I've ridden and owned horses for over seven years, but recently I am having a problem when I ride. I get this ache in my ab area (I couldn't honestly tell you if it's a muscle ache or a stomach ache) and it makes me fell like I'm going to throw up. :spew: I have pretty strong abs, so I am almost sure that's not the problem. The problem is that I can't ride for more than fifteen minutes without feeling sick. Western or English, barrels or jumping, it doesn't matter. It is pretty hot around where I live, so today I brought lots of Powerade and water to the barn to make sure that I didn't dehydrate, but I still felt sick (when I ride English, I don't drink a lot while I'm on, only enough to get my mouth wet. If I drink too much, the posting and jumping gives me a killer stomach cramp). If anyone has any idea why this happens, please help me! I have a week-long show coming up, where I'll be riding all day, every day, for six days, and I don't want to feel sick the whole week. My mother suggested that it might be slight motion sickness... but I don't get car sick or anything... please, please help! :help:

Not much that's helpful - but thought I'd answer anyway - I only have this problem when I'm dehydrated... or if I drink too much and it sloshes around - my tummy is definitely NOT in good shape (Well, it's round - and that's a shape...) but riding english, as you noted, definitely is best done on an empty stomach...

Try to drink a lot the hours before you ride so you start out fully hydrated...

Shows are murder on your eating/drining schedule - be very careful to get enough to drink that week... stay away from too many of the sugary or caffinated drinks though, but I'm sure you know that...

Could it be a cramp? I know that a lot of time when I ride if I concentrate too much and don't breathe correctly I get a very nice shooting pain in my side. Could that be what you are getting? If I feel one comming on then I try really hard to relax and breathe deep and get oxygen to my muscles. If that doesn't sound like what you are getting then I'm sorry I don't know what else it might be. If it feels more like motion sickness then I would see a doctor. You could have an inner ear infection.

Thanks so much for all your help! Today I went to the barn. Before I went, I ate a few pieces of toast for the carbs, and took only sips of my water while I was on. I worked for the better part of 45 minutes, jumped 2'5" (I think... my sister never tells me how tall they are... which freaks me out sometimes. She had me jump 3'7" on her thoroughbred {I have a good ol' quarter horse! he gets me around the barrels just fine...} without telling me... I closed my eyes and grabbed mane!) and never once got a cramp! yay!