Help! My feet go numb in the stirrups!

[retreadeventer]

Does anyone else have this problem? My feet get numb in the stirrups all the time. Doesn't seem to matter if I am at jumping length, xc or gallop length or dressage length altho it is slightly better at dressage length -- it's really bad when I gallop, I have to stop and let my feet out in order to get circulation back.
It's worse in my good boots but I have the problem also with my Ariat terrain boots, too. I have tried the grippy stirrup pads that go on over the regular stirrup pads, and it hurts in those too. I have regular ordinary Fillis irons on a couple saddles and an ordinary pair of hunt type stirrups. No stirrups with the flexible sides or anything special. Would they help, do you think? I am really getting tired of being uncomfortable and am seriously out to find lots of comfort things for riding. I would appreciate any help anyone can give with this! Thanks!

[CanTango1]

Happens to me but only my right foot......which is the ankle that has been crunched on several occasions.

I ride with the flexi sturrips and I think it actually makes it worse. Honestly I just take them out and wiggle every chance I get.

[hey101]

I have this problem all the time when I do road (bike) rides or hacks over two hours. The only thing I've found that helps when I'm actually in the saddle (bike or horse!) is to take my feet out of the stirrups or unclip from my pedals and let my legs hang straight down and aggressively rotate my feet in both directions.

I feel for you- I know exactly how uncomfortable this can be, so I'm interested to hear any other tricks as well!

[Hannahsmom]

I have the same problem and I have those expensive stirrups with the wide treads and supposed to be really flexible. I'm about ready to switch back into the old fashioned stirrups to see if they are better

[bludini]

Insoles with arch support in your riding boots and your street shoes. My feet used to go to sleep too, but think about it: Only when you are riding are you in that ankle flex position. That big blood vessel and nerve that goes along the inside front of your ankle feeds your foot. In the riding position, you are pinching that off. I don't know why, but my insoles seem to help. MAYBE they add just a little 'height' to the inside of my boot so that nerve/vessel is a fraction above the pressure point in the boot? I don't know, but it helps me.

[Hilary]

Me too - and no, I haven't found anything that helps except taking your feet out and wiggling them. Flexi-stirrups don't help.

I think it has to do with how much my ankles are flexed because it happens much more when my stirrups are short and my heels are further down.

[eyesontheground]

My feet fall asleep when I ride. I actually think it has something to do with my hips...not necessarily my ankles. I am on the hunt for a saddle that will help me keep my feet from falling asleep.

[Arcadien]

The *good* quality flex stirrups (think Herm Sprenger made mine) helped me some with this problem. Not too much give in them, but just enough I guess.

Also learning to briefly push on my toes on the stirrups to relieve the tension, then sink down again -- but not too far (I'm one of those who can actually get my heels down *too* far, I end up with a lower leg locking rather than secure yet pliable - and with numb feet!)

Note I used to think pushing toes down would make me lose balance, but after I learned to do it while galloping racehorses (talk about feet going numb!) I realized I could do it briefly at a full gallop without and effect on my balance!

Again, it's onlly a very *brief* pushing toes down/heels up - just enough to relieve the pressure and get the blood circulating again!

HTH,
Arcadien

[M. O'Connor]

My brother the charter pilot used to be a ski bum. He was a ski-boot fitter to a bunch of racers in Vermont. This used to happen to my feet when I went skiing--he used to have me loosen the buckle over the top of my arch in the middle of my foot. He told me that it wouldn't have happened if I'd invested in a pair of fancy custom foam injected high-tech insulated boots. I told him I already had a pair of fancy custom made boots, and I used them for HORSE showing. One sport at a time!

I think he would say that it's not a question of the stirrups at all, but the position of your foot and the pressure against the top of your foot (between your toes and ankles) when the heels are flexed. ie, if you can loosen the zippers, or laces, or whatnot on top of your foot the circulation would be able to flow freely, the nerves in your feet wouldn't be pinched, and your feet wouldn't go numb.

[Equibrit]

It's not to do with the stirrups. It's to do with where you carry your weight and how you brace your foot against the stirrup. This will also be affected by saddle fit. If your saddle is not balanced (back to front) you will not be carrying your weight in your seat, but will be bracing against your stirrups to control your unbalanced upper body. If your saddle is properly balanced you will carry your weight in your seat and your foot will rest in the stirrup. When out of the saddle the weight should drop through your heels and thigh.

[BarbB]

It's not to do with the stirrups. It's to do with where you carry your weight and how you brace your foot against the stirrup. This will also be affected by saddle fit. If your saddle is not balanced (back to front) you will not be carrying your weight in your seat, but will be bracing against your stirrups to control your unbalanced upper body. If your saddle is properly balanced you will carry your weight in your seat and your foot will rest in the stirrup. When out of the saddle the weight should drop through your heels and thigh.

Bingo!
Unless you have a problem with hip, knee or ankle that causes circulation problems (which you would probably know about from something other than riding), it is pushing down on the stirrup that causes this.
When I quit forcing my heel down with brute force and pressing down on the stirrup my feet, ankle and circulation problems all went away.
:yes:

[retreadeventer]

Equibrit, would this also have to do with a habit of pinching on the knee?
And tell me more about a properly balanced saddle and what I should be feeling and looking for in one. Yep I am NOT riding in the right saddle and we know that! Working on it! No luck so far! Making sense now!

[Equibrit]

See if you can trial an adjustable saddle. Put it on your horse and play back and forth with the adjustment. Your point of balance will shift back and forth in the saddle. You will know it when you reach your perfectly balanced spot. Everything will seem right with the world and you'll feel bionic, fireworks will explode and all that.! You will feel very secure especially in your stirrups! Your horse will go better too. Even if that saddle is not quite right , or too expensive, you will have a feel for what you need. Your knee pinching is probably your body trying to balance itself cos your saddle isn't. You should be able to sit with only as much tension in your body as it takes to hold it upright, until you need to give an aide or adjust your weight. That's why saddle fit is SO important - it makes everybody relax.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

My feet fall asleep when I ride. I actually think it has something to do with my hips...not necessarily my ankles. I am on the hunt for a saddle that will help me keep my feet from falling asleep.


Interesting. I used to have the problem of my feet falling asleep all the time....but now I have custom saddles (very good balanced saddles) and don't have the issue...

I also visit the Chiro on a regular basis and that may have helped too (my hips were really out of wack..and then also my back).

[retreadeventer]

Well I know my back sucks, that's a given! I've had back pain for 30 years! But a good thought! I have never been to a chiropractor, the thought scares me a little.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

Well I know my back sucks, that's a given! I've had back pain for 30 years! But a good thought! I have never been to a chiropractor, the thought scares me a little.


Scared me too. You have to find someone good. My guy was referred to me by a few people and I've been really happy with him. I really think it has made a huge difference for me. Even the few times I've thrown my back out...usually with the help of a few of my four legged friends...I've recovered much faster. Biggest issue is when I leave his office and realize how good I feel...makes me realize how much I hurt sometimes!

Good luck!

[medical mike]

Does it happen with regular sitting or another activity....prolonged or other wise?

Is it the whole foot or just a portion?

Do you find yourself catching your toe/stumbling/"feeling weak" in the legs

Generically, it could be coming from the spine or foot.

In either case, it is worth,(to start with) getting a work up from a primary care sports medicine physician.

Once you figure out where the root cause is, a treatment program can be planned.

Regards,
Medical Mike
equestrian medical researcher
www.fitfocusedforward.com or .us

[retreadeventer]

Thanks - see my replies:

Does it happen with regular sitting or another activity....prolonged or other wise?

No

Is it the whole foot or just a portion?

Well, just the arch forward but if I keep riding and ignoring the whole foot

Do you find yourself catching your toe/stumbling/"feeling weak" in the legs

At times - yes - I do have to watch catching my toe but I don't feel weak

Generically, it could be coming from the spine or foot.

In either case, it is worth,(to start with) getting a work up from a primary care sports medicine physician.
Not where I live! No such animal! And if you say you ride, they haven't a clue around here. Got any directories or something I can research one? Thanks!

Once you figure out where the root cause is, a treatment program can be planned.

Regards,
Medical Mike
equestrian medical researcher
www.fitfocusedforward.com or .us

[talkofthetown]

http://store.runningbear.com/catalog/display.php?cartid=4809df5a707f5&zid=1&lid=1&cat=3&scat=25

I don't have this problem all the time, but when Bensmom and I ventured into Endurance, and we started riding 10-15+ miles at a time, then my feet would get numb. So we tried these, and believe me, they're WONDERFUL!! (And a whole lot cheaper thatn a custom saddle;)) They take a little getting uesd to, and yes they're a little bulky, but after three rides you don't think about it anymore. I can still flex my foot and ankle easily in them, and the inch of heavy duty padding keeps the foot from going to sleep:yes:

[Hoof1]

It means that you most likely are "riding off of your stirrups" Make sure you foot position is non the widest part of you foot(ball). Pratice "weighting" you heel versus standing up off your feet. Most riders do not understand the difference. If you foot position is correct and you know how to weight your heel, then you ankles become the shock absorbers and not your foot. Also every time you ride do some suppling exercises. With out stirrup, at the walk, rotate you feet in circles both directions. all up and down. Every time you feel you feet getting numb repeat the exercise.

[Thomas_1]

Take them out of the stirrups and do circles with your feet in both directions to limber them up.

[Katybell]

I had the same problem as well and have found that the flexi stirrups really help.

[Guyot]

I have this problem too!! What helped a lot for me was the Herm Springer stirrups. They also have the the ones with the adjustable angle stirrup which I have tried and they are even better for me...but haven't put out the $$ for them yet!!

For myself, I have an 80% calcified ankle and the other leg hangs differently from my hip making my leg hang at a different angle. This puts all or most of the flex on my ankel joint. I believe these issues are why I suffer the numbness. Don't know if your situation is similiar but I would find someone who has the stirrups and ask to borrow for a couple of days... Good luck!

[eyesontheground]

It means that you most likely are "riding off of your stirrups" Make sure you foot position is non the widest part of you foot(ball). Pratice "weighting" you heel versus standing up off your feet. Most riders do not understand the difference. If you foot position is correct and you know how to weight your heel, then you ankles become the shock absorbers and not your foot. Also every time you ride do some suppling exercises. With out stirrup, at the walk, rotate you feet in circles both directions. all up and down. Every time you feel you feet getting numb repeat the exercise.

Huh? I def do not understand the difference. Correct me if I have been doing this wrong for years but this is how I put my feet in the stirrups (hopefully this will be clear and not totally confusing).

This is all second nature by now so it doesn't take this many steps to get it right but I had to think about it to describe it.

Put foot in stirrup, find widest part of foot (the ball in my case), and then angle a little so that the stirrup runs from the outside corner just between where my pinkie connects and the ball starts to just behind where the ball ends on the inside of my foot.

I *feel* like this gives my ankle plenty of flex room. I can sit a trot and feel my ankles taking the brunt of the motion (maybe I look like a doof?).

Anyway, if I did the little twisty ankle thingy to get the feeling back in my feet everytime they started to go numb I would be taking walk breaks every two min after about 30 min of riding. Normally I just ignore it until I get to a good time to drop my feet down and streeeetch my legs out.

The only other time my feet go numb is on the eliptical trainer (sadly, my fav cardio machine). I just ignore this too. But boy I have to watch out when I step off of the machine.

[wanderlust]

My left foot goes numb in both stirrups and ski boots. It seems to come from a combination of how I rest my foot in the stirrup (i.e. the pressure point) and the pressure on the top of my foot at the ankle. Having my spur straps too tight has made it worse. The italian plastic stirrups make it better, the knock-off sprengers make it worse.

[Thomas_1]

Anyway, if I did the little twisty ankle thingy to get the feeling back in my feet everytime they started to go numb I would be taking walk breaks every two min after about 30 min of riding.
I'd suggest that you're putting too much weight in your foot in the stirrup.

You need to just gently rest the ball of your foot on the stirrup and drop the weight down into your heel.

You might also want to try dropping your stirrups a hole and see if that's any better.

Finally do some exercises to lengthen and stretch your tendons and ligaments. Stand on a step with just your toes resting on the edge and drop your heels down so they're lower than the step edge and balance there. Do 5 repetitions to start with and twice a day and build it up over time. Other one is to walk backwards but rather that placing toe first, place heel first.

[retreadeventer]

Thanks for all the very good advice. I have taken concrete steps to address this problem -- guess what, Bornfree, I did indeed get my back adjusted by a terrific chiropractor, who is actually a horse chiropractor and came to the barn for one of the boarders' horses. After he worked on the horses, we were talking and he said, here, jump on the truck tailgate, if you have never had your back adjusted and I will do it for you. Well I am game and so he did -- WOW. Immediately I felt I could breathe better and as the day went on I found more and more energy. I could bend over easily and felt much more flexible in my center. I was told I might be sore the following day but was not, actually it carried over until today, I am still feeling very good and not real sore. I was astounded at the ribcage muscles I found, or found that were actually bothering me. Probably from my job (extensive driving.)
In any case the numb feet thing is also going to get fixed, in a stop at Fair Hill Sunday night I found a saddle to trial that I really like (VTO Saddlery was there!) and as soon as the raindrops stop down here I am going to try it on and go for a ride.
As far as the ankle exercises and heels down stuff, none of that really helps, I've tried all the logical stuff so far. I really do not want to use the big stirrups as then I would not have enough flexibility to turn the foot and use the spur for the horses jumping, etc., so there is a certain amount of conventionality in training a sport horse we just have to adjust for, I guess. I think it's the narrow width of the conventional stirrup, agreed, but maybe a little different padding or sock might also help.

[TwoPointTrot]

Old injuries and old age can surely aggravate poor circulation in the feet while riding. However, when these are not the case, in every instance where a fellow rider complained of feet going numb - I noticed they were dropping an awful lot of weight into their heels and their heels were way down. Heels down has forever been known as correct, but too much is too much. At all gaits try to just grip more with lower leg and stand less.

Try to sometimes emulate riding stirrupless but do not actually lose your stirrup; just sort of hold it there with just a little weight in the ball of the foot.

Other things to check - Don't cinch up paddock boots like you're tying up a boat.
With tall boots - ensure a wrinkle isn't pushing into your ankles and they are soft and supple.

e

[FoolEmDoc]

I have this problem too. The balls of my feet go numb while I ride, usually about 15 to 20 minutes into the ride. And my right foot gets worse than my left. My trainer and I can't figure out why it is happening. I've tried different leathers, different irons, different pads, different boots and nothing has helped. We've also made sure I'm not posting out of my stirrups either. I did put the knee blocks back in my saddle and that has seemed to help. If anyone has any other suggestions I would appreciate it.

[OneDaySoon]

How about pinched nerves between the bones of the feet? Try running a few marathons and get intimate with the Burn Baby Burn :cry: feel on the ball of the foot, before and/or after the kinder numbness sets in. Like Medical Mike above noted, see a sports medicine orthopedic specialist before investing in new riding equipment or bootware. Foot circles, chiro, foot placement on the stirrup, and stretches all can help in the meantime...but get a qualified opinion on the cause and best treatment plan.

[tullio]

I also visit the Chiro on a regular basis and that may have helped too (my hips were really out of wack..and then also my back).


that's what helped me. my right leg was falling asleep after about ten minutes in the saddle and it was really freaking me out! X-rays showed my hips/pelvis were way out of whack. Have been going to my new chiropractor for about 6 weeks and just started really riding again - bingo, no more falling asleep. This could definitely be a concern so have it checked out! :)