Chronic lower back pain. Could it be from eventing?

Okay I have chronic lower back pain. I can't stand or walk for ver long. It always feels like someone's pinching or lower Back muscles. It's not spasms or sharp. My mom thinks it's from jumping my horse. I jump 2' to 2'9. And I've been jumping for about 7 months. My saddle doesn't fit me. Its a 16.5 collegiate senior event. I hate it. I need a 17 or bigger and I wish I had a jump saddle with lots of cushioning. I'm scared that my back is really messed up and I'm going to be in chronic pain forever. I had a huge growth spurt in the past year. I also switched barns and horses back in january. My back never hurt then. Does anyone else have this problem? Is it the saddle or the jumping? This has been going on for awhile please help. And I'm going to see a doctor soon but my mom says they can't do anything except tell me to quit riding

First off, unless you've hurt your back or you have a congenitally bad back, I'd say it's saddle fit and possibly the way you're holding yourself over jumps.

A too small seat can cause problems for the rider. It's not just the horse who has to fit the saddle.

Let your back heal up. Don't whine about saddle fit--there are LOTS of used 17" and 17.5" saddles for sale cheap bc of the bad economy--go buy one.
I would suggest on the ground leg exercises bc you are probably using your back to compensate for weakness in your legs. Run, deep knee bends--MY personal favorite is 2nd position demi & grande plies.

A few things come to mind. Make sure your saddle fits you. If you're one of those riders who arches their back while jumping, stop it. Try building up your core (tummy) muscles. Best medicine for a weak back is a strong front.

Lower back pain can often be caused through misalignment in the head or neck. I would suggest that you need to see a good chiropractor or osteopath to sort you out.

I *personally* don't care for that particular saddle... I could never find my seat well in it on the flat or over fences.

That being said, take a look at the way you are jumping. If you are very tight, always having to hold a horse back, or jumping with a roach back, you may be causing yourself the pain. Like others said, a strong core will help lessen the work load on your back.

If you're in serious pain, a Chiropractor or Dr. May be your only answer.

Corporal- your comment regarding another saddle was unnecessary... not everyone can just go buy another saddle, especially with the economy.

Have you been to see a chiropractor? That would be my first stop. They aren't terribly expensive and a good one can either fix you up or tell you "Okay, you've got <this> going on and you really should see a specialist" or whatever.

Do you tense up before the fence? A proper fitting saddle is important as well. A strong abdomen also helps make a strong back.

I'm guessing it's your saddle. For the longest time, I would have lower back pain for days after I rode, just like yours - in the muscle. I started using my instructor's saddle because it's a close contact and the back pain disappeared. I just used my saddle on Thursday for the first time in a while, and yep, the back pain's back.

If you can't get a new saddle now, can you borrow one? If not, icing for ten minutes about 2 or 3 times a day helps a lot. Don't use heat because, while that feels better than ice, it actually increases the swelling. See the chiropractor. He put me on a backstretcher sort of thingy, and it really helped. You can also stretch the muscle by pulling your knees up to your chin or doing toe touches - anything to stretch.

I agree with ice and not heat. Heat causes inflammation and your back is hurting because of inflammation...so you definitely don't want to cause more. Ice will reduce the inflammation. Also, youngliving.com has peppermint oil priced REALLY well (it is THE more pure on the market). I've found that filling a tub with warm water and adding a few drops of it does wonders. It causes your skin to feel cooler and reduces inflammation. I suffer from inflammitory arthritis (Psoriatic Arthritis...it's autoimmune like Rheumatoid Arthritis, not from wear-and-tear like your grandma may have) and fibromialga which is, all inflammation. I needed a better saddle, so I picked up a Wintec 500 w/ CAIR. Not only did it make all the difference w/ my horse, but it's helped my back too. And, soaking in the tub w/ peppermint oil in it helps greatly too. I got my saddle on ebay brand new w/ tags for $275 w/ free shipping. Just throwing that option out there as something to consider if/when it's a possibility.

Finally, I would certainly check on your physical strength as well as your riding. Maybe someone can take pictures or video of you riding for you to see yourself ride? If not, is going back to the old trainer an option? Just throwing ideas out there. Good luck in finding a solution. I know how it is to hurt, and I don't wish it on anyone.