Going through this, I cannot even imagine what horses go through who have injuries – and cannot tell anyone about it or where it hurts!

So, yes, I don’t know how I did it or when I did it.  But, it started hurting about 5 weeks ago.  I was told that I had an IT Band issue.  OK.  I read up on it and had physical therapy.  The pain would ebb and flow.

Well… when I first put my leg over Willow at the R Lazy S Ranch, I felt a different kind of pain.  Not only did my hip and knee hurt, but my groin hurt as well.  It was a sharp, ripping feeling.  Hmmmmm.  This couldn’t be good.

However, I assumed it was all related – or at least the same injury.  But alas, I have since found out that they are different issues.

One is the IT Band thing.  The other is most likely, a hip labral tear.

Ugh.

As I sat i that saddle the first day, I could not move my left leg outwardly.  I could put my leg forward, but not outward.  Trotting and Cantering was torture.  Sometimes just adjusting my weight in the saddle was agony.

I started to cry to myself.  How was this possible?  I’d never had pain in the saddle.

Luckily, Hubby’s best friend (who was with us at the R Lazy S) is a spine surgeon.  He arranged for a buddy of his in Jackson (another spine surgeon) to give me a cortisone shot in my hip to relieve the IT Band.  And, that was AWESOME.  Immediately, the hip and knee pain was assuaged.

But, I still had that ripping pain in my groin.

Hubby’s surgeon friend said that I most likely have a hip labral tear.  So, I have an appointment with a local (to me) orthopedic surgeon in July.  He will do something to figure out what I actually have going on… and then we will deal with it.

Until then, I limp a lot.  And will probably not sit in the saddle much.  But, hanging around horses, grooming horses and watching horses doesn’t hurt at all.  So, that is what I will be doing.

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

I don’t really know… I think I may have stepped in a hole when I was feeding, but I’m not sure.  It just seemed to start one day.  But, I am guessing I did something – but it was probably something I do often, just this time it ripped.