is riding bad for you in some ways?

[Alameda]

I think it is slowly but surely dislocating my hips or am I just getting old?

[AmINearlyThereYet]

My mother used to get hip pain from arthritis when riding, but not until she was about 70 :o. Try stretching exercises? I love the springer spaniel on your profile page btw :)

[Alameda]

thank you, he is beautiful isn't he? (am I allowed to say that about my own dog?)

not QUITE 70 yet . . . it's probably because the horses are so fat, but the fatter they get the more I have to ride them so all a bit unhelpful, poor me

maybe I should stick them in a starvation paddock for a while

[Pixel]

Riding is surely bad for you in lots of ways!

Let's see, dodgy back from carting muck and hay, pneumonia from getting as soaked as I did this morning (atchoo!), constantly rubbish hair and nails, no money, no clothes without horse snot stains on, etc. And that's without even falling off/getting trodden on/getting clouted round the head, getting bitten. getting kicked.

Luckily they are also good for you in lots and lots of ways!

And yes, having just ridden a very wide dhorse and got the aching hips to prove it, I agree it's horsey diet time!

[Alameda]

have a very selective memory I think? it all seems good at the moment, apart from the dislocated hips, but yes rubbish hair and nails and no money but . . . bothered?

they're just so lovely, look at pic of them snuggling each other earlier today :)

[Pixel]

Yes they are indeed very lovely .

[Callisto]

Knackered knees here, from decades of riding out in freezing rain I'm sure. I've also just started to get sharp pains in the big toe joint of one of my feet and I should think that will be down to decades of ice-block feet from riding out in sub-zero temps. Back isn't too clever either.

I can't stop though. The only thing guaranteed to lift my mood is communing with a horse. And I can't help grinning whenever I gallop a horse.

[Pixel]

I've got the sharp pains in the big toe joint. I was told it was because my arches are too high/too low, can't remember which! Apparently it makes my toe come up too high when I walk which is wearing out the joint. Or something. Anyway it's very annoying because all my boots and shoes wear out above the toe but only on one foot!

[Alameda]

I FELL OFF :(

for first time in ages, first time ever from horse (on hack anyway, schooling mishaps/hunting do not count)

not sure what sad face is for, because it was funny, for some sympathy probably as everything hurts now the adrenalin/amusement has worn off

[recall]

I know its bad for the personal finances

[Labradorlover]

I think I've almost come to the decision to stop riding . The last two occasions I was flat out galloping/grinning I had pain in my ankle, followed by loosing the feeling/use of my left leg. Not safe. Probably connected to the damage I inflicted on my pelvis in a bad fall years ago.
I can't decide which is worse, not riding at all or only riding at a snail's pace.