Sore crotch help! Ladies please

[Tobiasmyboy]

I just started taking lessons and after my first ride I was so sore and even bleeding slightly from the pressure. I’m doing something wrong. I had been riding for 20 years with no problem. Took a ten year break, had kids and now it hurts? New to me dressage saddle. It’s my trainers. And I’m riding a horse that’s slightly downhill. So lots of pressure up front. But I feel like having my stirrups longer has thrown me forward (I used to to hunter jumpers). And maybe my pelvis is tipped? I have only had three lessons so far and I’m finding I’m bracing now to avoid pressure there.

Any help to avoid creating bad habits. I need to be sitting on my seat bones. Right? I don’t think I am?

Thanks!

[SuzieQNutter]

@Tobiasmyboy

I just started taking lessons and after my first ride I was so sore and even bleeding slightly from the pressure. I’m doing something wrong. I had been riding for 20 years with no problem. Took a ten year break, had kids and now it hurts? New to me dressage saddle. It’s my trainers. And I’m riding a horse that’s slightly downhill. So lots of pressure up front. But I feel like having my stirrups longer has thrown me forward (I used to to hunter jumpers). And maybe my pelvis is tipped? I have only had three lessons so far and I’m finding I’m bracing now to avoid pressure there.

Any help to avoid creating bad habits. I need to be sitting on my seat bones. Right? I don’t think I am?

Thanks!

I ride in several different saddles at our riding school. 2 of them never again because of being so uncomfortable to cause pain. Others so comfortable.

Change the saddle.

As for your position. Raise hour hands and sit on your but. If you get a ruler on your photo, you want a straight line ear, shoulder, hip and heel.

If we magically take away the horse you want to remain standing. You would fall forward.

[mmeqcenter]

I can’t see the photo, but it definitely sounds like your saddle does not fit you.

Also consider the breeches you had on. The only time I’ve ever had such horrific blisters down there was a few months ago when I bought these new full-seat pull-on tights. They’re a smidge too big (or were, before I put them in the dryer) that are such a slick fabric that the full-seat sticks to the saddle and I was moving around too much inside them. I really like them for the thigh pockets though, so I shrunk them a bit and ride in them with a panty liner, and I’m good to go.

[Tobiasmyboy]

It’s not my saddle, it’s my trainers. So that’s something I can’t change. I have been riding in jeans waiting for my full seat tights to come. That’s good to know about size. The first ones I ordered seemed a bit big, so I’m waiting for the next size down. Glad I changed. I wondered if it was the jeans/dressage saddle combo. I used to ride in jeans all the time in my jumping saddle.

It was worst the first day, after my third ride it didn’t hurt, but that may be because I was bracing in the stirrups, not sitting well.

[frugalannie]

Bike shorts under breeches! They’re padded in a very helpful place. I once had a big warmblood mare who would make me feel ready for hamburger helper, and endangered my marriage. (JK) Besides never riding in jeans (seams are in the WRONG PLACE), I found that when I Iearned to soften without giving contact away the problem disappeared. So ask your trainer if you’re being a little rigid in your elbows/ contact. And lean neither forward nor back. It’ll feel very different to you until, one day, it’ll be natural. Practice when you’re sitting at your desk or wherever.

[Tobiasmyboy]

Thank you! I have been rigid, and we worked on that this past lesson. So hopefully that helps!

[four2farm]

Jeans or anything with a seam can contribute. I had a similar problem starting back. I found that wearing padded bike shorts felt weird. I had good luck with regular bike/compression shorts and using a product called body glide that reduces friction on the areas that tended to be rubbed. It got me through until my seat got better and every thing toughened up. Welcome back!

[PaddockWood]

Also use some KY before you ride to help prevent chafing. I see the Body Glided idea too - another good one.

[Ghazzu]

Search the archives for “Inverness problem”.
(The original thread may have been something like “get thee to a nunnery” )

[Paint_Party]

@Ghazzu

Search the archives for “Inverness problem”.
(The original thread may have been something like “get thee to a nunnery” )

Yes! It all pretty much gets discussed in that thread. (From the glory days of COTH).

@frugalannie

Bike shorts under breeches! They’re padded in a very helpful place.

I primarily ride western now but prefer breeches vs. jeans. If I have to wear jeans then I wear bike shorts under them. They work wonders for milady’s nether regions.

[SillyHorse]

I feel your pain, OP. Or, I did. At one point I was so chafed and bleeding after every ride that I thought I was going to have to stop riding. It didn’t matter what saddle, what pants, etc, I was always chafed.

After some trial and error, I landed on putting an Always Infinity Flex Foam Zero Feel, size 1, in my underwear and smearing some Vaseline on it, and I haven’t been chafed since.

I think it’s my conformation “down there” plus the angle of my pelvis that caused the issue. Happily, I’m not suffering (or peeling off bloodied underwear) any more. It’s worth a try. Good luck!

[CindyCRNA]

Fist off, it’s the jeans. Never ride in jeans. I also like Anti Monkey Butt. It’s powdered calamine and helps with any chaffing or rash. But ditch the jeans.

[lenapesadie]

@CindyCRNA

But ditch the jeans.

Most definitely

[SillyHorse]

@CindyCRNA

Fist off, it’s the jeans. Never ride in jeans. I also like Anti Monkey Butt. It’s powdered calamine and helps with any chaffing or rash. But ditch the jeans.

I may be misinterpreting the OP’s post, but I think it’s her lady bits that are chafed and bleeding. She does not want to put Anti Monkey Butt Powder on her lady bits. If it’s the skin surrounding the lady bits, though, then the powder could help, but she should wait until the areas are fully healed.

[CindyCRNA]

Anti Monkey Butt is made for all of the part in your nether regions however I find it creates a slicker surface on your skin that makes fabric slide rather than grab. Although I don’t know if it could overcome the friction of jeans. Either way, I am nether regions are hurting for the OP! lol

[Equibrit]

The balance of the saddle is sending you towards the pommel, instead of sitting in the middle.
You aren’t going to find a solution without changing that balance.

[Brown_Derby]

It’s also possible that your stirrups are too long and you are being bumped around (out of balance, weak core). You should be able to do a respectable two-point and post. You are no beginner but it will take time to stretch those muscles.

[Tobiasmyboy]

They do feel long. I figured it was because I’m used to jumper length. I’ll ask my trainer if they can come up. Because that’s what I’m feeling. Like I’m being dumped forward and bounced around. I can post and it feels like I m straightening my legs completely to get up at all. She’s a very smooth horse so I sit mostly.

[SuzieQNutter]

You have to earn your long stirrups, you can’t just put them down.

[Tobiasmyboy]

What do you mean?

I’ll ask if we can shorten the stirrups. But I think they are on the shortest hole. Maybe she will switch them out for the kids ones. I have short legs.