Embarassing canter-induced bladder issues

[I_P_Freely]

Ok, I can’t believe I’m even posting this on here, albeit under an alter. :o

After a hiatus from riding, I have found a barn with an instructor and lesson horses that I really like. Things are going downright swimmingly except for my incontinence. Yep, when we get to cnater, I wet my pants like the kid in Billy Madison. :eek:

I have had two kids, but I’m not old by any stretch. I run, I do Tony Horton’s Power 90 workout, I do the elliptical trainer, I run, I jump on my rebounder (mini trampoline for those that don’t know) and all is well. But, when I get on the horse, I can’t seem to keep it under control.

I use my own saddle, so no need to jump on me about that. I use the potty before my lesson. I use a pad but it’s still not absorbing it all. I do kegel exercises. I practice holding my urine during the day rather than going to the bathroom frequently. I’m on the east coast which is experiencing a major heatwave so don’t suggest limiting fluids. I don’t have an incontinence issue any other time. I’m not always running to the bathroom during the day. And no other activity seems to cause this.

So, I guess I’m looking for two things:

1. Validation that I’m not the only one going through this. Anyone else out there brave enough to share? :lol: Anyone?
2. Suggestions (helpful, thoughtful ones). Anyone?

On a good note, I was experiencing the old Inverness problem (does anyone remember that…it’s been a long time), but I seem to have fixed that with a change to boyshort style undies. Now if I can just keep them dry. Oh bother. Until then, I’ll be P.I.M.P. (peeing in my pants )

[shea_smom]

I of course am totally familiar with the Inverness problem.
i predict we will have a new COTHism, PIMP.
Thanks for sharing

[Bluey]

I wonder if that would be better posted in the forum for riders with problems?

Have you talked to your gynecologist about this?
My lay guess is that he may order an ultrasound and maybe a bladder test, see what is going on and go from that.
There may be an easy solution to your problem, or it may be indicating some other more serious incipient problem, that needs to be addressed.

[Aven]

You have the best altername I have seen yet!

Well I suppose you could talk to your dr… There are pills for ‘leaky’ dogs…

[sdlbredfan]

That is good you already are doing Kegels. I do not believe that your comment 'I practice holding my urine during the day rather than going to the bathroom frequently. ’ is a good idea. That in itself may be weakening some important structure(s), by allowing bladder to become too distended. I agree that a visit to a gyno is needed. Otherwise, consider that you may be in a saddle too small, or your breeches are too tight. Either or both of those could be putting a downward pressure that could cause that problem. Good luck, and keep us posted!

[I_P_Freely]

@Bluey;4964401

I wonder if that would be better posted in the forum for riders with problems?

Are you suggesting this is a disability? :lol:

I may bring it up to my doctor, but honestly, this is a non-issue in every other aspect of my life. So, it’ll go like this:
ME: Doc, I have this problem. You see, when I canter, I pee.
DOC: Does this happen any other time?
ME: Nope, just at the canter.
DOC: Ok. Well, just don’t do that.

sdlbredfan, I got the idea of not going to the bathroom frequently from doctor-written article for people with incontinence. Apparently if you don’t “hold” it, and always rush to the potty at the first twinge that you have to go, you can lose bladder capacity and muscle tone. Who knew?

I hadn’t thought about the too-small saddle or breeches. I don’t see how a small saddle could do it, and mine is plenty big enough, but the breeches could go up a size. You know, 2 kids and all.

[Marengo]

Does this happen on the same horse or on different horses? I know it seems like a silly question but I’m wondering if its happening on one horse thats a big mover. I’ve never experienced incontinence but I always had to empty my bladder before riding my trainer’s big moving, small warmblood. Otherwise I couldn’t relax my core muscles enough to move with him. I wonder what about the canter is doing it to you, are you find through sitting trot?

[babecakes]

I’m not laughing at your problem … but … I am laughing :lol::lol: What great minds we have on this forum! I.P. Freely :lol::lol:

I agree you may need a Dr fix. May be a uterine prolapse pressing on the bladder or muscles not holding the bladder that need to be tied back up. I’m no expert but I’ve paid a price physically to have my children. Mentally too … but that’s an off topic day!

[dressagetraks]

Agreed on talking to the doctor, but I just have to share a story this reminded me of. Might be a suggestion in there for you; might not. Who knows what things are cross applicable?

I used to have a lady taking the lesson before me who was having a difficult time with her horse and had come to the trainer for help to work through this. Basically, she was fine as long as things were absolutely fine. One spook, look, slight equine brain fart, whatever (and he was Arab), and she would freeze and lose all capacity to ride. Definitely mental aspects (again, I’m NOT cross-applying that to your case. I realize your issue is most likely purely physically caused; hers originally was not). The horse, when his rider froze in terror, would of course realize that there must be truly terrible horse-eating monsters afoot, so he would bolt, she’d clutch and close her eyes, and eventually, she’d be dumped.

And she’d pee her pants. Always during the bolt-freak out. No other time, but she’d pick herself up from the dirt every time with her breeches (and her saddle) wet and would be cursing a blue streak. She just couldn’t hold it at the moment of “frantic blast-off gallop.”

My trainer was working with her in an indoor, trying to teach her to keep her mind engaged, doing things like “practice spooking,” first at a walk, etc. Even tried programming in a verbal cue - “Oh, SHIT!” - which meant that she should assume a specific riding position - legs down, sitting up straight, seat deep, etc. It was interesting hearing the sound effects as I groomed and saddled down the aisle from the arena. Hearing her lesson went something like, “Oh, SHIT. GOOD. That’s it exactly. That’s what you do. Okay, minor spook coming up. Oh, SHIT! Excellent. Good job. Now let’s . . . Oh, SHIT! SHIT! You know what to do! Sit up! SHIT! SHIT!! Don’t give up and fall off” Thud! “DAMN IT, I peed my pants!!!”

Anyway, one day, the lady showed up for a lesson in full Depends - not that anybody would have noticed if she hadn’t assumed that we all had noticed and explained. They really were discreet and hard to see, even under breeches. But she’d decided that even if she fell off each lesson, she could at least stop peeing all over her breeches and saddle and having to get back on like that.

She got on that day and even told the horse, “Okay, horse, you are NOT going to make me pee all over my breeches and saddle today. I don’t care WHAT you do. You CAN’T make me. So there.”

That day, with the embarrassment prospect replaced with determination, she rode much better, stayed on longer when he did bolt, and bounced right up afterward with a grin and dry breeches. The horse was stunned. All of the signals she’d been giving him of “Houston, we have a PROBLEM” were gone. He only bolted a few more times, and she rode him much better. And the couple of times that an “accident” happened, she would smile and be proud that she didn’t have to clean her saddle or breeches right away when she got home.

For her, moving that aspect of her problems (again, I realize there were other problems, and I’m not saying you have others, but the psychological aspect of this one clearly became a biggie, both for her and eventually for her horse) from embarrassment and worrying about it to “go ahead, this issue won’t interfere with my ride anyway, so there” made a huge difference in relaxation for her and by extension the horse. They were a mutually much more comfortable team.

Just a story. Take from it - or not - anything that might - or might not - apply. And do talk to a doctor.

[I_P_Freely]

Well, it appears I am alone in my issue, so I guess I will make the phone call to my doctor, for what it’s worth.

Thanks for the thoughts and stories though! I am so perplexed that it never happens any other time though. Coughing, sneezing, carrying a kid on each hip and grocery bags in each hand…nothing.

I hadn’t thought about a mental connection. I remember the first few times I took my old jumper cross country schooling, thinking I was going to pee in my pants but I never did. Now riding a schoolie that takes some serious motivation to pick up the canter I can’t seem to hold it.

Well, thank goodness for drugstore.com. I don’t think I could bring myself to buy depends in person. I may be PIMP but at least I’m riding again! :winkgrin:

[RacetrackReject]

Do a search in the eventing forum. I remember a post there a while back that was titled something like “I pee when I ride XC” or something similar. Seems like it was a few pages long and had a dr or 2 comment on different things.

[CatOnLap]

yeah its the darn two point, butt up, spread eagle position that stretches your pelvic muscles enough to allow the leakage over fences. Cantering? that I don’t know, unless you do not sit in your canter and are assuming a two point position.

If it were me, I’d buy the depends. and pay close attantion to really good nutrition- some of the radiation damage after cancer can heal but it needs the building block. Muscle tone may take several years to return to normal and it sounds otherwise like you are doing everything possible and necessary short of taking pills.

(Ps- Freely? I had a hard time believeing this was not a troll post with that old joke.)

[apcohrs]

This is not uncommon. It’s a form of stress incontinence. You need a bit of silicone injected to give your bladder control muscles something to push against after childbirth has rearranged things.

[Treasmare2]

Ask your doctor about vesicare (it is a medication for bladder incontinence and interstitcal cystitis). I am thinking the movement of canter simply creates more baldder pressure? But do see a doctor for sure…could be a low grade bladder infection perhaps. Good luck…I went thru a couple of years of asking my coach to hold my horse while I beat a hasty path to the john. It is all under control now but mine was more a case of urgency rather than the happening. Hugs to you and I am sure this can be fixed.

[sdlbredfan]

I love your I P Freely name by the way, very good to have a sense of humor! The reason I suggested saddle too small or breeches too tight, is because I briefly had similar problem, thought/analyzed it a lot, and I figured out that in a certain phase of the canter, my crotch was being pushed on by the rising area from seat to the pommel = i.e., saddle seat too small…I should not have been near enough to the pommel at any time for that to happen. I did find minipads helpful until I got a larger size saddle. I also at that time discovered I had been arching my back and putting my weight on the front of my crotch instead of on my seat bones. You may also want to see if this only happens on one horse or all the time. Some horses, with a bigger ‘jump’ to their canters do make the rider move around more.

[anuphillbattle]

well, you are NOT alone. My friend had 2 cancers … cervical and anal and the full nine yards treatment radiation, chemo and surgery. The good news, she survived…the bad news…she has I.P. Freely problem.

Though she is presently not riding due to other reasons…the problem began to appear on occassion when she sneezed, coughed,etc.

Her cancer gynecolgist referred her to a urinary specialist. She went to the Dr. who sent her to therapy ( exercises) and discussed SURGERY and/or medication. Oh no… must be a better way.

The primary thing that helped her was to give up carbonated soft drinks, especially caffeniated, and drinks pure water and changed her diet. Not perfect, but much better. This is a lady who used to go 14 hrs without peeing during the day to ‘processing’ a Coke in 45 mins.

You aren’t alone…best wishes and don’t give up.

[I_P_Freely]

[QUOTE=RacetrackReject;4964902]
Do a search in the eventing forum. I remember a post there a while back that was titled something like “I pee when I ride XC” or something similar. Seems like it was a few pages long and had a dr or 2 comment on different things.[/QUOTE]

Oh, bless you! I was so hoping I wasn’t alone in my dampness! I am doing the happy dance (as opposed to the potty dance!) right now as I’m off to search for said thread!

And thanks to those who enjoyed the name. If you’re going to post about an embarassing issue under an alter, I think you should be required to have a funny name!

Thanks for the additional tips and suggestions. I submitted my order for depends…I sure hope they’re as discreet as they claim. And I’m ordering some bigger breeches too. Got an appointment with the doctor (almost 2 months out! Sheesh…I know it’s not an emergency but that seems excessive to me).

And finally, there have been a lot of posts referencing cancer. I’m not sure how that came up as I don’t have/haven’t had cancer. Just wanted to make that clear. Thanks again all.

[cyndi]

Just a note - be sure and go see a urologist - not a gynecologist.

[poltroon]

As to prevalence, I think pretty much any woman who has experienced a vaginal birth has had this happen to her occasionally.

I suspect most people manage it quietly with pads and perhaps by adjusting one’s position here and there. (I’ve had it happen when a horse pulls on me and I’m in two-point.) Medications and surgery are options, but personally I’d ask long and hard about side effects and compare them to the inconvenience of just dealing with it before heading down that road. Your mileage will definitely vary depending on how bad and consistent the problem is.

[CatOnLap]

I apologize, my fault, my dyslexia read "canter induced " in the title as “cancer induced”.

Usually I catch those things. Which is why most of my posts are readable.