problems, also i did put it on my registration form when i joined so it's no big secret. I just have to get over my resistance to talk about my weakness! I guess i'm so used to dealing with it that i don't think about it much - except when it hurts !
 
Gruntfuttock said:
By the way, its really bad for saddles to be carried around stacked 5-high ! i would be very unimpressed if my saddle was on the bottom, with four other heavy saddles stacked on top of it. So the "superwomen" at the stables who are carrying five saddles at once are really not to be emulated or admired !
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Erm, i should probably have made myself a bit clearer on this! It was just once and i was helping one of the stable girls load up with 5 small ponies saddles to take to the tack room - once there they do have their own named saddle holder thingys! (sorry don't know proper name) so are stored properly. But i just remember standing there amazed and a bit jealous at how strong she was. At 17 (her age) i was struggling to hold pens at school! It all started there, so i can't even claim compensation from any employer. Maybe i could have sued my teachers for giving me so many essays LOL. Now i'm 32 (oops) and i work in an office but it's totally set up for me as it's a disability helpline so no problems there!

Treatment wise i stopped taking any painkillers ages ago. They don't really work. Magnets are good for me and also i use Tiger Balm on my right shoulder when that hurts. I'm pretty lucky as my OH does most of the cooking and carries heavy shopping. Pilates is one of the best things for RSI, and riding too so i should follow my own advice and start that again. Did it for ages and was quite toned, afraid now i'm a little flabby again LOL!
 
They didn't do anything like that for me, set up a workstation etc. I was just left for a couple of years doing sweet fanny adams as they hoped I would go away. Then I suggested,) as they couldn't find me a 'proper' job to do after causing me to have RSI) that they make me redundant which they did.

By the way, (change of subject) as regards mounting: It's far better to get up on yer steed from a mounting block whether or not you have any sort of disability
 
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Im 17 and have a slightly arthritic wrist. It comes from a combination of writing too much in lessons, horse riding falls and working on checkouts at a local supermarket.
When my wrist gets really bad I wear a wrist support on it. This is normally when we have a dramatic change in the weather (I'm getting good at predicting if it's going to rain! ;))
I've also been takin some joint supplements which have helped lots. Do you take any? They are well worth trying.
 
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