RE: fighting knee injury

[Karen Sullivan <greymare@jps.net>]

[Karen Sullivan]  Lucy writes: 
Sherrie

I've been fighting a knee strain since May when bad Karen Chaton
made me trot and trot and trot and trot at Scott's Flat (I'm
blaming her entirely. It's *obviously* her fault. She is a lousy 
mentor. Should be more responsible. Told me endurance would get
better the more I did... she lied, etc...etc... ;-)  ).

Anyway. First I was told by the doctor to baby it for a month.
You could experiment with stirrup length - raising them/lowering 
them/fiddling endlessly with them. 

You could experiment with different saddles 

You could try getting on an off a lot, if you think that walking
and stretching your knee out would help
You could try taking glucosamine/chondroitin and MSM (this is
what I've just started, in despair of anything else working).
You could try riding with a knee brace.
You might consider buying a gaited horse 

You might consider going to a knee specialist and finding out about
"really good knee exercises to strengthen your knee and make the
pain miraculously go away"..

In conclusion, maybe none of the above will hurt. Knees are stupid
bad things and everyone's knee injury is different. But I hope this
gives you some ideas of things to try...


Lucy Chaplin Trumbull - elsie@calweb.com

[Karen Sullivan]  Lucy, I really enjoyed your thoughtful and humorous post!  But you forgot the most obvious solution,and the least stressful to an injured knee-ride BAREBACK!  This I did for 7 years after my knee hit the pavement (run away horse.......)  I got VERY balanced bareback, and also developed some awesome thick caluses on my butt. (I'll bet money that April has some tough hide built up on her rear)  Also, if you ride bareback long enough; the pain from the rubbed skin by the tailbone will distract you from your knee pain! 



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