I just got back into riding after a 10-year break. I formerly rode at a jumper barn for 10 years but have now decided to try dressage. Today was my second lesson, the first I noticed pain in my tailbone towards the end of the ride, and today the whole ride was painful. I haven’t had any prior injuries to my tailbone or dealt with this in all of my years riding. I’m wondering if it is the saddle I’m riding in (it’s a 17”, which seems too small because I’m nearly 6 feet tall with a super long inseam) or my body isn’t used to the dressage position of tucking your tailbone under. My trainer said that I shouldn’t be feeling any pain and so I feel frustrated in how to continue riding comfortably. Just want to see if anyone has dealt with a similar situation and how they navigated it. Thanks!
Yeah, 17" is small. The seat shape might come into play as well. Is there any way you can try riding in a larger seat and see what happens? Maybe @Kyrabee will chime in. She dealt with this a long time and found out she had a bone spur on her tailbone. I think she rides with a seat saver, but if the saddle is already too small, that will only make the problem worse.
Yes, if you are 6 feet tall, 17” is pretty small.
I had tailbone pain for years. Initially it was just an annoyance but if I didn’t spend hours in the saddle it was tolerable and I could lesson or show and not be too painful. Over time, it got worse and worse. Finally after 1 extensive work-up that said nothing was there and finally another work-up it was discovered I had a bone spur on my tailbone…pointing out the back. When the issue first started, I told everybody it felt like I was sitting on a rock. I was!
Riding eventually got too painful and I had to push for the second work-up which revealed the problem.
Then I had to find a surgeon that would remove it. Not a routine surgery but I finally found one locally.
Surgery relieved a lot of the pain but not totally. The problem was congenital so I beat up my seat (internally) a lot over the years hammering on that bone spur so I suppose there are some nerve issues and scar tissue. I am back to riding for up to an hour with my trusty seat saver. I have this one and must give a big thumbs up.
That said, the seat saver will take up some space so I would imagine you would need a larger seat size.
I always found a saddle with a flatter seat better than a bucket shaped seat (which seems like fair percentage of the dressge saddles these days).
Prestige also makes a saddle with a coccyx cutout. I got one but am not using it at the moment. I ordered forward flaps and it changed my balance quite a bit from the regular one I tried and I have a terrible time at trot. It is on the rack for now. I need to loose a few pounds so I fit in the seat better too. Oof that pandemic 15lbs.
I am not sure from your post whether you are using a lesson horse and saddle or if you have your own.
I would try a larger seat size. If the pain continues, try the seat saver…it is the cheapest “fix”. Oh and I have to ride with a shorter stirrup than what is ideal for dressage. I just got some new stirrups and they are a bit taller than the old ones. I left the leathers on the same hole thinking that was OK and gave me a bit longer leg. Bad idea. I’d had to shorten them on the 3rd ride. My thigh has to take some of the load to keep my butt happy. I am of fireplug conformation…I am never going to have the ideal dressage position anyway.
Good luck.
Susan
I’m 5’2" and 118 lbs and take an 18" in dressage saddles. I got howled at on Saturday on another thread for suggesting that tucking your tailbone under isn’t ideal. I’m a yoga/sports biomechanics teacher and not a riding instructor so I’ll refrain from delving too deep. I’ll say that in my body, an effective, balanced dressage (and jumping) position feels like I’m standing on the horse and lifting through the sternum, YMMV and I always advocate tinkering until you come to the best place for your own body. Nothing should hurt, though!
I’ll have to see if there’s a saddle with a larger seat I could try. Thanks for your response!
Hi Susan, thanks so much for your reply. What a journey you went through! I’m planning on going to the doctor to get my tailbone checked out. If they’re not able to come to a conclusion as to why I’m in so much pain, hopefully the larger seat + seat saver combo does the trick!
I should have specified but I’m on a lesson pony and the saddle belongs to its owner. I’d love to get my own saddle but not sure if I should until I’ve got a horse of my own. That Prestige saddle looks great, though! I’ve seen similar cutouts on event saddles but never dressage. Thanks for the recommendation!
I think I may have to come to a similar conclusion that I’ll never have the perfect dressage position. Or at least not until I get my pain under control.
Thanks again!
As a fellow yogi I completely agree. I think that’s why this whole thing has been so frustrating to me- that while there may be a traditional way of doing things, ultimately I should ride in a way that works for my body. Thank you for your reply!
Several years ago I had excruciating pain in what I thought was my tailbone. I used a doughnut, I took doctor-prescribed muscle relaxants … nothing worked. Seriously, I considered surgery. Then someone recommended an evaluation by a top-notch physical therapist. Holy miracle! It didn’t take him long to figure out I had a knot (not his term) at the top of my hamstring. He prescribed some very simple stretches, and I was like new in no time.
YMMV, but good luck.
Totally agree. The tucking tailbone thing is one of those oft repeated riding truisms that probably has no practical reality. Nothing should hurt when riding, for either horse or rider. The aim should be the development of balance in both horse and rider.
I have a variety of issues that include SI arthritic changes, an old pelvic fracture, and prior injuries to my tailbone (this all happened before 30, go me! 
). If a seat is too scoop like it makes my tailbone sore/if it rises too steeply toward the cantle. I need a bit of a flat spot and gently rising back to the seat. A seat thats too small would also irritate my tailbone because I’d likely be sitting on the wrong part of the seat/not in proper balance. Part of this (the flat spot) is due to my conformation, but also I think I have even less tolerance due to the aforementioned injuries.
Dressage saddles, IMO, are extremely personal. I felt like I could ride well enough in most jump saddles, but dressage saddles, oh boy. My preferences have also changed over the years/as I’ve advanced in my dressage journey.
Ditto for my (butt’s) preferences in saddles Cantering Carrot. It is very personal for sure. I remember way back when when I started riding dressage. There were Stuebbens, Passier’s, Kieffer’s and a couple English brands. Not a lot of choice. Now, saddle shopping cause one’s head to explode.
A classmate at a workshop once said “All gain, and no pain.” If tha
Seeing a physical therapist next week. Hopefully I’ll have as much success as you did!
I feel you there. Never had an issue in all of the different jump saddles I rode in. I may have to start looking for a dressage saddle with a flatter seat.
My tailbone always hurts like heck after I ride too many horses. I usually blame past injuries. Or think I’m not plugged in enough in my seat. But…I wore a shoulder trainer last weekend at a show and interestingly my tailbone didn’t hurt. Im wondering if it put my shoulders in the right alignment so tailbone didn’t hurt.
@MapleBreeze I have noticed a connection between my pelvis tilt (or tailbone) and my shoulders! I have an anterior pelvic tilt and I notice that when I let my pelvis fall forward and I build too much of an arch in my back my shoulders become more “locked” into place and my trainer will be on me about “relaxing my shoulders.” My shoulders won’t feel tense, but I notice that when I square my pelvis my trainer says my shoulders look better. So yes, I do think shoulders and pelvis alignment are tied together!
