Can Horseback Riding Contribute to Back Pain?
Yes, horseback riding can contribute to back pain through mechanical loading and repetitive impact stress on the lower spine, particularly affecting the lumbar vertebrae. The biomechanical demands of maintaining a seated position on a moving horse create specific stressors that can lead to degenerative spinal changes and pain.
Biomechanical Mechanisms of Spinal Stress
The seated position required for horseback riding creates several pathological processes affecting the spine:
Mechanical loading and impact stress on the lower spine can result in Schmorl's nodes (lesions indicating intervertebral disc tissue herniation) and degenerative changes, particularly in the lumbar vertebrae 1.
Intervertebral disk degeneration and osteoarthritis of vertebral joint facets are frequently noted consequences of the biomechanical stressors of horseback riding on the human spine, though these have multifactorial etiologies 1.
The repetitive mechanical loading from the motion and impact of riding creates inflammation and microtrauma that contributes to degenerative joint changes 1.
Clinical Evidence of Back Pain in Riders
Real-world studies demonstrate substantial back pain prevalence among horseback riders:
72.5% of competitive riders reported experiencing back pain, with 58.7% specifically reporting lumbar spine pain 2.
Professional horse riders demonstrate statistically significant limitations in global spine mobility compared to recreational riders (p<0.007), with 20% of professional riders and 25% of recreational riders experiencing back pain during training 3.
The occurrence of back pain is directly related to decreased spine mobility in both professional and recreational riders (p<0.04) 3.
Important Caveats and Nuances
The relationship between riding and back pain is complex and not entirely negative:
Despite high pain prevalence, only about 15% of riders with lower back pain actually sought medical treatment or were disabled 4.
47% of riders with lower back pain were pain-free while actually riding, suggesting the activity itself may provide some symptomatic relief during the activity 4.
Among dressage riders with pre-existing back pain, 61.6% reported improvement when riding, compared to only 40.9% of show jumpers 2.
The pace of "walk" appears to have a positive influence on pain intensity for riders with pre-existing back pain 2.
No direct correlation exists between riding intensity and pain severity:
No significant correlation was found between riding discipline, riding level, or gender and the frequency or severity of back pain 2.
The intensity of training and number of riding hours did not show a clear causal connection to higher incidence of spinal pathology, though roughriders and intensive sport riders showed higher rates of pathologic X-ray findings 4.
Clinical Recommendations
Riders should develop strong back and gluteal musculature to avoid early painful spinal decompensation, especially in cases with pre-existing degenerative alterations or static form anomalies of the spinal column 4.
The multifactorial etiology of spinal changes means that factors beyond riding itself—including genetics, age, sex, body weight, and other activities—can heavily influence the development of back pain 1.