Acavello Gel out seat pad

[PaulaL]

Hi, I am new to this forum. I have replacement hips and back problems and have returned to riding after about 40 years and class myself as a novice. I bought an Acavello gel out seat pad cover and it works very well as a shock absorber - in fact it's the first time I have been able to sit up properly in the saddle! However, I have to dismount with my leg over the front of the horse's head and I find I stick to the gel cover with sometimes disastrous results. Any ideas would be really helpful.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I use one of those but I don't activate the sticky on it I find the gel enough for me but have heard they are very sticky.

How about putting a towel underneath you when you want to get off you may need a helper for that though.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

I have one and absolutely love it...but, I am just recovering from one replacement and waiting for a date to get the other one replaced and then hopefully injections into my lumbar region to deal with problems there.

One of my first thoughts was will I still be able to throw my leg over the saddle with the seat saver on. Mine is a new one but I wish I had hung on to the old one they do lose some of their gripping power over the years.

Do you wear grippy gel riding jods or leggings, they definitely make it harder! Plain old fashioned jods will help a bit. I think I will just try with mine and if I can't manage I shall have to use a rather nice comfy sheepskin one I have stored away somewhere.

Good luck and welcome to the forum ?

 

[ycbm]

Welcome.

You might get more answers if you post in Tack Room, but I would be looking at rubbing the gel in some dirt to reduce the stickiness of it (washing it off with plain water) and if that isn't enough, changing to a gel inwards one.

 

[PaulaL]

I have one and absolutely love it...but, I am just recovering from one replacement and waiting for a date to get the other one replaced and then hopefully injections into my lumbar region to deal with problems there.

One of my first thoughts was will I still be able to throw my leg over the saddle with the seat saver on. Mine is a new one but I wish I had hung on to the old one they do lose some of their gripping power over the years.

Do you wear grippy gel riding jods or leggings, they definitely make it harder! Plain old fashioned jods will help a bit. I think I will just try with mine and if I can't manage I shall have to use a rather nice comfy sheepskin one I have stored away somewhere.

Good luck and welcome to the forum ?

Thank you so much for your post. I do have grippy jods and tights and so I will definitely look at plain jods. I have had lumbar injections, too, but the best thing for my arthritic back pain was prescribed for me by a consultant neurosurgeon. I am not sure if I can mention the drug but I think it stops the nerves from hurting and it works incredibly well. However, I compounded my back problem by dismounting on to a mounting block, losing my footing and falling on to the (concrete covered) ground. Apparently I tore a hamstring. This was three years' ago and my bum still hurts!

I wish you every success with your next hip operation - replacement hips are brilliant!

 

[PaulaL]

Welcome.

You might get more answers if you post in Tack Room, but I would be looking at rubbing the gel in some dirt to reduce the stickiness of it (washing it off with plain water) and if that isn't enough, changing to a gel inwards one.

Thank you re posting in Tack Room. I quite like the gel being sticky when I am riding as it gives me more confidence in case the horse spooks. I definitely sit better to canter too!

 

[PaulaL]

I use one of those but I don't activate the sticky on it I find the gel enough for me but have heard they are very sticky.

How about putting a towel underneath you when you want to get off you may need a helper for that though.

A small towel could work and I will give this a go. My riding instructress always holds the horse when I dismount and I am sure she could pass me up a towel.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

A small towel could work and I will give this a go. My riding instructress always holds the horse when I dismount and I am sure she could pass me up a towel.

I'm sure it would work as long as you can get it underneath you

 

[LibbyC]

Hi, I am new to this forum. I have replacement hips and back problems and have returned to riding after about 40 years and class myself as a novice. I bought an Acavello gel out seat pad cover and it works very well as a shock absorber - in fact it's the first time I have been able to sit up properly in the saddle! However, I have to dismount with my leg over the front of the horse's head and I find I stick to the gel cover with sometimes disastrous results. Any ideas would be really helpful.

Hi there , I am new to the forum but I am of advanced years and also have a much loved gel pad. I would dust it with talcum powder to remove some of the stickiness as well as ditching the grippy jods. Hope that helps!

 

[sbloom]

I would strongly recommend you work with a specialist rider biomechanics coach such as Rider Reboot or Refined Riding on Facebook, get an individual assessment and they will help you with what needs strengthening or loosening, which can only help. Being fit to ride is so much more than most of us realise, and we need to be much functionally straighter than we realise too.

I am presuming you're riding a shared horse of some kind, if not and it's your own horse then be aware it is possible to get saddles that are fully customised to your own pelvic shape and hip conformation.

I would also suggest, especially if you can try one, using an Invictus or Thinline pad under the saddle, or a seatsaver from the latter, better proven materials than Acavallo (advice for others even if you're already committed!) but ultimately having the right shape of saddle to support your skeleton is way better than trying to pad up to help the bones and soft tissue.