Good afternoon @maureenb What a great activity.....a lady's trip to a dude rach!!!! I loved trailblazing in the mountains and did a little of that in the desert. Then I joined a trekking group of ladies and we took annual walking journeys. I too developed SFN (small fiber neuropathy) and found that the heaviness in my legs was a deal-breaker.

I do have a colleague who understands horses well and the issues we face with neuropathy. Her name is @jenniferhunter and let me introduce you to her. Hopefully, she will also mention the help you might receive from MFR, Myofascial Release Therapy. That is my primary treatment for my neuropathy. I haven't been on a horse for quite a while but Jennifer has and she will be able to tell us what our legs need to stay up on that saddle.

May you be safe, free and protected from inner and outer harm.
Chris

First, the Dude Ranch sounds interesting!! But yes, I can sense a lot of similarities and find it interesting. What you and John say about position and blood circulation certainly have to be major contributors. How you had to “shake it off” is definitely how I had to get myself out of it. My only slight difference is that at our favorite restaurant, that we went to yesterday, our normal high top table and chairs with a view, it doesn’t happen; in this case, the table and chair legs are all wood. It seems there’s something that affects my legs differently when surrounded by metal. I think regardless, I’m going to be aware of seating posture and keep a focus on blood circulation. Not sure what you can do on a horse though -?that sounds like so much fun!

@maureenb @dbeshears1 Am I correct in thinking that you don't ride horses often, so the trip to the dude ranch was something physically different than what you normally do?

I own a Tennessee Walker. They do a running walk and you can just sit with a gentle rocking motion. Trotting takes more effort and will bounce you in the saddle unless you are posting which takes a lot of leg strength. Landing hard on the saddle will jar your spine and pelvis and tired you out.

Horseback riding takes strength because you have to be balanced and counter the movements of the horse. That being said, it is great exercise for the back and core strength if you do it correctly and with good posture. You have the weight of your leg pressing into the stirrup. The width is important too because if it is narrow, your foot weight is concentrated on a smaller area. I had trouble with foot and ankle pain because of narrow metal stirrups. I replaced the stirrups with trail stirrups that are about 4 inches wide and with soft rubber padding on them. I had custom orthotics made because of foot pain. That helped a lot, but there is also stress through the knees and ankles because of the twist to turn the stirrups 90 degrees so they face forward. The leather fenders are tough to twist and that pressure is constant on your leg. To change that, I got some metal add on pieces that turned the stirrups for me. There are some different pads to place on top of saddles to cushion the rider's seat. Sitting on a hard leather saddle and then bouncing on it will cause some tenderness in the bones that you sit on in your pelvis. When you are renting a horse, you wouldn't have control of these things.

Riding takes good balanced posture with a properly adjusted saddle so the stirrups are the correct length and the rider can flex their feet to keep the heels downward. That maintains correct contact with the stirrup and lengthens the leg. If you are not doing this and your feet flop around or relax, you can easily loose the stirrup.

When I get off, I can feel my legs and back are a bit tired, and there is no point in riding so long that my legs are wet noodles when I get off. I am a spine surgery patient and had a cervical fusion at C5/C6 5 years ago because of an old whiplash injury from a traffic accident. I fractured my ankle 2 years ago riding a horse that I had borrowed when a dog chased her and she bolted and I fell off. I decided that to continue with horseback riding, I would only ride my own horse that I have spent time training and forming a bond with. It has also taken this last year of owning a new horse to get my leg and ankle strong enough for riding.

I ordered a custom western saddle that holds me firmly in a pocket, and it has an inlaid padded area in the seat. The fenders have a 90 degree turn in them because the saddle is made that way by soaking the leather and letting it dry in that position. I ordered it with the wide trail stirrups and I am well balanced, so I feel firmly connected to the horse if we are going around a tight corner. It was a good investment and money well spent.

When you exceed your physical capability, your body is exhausted and that is when you hit the wall and your leg doesn't move when you try to get off the horse. It could be reduced circulation too and your leg is asleep because of sitting on a very hard saddle for so long. Bouncing up and down on a hard saddle will tire anyone out. In preparation for riding for another dude ranch trip, it may help to get in shape first any way you can safely do this. A physical therapist could help recommend what would be safe strength building exercises for you as well as stretches so your body would be adjusted for riding. For your next trip, you can get a pad for the saddle. Some are fleece, some are foam or gel filled and it is a guess as to if that would fit on an outfitters saddle. There is usually an elastic loop to go around a saddle horn or the back of the saddle's cantle. You could always ask them well in advance what would be a good choice so you would have time to order it.

Chris also mentioned Myofascial release therapy which is a form of stretching that a physical therapist does. I do this to work on my issues with tightness in my shoulders and neck. If you have a pattern of not moving well or maintaining proper body alignment, MFR may be able to help that. Nerves go through some very small spaces and can get compressed because of tight fascia tissues. If that is a cause of your neuropathy, MFR may be able to open up those spaces a bit and get the body back into a better functional alignment. Here is our discussion on MFR.

> Groups > Neuropathy > Myofascial Release Therapy (MFR) for treating compression and pain
— https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myofascial-release-therapy-mfr-for-treating-compression-and-pain/

Have you ever ridden any of the breeds of gaited horses before or heard about them? Are you interested in trying myofascial release? Do you plan to try some accommodations to make your next ride more comfortable?