Shhhh.....it’s personal

Shhhh.....it’s personal

Can we get personal with you? It is the unspoken element of horse riding... ‘personal discomfort’ in the saddle.

Many of us with such discomfort may be sitting in the saddle in a certain way to avoid this displeasure; for example, if you can feel a pressure in the area of your tailbone or coccyx, you are probably tipping your pelvis too far back in an effort to free up the area between your thighs - if you’re a woman, this will almost undoubtedly cause your shoulders to ‘hunch’. If you are compensating at all in your posture, you may experience misalignment of the spine and pelvis, resulting in an ineffective riding position.

Let’s look at the horse rider’s seat:

Many trainers refer to a three-point seat when riding horses and ponies, which is the triangle formed when you sit on your seat bones with the pubic bone at the front. It is important to bear in mind that ladies have wider seatbones than men, a much wider pelvic girdle and hip sockets, and a shorter coccyx that tips backwards a little. The ‘classical’ lengthened riding position is physiologically easier for men, as they can flatten their backs more when tilting their pelvis. When a man is in the saddle, he’s closer to being balanced evenly, e.g. in the middle of his seatbones - a woman tips more naturally forwards. If she hyperextends or hollows her lower back, she tips even further forwards, and downwards onto the crotch area. Ouch!! There’s your personal discomfort.

Dr. Deb Bennett speaks eloquently about male and female anatomical rider differences in her paper ‘Who’s Built Best To Ride’, for anyone who is interested in reading further. In her articles, Dr. Bennett talks about men’s ability to ‘slouch’ down into the saddle - typically seen in the riding position of male polo players on their ponies, when men ‘sit on their pockets’. Women are generally unable to sit in this way on a horse, with a straight or rounded lower back. (Which is no bad thing, as it can result in rounding of the shoulders, and that undesirable ‘chair seat’!)

So in summary, without going into too much anatomical detail, personal discomfort from horse riding in women is often caused by a hollowing of the back, or a general immobility in the lower back, which causes a forward-tipping motion, and rubbing; while for men, it can be caused by an unexpected tipping forward onto the genital area (e.g. a horse spooking), or a lack of balance (or even too much ‘bracing’ of the back) that causes rubbing or bruising. In both cases, it may also be caused by wearing underwear with stitched seams.

If you are suffering from personal discomfort when riding your horse or pony, there are options. Look at your saddle - do you need for example a larger saddle seat, or one with a narrower twist (the width of the section under your thighs); could you benefit from a leisure activity like Pilates to aid mobility and core strength; or would riding lessons help you to mobilise your pelvic area, and achieve a better riding seat?

Consider padded underwear like the Derriere range; remember - when the rider is comfortable within the saddle, there is less likelihood of compensatory misalignment of the spine and pelvis, e.g. altering the body position to avoid pain to the sensitive crotch areas. And a comfy ‘personal area’ means a more effective partnership with the horse!

The correct riding undergarments, are one of the most important investments a rider will make. That's right, riders should never wear inappropriate underwear and should aim for well designed, sporting equestrian padded pants and bras for every occasion! This does not mean the traditional "Bridget Jones’s Knickers”, riders everywhere now have the luxury of selecting from the full designer range at Derriere Equestrian. Derrieres have become synonymous with the perfect style, comfort and performance combination for riders in every discipline.

ULTIMATE COMFORT FOR THE PERFECT SEAT

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Key words - Saddle, crotch, riding position, rider, rider’s seat, three point seat, horse, pony, underwear