![\"\"](\"http:\/\/hcequestrian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/7484A0D9-A6CF-4B81-826D-C4D22E974B7B-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nI\u2019ve learned that bodies are constantly changing, sometimes\nin ways that we don\u2019t even notice. It\ncould be changes in weight, body shape due to age, even hormones play a part. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are having trouble with crotch pain in your saddle\nhere are some things that you can do:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Don\u2019t ride in saddles that hurt you. Duh. \nBut if that\u2019s all you\u2019ve got, there are some things you can do that\nmight help.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- Give yourself time to heal. Any area that interfaces with your saddle that\nis already compromised will be more likely to cause problems. Before trying any new solution, make sure\nthat you are fully healed in order to give the solution a chance to work.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Make sure you are sitting straight in the\nsaddle. You can\u2019t do this by yourself,\nyou will need someone with a good eye to make sure you aren\u2019t sitting to the\nleft or right, or riding with one hip in front of the other.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Make sure your saddle is balanced on your\nhorse. I am more likely to get pain if I\nride in a saddle that is low in the front. \nSometimes, I will even raise the front of the saddle up more than is\ncorrect to get some relief. I\u2019ve heard\nothers have the opposite experience and prefer a saddle that is low in the\nfront.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Change your stirrup length. A shorter stirrup can help you get out of the\nsaddle more easily and may even help you sit in a bit of a different spot on\nthe saddle.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Change something else about your stirrups. When I ride in English saddles I sometimes\nget pain from the stirrup buckles. A\nquick solution is to pull the buckles down so that they are closer to the\nstirrup iron. A more elegant solution is\nto get some single layer leathers that have a loop at the top to attach to the\nstirrup bar, and a T shaped peg to change the stirrup length. When I ride in Western saddles, putting a Hamley\ntwist in my stirrup leathers helps me to open my hips and sit more on my seat bones,\nfreeing up my crotch.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Try a seat saver on your saddle. They come in sheepskin, foam, gel, and other\nmaterials. This never worked for me and\nalways made my problems worse. But\neveryone is different and this might be the solution for you.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Change your underwear. Padded underwear exist, they are marketed for\nriders, and are similar to bike shorts with a chamois. They didn\u2019t work for me. The first time my crotch turned on me in my\n20s riding without<\/em> underwear gave me\na lot of relief. When my crotch turned\non me again in my 30s, going back in to underwear helped out. Try wicking sports underwear, or a different\ncut of underwear.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Explore skin sensitivities that may have\ndeveloped. Be nice to your crotch, most\ndoctors say that you shouldn\u2019t use soap on the pink parts, and you definitely\nshouldn\u2019t douche. Wash your undies and\nbreeches in detergent that is free of dyes and scents. Don\u2019t use fabric softener. Consider using a different type of lube when\nyou have sex. Maybe try a menstrual cup\ninstead of tampons.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Talk to your OB\/GYN about it. You may be going through a different life\nstage and there are things that can do to help. \nI\u2019ve been in perimenopause for a while now. (I know I\u2019m young, I\u2019ve always been\nprecocious). I was prescribed an Estrogen cream that helps with improving elasticity\nand healing abrasions. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- Consider lubing up for riding if friction is a\nreal problem. I was hesitant to put this\non the list because I haven\u2019t tried it and I\u2019m not sure exactly how it would\nwork. My OB\/GYN (who I\u2019m not sure has\never even seen a horse) suggested I apply olive oil or oil based lubricant to\nmy crotch before I ride. I can\u2019t fathom\ndoing this without creating a big mess, but maybe there is a way?<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- Be frank with your saddle fitter about your\ndiscomfort. It is literally the job of the saddle fitter to\nmake sure the areas of you that interface with your saddle are comfortable, so\nspeak up when you are in pain. There may\nbe some alterations your saddle fitter can do to help you. If your saddle fitter makes you feel\nuncomfortable about voicing your pain, or that your pain is unusual, get a\ndifferent saddle fitter. I had to find a\ndifferent saddle fitter after my first bout of crotch pain. I\u2019ve been happily riding in Custom Saddlery\nbrand saddles ever since. Not all of the\nCustom Saddlery saddles work for me, but I\u2019ve had great experiences working\nwith the company to address and solve issues.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- You may need to change saddles. You might need a different model or brand. You may need to go up a seat size, ride in a\ndifferent tree, use a different block, try a wider or narrower seat, try a\nwider or narrower twist. If a saddle is\nbeing made for you, you can request extra padding in some places, or for the\npadding to be scooped out of other places. \nIt all can make a difference. If\nyou find a saddle that seems to work for you and your horse, see if you can\ntake it for a trial. I recently had a\nsaddle that my horse loved and I rode in it fine for a day, but was in agony\nafter riding in after three days in a row. \nIf you do riding that doesn\u2019t necessitate a certain style of saddle, you\nmight even switch to something completely different.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
If you are having trouble keeping your crotch happy while\nriding, I deeply sympathize with you. I\nhope there is a solution on this list that can help you. If you have found a solution that I haven\u2019t\nlisted, please drop me a line and let me know what it is! Remember, everyone is different, and everyone\ndeserves to ride without saddle pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ali Kermeen has been a professional trainer and instructor since 2001. She has competed in several different disciplines and styles, earning year end awards and certifications in most of them.\u00a0 She currently has a Mustang named River that she enjoys competing in Cowboy Dressage (in a western saddle) and Working Equitation (in a dressage saddle).<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I\u2019m writing this because someone needs this advice. I don\u2019t really want to talk about the trouble I have with my crotch and riding in a public setting. So if you don\u2019t want to hear about it, please click somewhere else. I get it, not everyone has had trouble with a painful crotch while riding. … <\/p>\n
- You may need to change saddles. You might need a different model or brand. You may need to go up a seat size, ride in a\ndifferent tree, use a different block, try a wider or narrower seat, try a\nwider or narrower twist. If a saddle is\nbeing made for you, you can request extra padding in some places, or for the\npadding to be scooped out of other places. \nIt all can make a difference. If\nyou find a saddle that seems to work for you and your horse, see if you can\ntake it for a trial. I recently had a\nsaddle that my horse loved and I rode in it fine for a day, but was in agony\nafter riding in after three days in a row. \nIf you do riding that doesn\u2019t necessitate a certain style of saddle, you\nmight even switch to something completely different.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- Be frank with your saddle fitter about your\ndiscomfort. It is literally the job of the saddle fitter to\nmake sure the areas of you that interface with your saddle are comfortable, so\nspeak up when you are in pain. There may\nbe some alterations your saddle fitter can do to help you. If your saddle fitter makes you feel\nuncomfortable about voicing your pain, or that your pain is unusual, get a\ndifferent saddle fitter. I had to find a\ndifferent saddle fitter after my first bout of crotch pain. I\u2019ve been happily riding in Custom Saddlery\nbrand saddles ever since. Not all of the\nCustom Saddlery saddles work for me, but I\u2019ve had great experiences working\nwith the company to address and solve issues.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- Consider lubing up for riding if friction is a\nreal problem. I was hesitant to put this\non the list because I haven\u2019t tried it and I\u2019m not sure exactly how it would\nwork. My OB\/GYN (who I\u2019m not sure has\never even seen a horse) suggested I apply olive oil or oil based lubricant to\nmy crotch before I ride. I can\u2019t fathom\ndoing this without creating a big mess, but maybe there is a way?<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- Talk to your OB\/GYN about it. You may be going through a different life\nstage and there are things that can do to help. \nI\u2019ve been in perimenopause for a while now. (I know I\u2019m young, I\u2019ve always been\nprecocious). I was prescribed an Estrogen cream that helps with improving elasticity\nand healing abrasions. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- Explore skin sensitivities that may have\ndeveloped. Be nice to your crotch, most\ndoctors say that you shouldn\u2019t use soap on the pink parts, and you definitely\nshouldn\u2019t douche. Wash your undies and\nbreeches in detergent that is free of dyes and scents. Don\u2019t use fabric softener. Consider using a different type of lube when\nyou have sex. Maybe try a menstrual cup\ninstead of tampons.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Change your underwear. Padded underwear exist, they are marketed for\nriders, and are similar to bike shorts with a chamois. They didn\u2019t work for me. The first time my crotch turned on me in my\n20s riding without<\/em> underwear gave me\na lot of relief. When my crotch turned\non me again in my 30s, going back in to underwear helped out. Try wicking sports underwear, or a different\ncut of underwear.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Try a seat saver on your saddle. They come in sheepskin, foam, gel, and other\nmaterials. This never worked for me and\nalways made my problems worse. But\neveryone is different and this might be the solution for you.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Change something else about your stirrups. When I ride in English saddles I sometimes\nget pain from the stirrup buckles. A\nquick solution is to pull the buckles down so that they are closer to the\nstirrup iron. A more elegant solution is\nto get some single layer leathers that have a loop at the top to attach to the\nstirrup bar, and a T shaped peg to change the stirrup length. When I ride in Western saddles, putting a Hamley\ntwist in my stirrup leathers helps me to open my hips and sit more on my seat bones,\nfreeing up my crotch.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Change your stirrup length. A shorter stirrup can help you get out of the\nsaddle more easily and may even help you sit in a bit of a different spot on\nthe saddle.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Make sure your saddle is balanced on your\nhorse. I am more likely to get pain if I\nride in a saddle that is low in the front. \nSometimes, I will even raise the front of the saddle up more than is\ncorrect to get some relief. I\u2019ve heard\nothers have the opposite experience and prefer a saddle that is low in the\nfront.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Make sure you are sitting straight in the\nsaddle. You can\u2019t do this by yourself,\nyou will need someone with a good eye to make sure you aren\u2019t sitting to the\nleft or right, or riding with one hip in front of the other.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Give yourself time to heal. Any area that interfaces with your saddle that\nis already compromised will be more likely to cause problems. Before trying any new solution, make sure\nthat you are fully healed in order to give the solution a chance to work.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n