Rider When There’s Too Much Thunder Down Under It’s a problem riders don’t like to talk about, but chafing and rubbing can make saddle time unbearable. Here’s why it happens and what you can do about it. By Jennifer Mellace
SEAT OF THE PROBLEM: You can’t ride well if saddle time causes pain
We’re here to let you know you’re not alone, and to save you from Dr. Google. Let’s get started.
Anatomy Lesson There are different reasons that you might find yourself walking gingerly after riding, but for women and girls, it starts with the female anatomy and your position in the saddle. Some female riders will confess
that their private parts are sore after they ride, and that the first time they urinate after riding is painful, says Beth Glosten, MD, a retired obstetric anesthetist and a USDF bronze, silver, and gold medalist who now owns the rider-biomechanicsfocused RiderPilates LLC in Seattle, Washington. The culprit, says Glosten, is “the sensitive tissues around the urethra, just beneath the arch of the symphysis pubis,” a cartilaginous joint at the top of the pubic arch. The muscles and connective tissue that make up the pelvic floor, which contacts the saddle, are shaped like a diamond— defined by the pubic arch in front, the tailbone in back, and the two seat bones on either side. “The precise location of a given rider’s weight on the pelvic floor varies from rider to rider, but problems happen if there is too much weight toward the front of the pelvic floor.” One potential cause: a saddle that doesn’t suit the rider. “Saddle fit is very important when considering why excessive pressure is being placed on this area,” says Glosten. “If a saddle tree is too large for the horse, the seat of the saddle will tip down in front. This will tip the top of the rider’s pelvis forward, pressing the front of the pelvis, pelvic floor, and the pubic arch against the twist of the saddle.” A good saddle fitter may be able to distinguish between a saddle-fit issue and a problem with the rider’s inherent balance and position. “Just as it’s very important that a saddle fits your horse, it’s also very important that it fits you,” says Theresa Keyes, a saddle fitter for more than 25 years who co-owns
26 May/June 2022 | USDF CONNECTION
Maryland Certified Saddle Fitters, Mechanicsville, Maryland, with her daughter, Cate Fiolka. “A saddle fitter who watches you ride can often see if you are banging the pommel [because of saddle fit] or if you just need more practice until you develop a better seat. Being able to try several models for a week or two is the best way to determine if you’re going to stay comfortable.”
Effects of Rider Position According to Glosten, painful rubbing in the area of the urethra can result from incorrect postural and balance habits. “If a rider tends to have an extended or arched posture, the pubic bone and front of the pelvic floor will receive too much weight,” she explains (see Figure 1). “Adjusting this postural challenge can be hard and will involve rotating the pelvis more under the rider, relieving pressure from the pubic-bone region and moving the rider’s weight a bit toward the tailbone region of the pelvic floor” (Figure 2). Equestrians commonly seek balance support from their leg muscles, especially in the sitting trot. “While some leg muscle tone is normal, too much gripping causes many problems, one of which is rubbing and chafing of the urethral area,” says Glosten. “This is particularly true if the rider grips by pulling her knees inward and upward, against the knee rolls of the saddle.” Glosten goes on to explain that the adductor muscles of the hip joint (the muscles of the inner thighs) pull the knees together to grip inward. The hip-flexor muscles, which pull the thighs up and forward, get
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f you’ve been riding for some time, then you may have encountered some rather painful issues in some rather sensitive areas. Chafing, rubbing, soreness—it’s all a bit uncomfortable (pun intended) to talk about, but it’s actually a problem that many riders face at one time or another. (Poke around the Internet and you’ll find discussions about how to protect one’s nether regions from discomfort while riding.)
