Re: One leg shorter than the other

["Celeste Murray" <celestem@badgermining.co.za>]

I have never measured my legs but I have the same problem otherwise, I also
dislocated my hip a few years back. I have found especially when backing
(starting under saddle) youngsters that I will often cause them to start
cantering disunited behind (they only do this with me). I hit on the
following semi-solution (in that it works for me) and my riding is
improving, when riding out (only done this out) I drop the stirrup on my
good leg and only work of the stiirup on my bad leg, its seems a silly way
to ride but it has forced my bad leg to work harder (especially trotting and
lots of transitions and turns at the canter/gallop) sort of like muscle
memory! i do this only for short periods though as I do not want to put
undue strain on my horses back.

Celeste
I'D RATHER BE RIDING !
----- Original Message -----
From: Tracey <tracey@tbt.co.za>
To: RIDECAMP <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2000 10:06 AM
Subject: RC: One leg shorter than the other


> Hi, everyone.
>
>
> I had an accident as a teenager, which resulted in my left leg being
> dislocated where the femur joins the hip, and my pelvis being fractured.
I
> have noticed that my left leg is about 4 cms shorter than my right leg.
> However, the shortness is from my hip to my knee, not my knee to my foot,
so
> it is awkward to compensate for this when I'm riding.   Shortening my left
> stirrup one hole helps to some extent in compensating, but not totally.
>
>
> I have found that, the more I ride, and the deeper my seat gets, and the
> longer I wear my stirrups, the more pronounced this problem becomes.
Riding
> in a dressage saddle makes it particularly pronounced, as my left leg is
far
> less secure than my right, and tends to "swing" more in the canter, and I
> tend to use it, unconsciously, when I post to the trot.  My right leg
stays
> very still.   As I start doing more advanced work with the horses, it
> becomes more of a problem, as they will respond (provided Toc isn't having
a
> brain fart) to the slightest movement of my leg.  I really don't want to
> give unconscious cues with an "unsteady" leg.
>
> Steph - I hope you don't mind me posting this here, but the dressage list
I
> belong to gets terribly technical and academic about it, and really
haven't
> helped, and the people on RC are far more practical.   I am sure that I
> can't be the only person ever to have this problem.
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I could correct this?  Working
> without stirrups, if anything, has exacerbated the problem.   Keeping my
> stirrups very short (jumping length) eliminates the problem, but I think
it
> is because I can really bear down on my left leg.   Obviously, this isn't
an
> option for trail riding or dressage.
>
>
> TIA,
>
> Tracey
>
>
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