Not seat bones front bit!

[pistolpete]

Yep another hurting saddle thread! I can’t change it as I’m just a sharer. Padded pants and Heather moffett making it bearable - just! Going to try a gel acavallo next in the hope it might be slightly better. Cycle shorts made it worse! Barrier cream seems to help for the pain and weeing needles afterwards! Argh.

 

[planete]

Try liberal applications of Body Glide for Her. I feel your pain. I had lunge lessons on such a saddle! The memory of it still stings.

 

[HollyWoozle]

There’s no discreet way to say it so I’ll just say it, grow the best bush you can if you’re comfortable/happy to do so. Natural protection helps!

 

[Cloball]

To be honest I always find padding just increases the surface area that hurts on bike saddles and others. Is there a way you could cut up/ruin your heather moffat by cutting a hole where the pressure is a bit like a cut out bike saddle. I've never done this before but I do have a cut out bike saddle and it makes so much difference.

 

[Sossigpoker]

That's your pubic bone then by the sounds of it.
Are you sure you're sitting with your pelvis upright and not tipping forwards ?

 

[sbloom]

Pubic arch - there are ways to work out what's going on a find a specific fix for it, but it's a "hands on" job (though not completely hands on ). Do you think the pommel could be too high, too narrow or too wide? What other symptoms do you have? Could your pelvis be falling forwards or backwards? Any back ache? Feet out in front of you or leg dropping too far back?

Cutting bits out works better for bike seats than for saddles, though might be necessary if other changes can't be made. If you're buying a new saddle with one personally I would say it's a gimmick, you just need a seat that fits your pelvic shape and hips.

 

[pistolpete]

I don’t have back ache it very much is just the front. Legs feel on correct position apart from my fidgeting to avoid pain. Seat bones fine. Annoyingly he has three other riders who all get on fine with the saddle. It’s a Kent and Masters. His owner is very attentive and has regular saddle checks physio every three months etc.

 

[pistolpete]

Thank you Planete. I’ve ordered some body glide!

 

[ester]

Cycling shorts are often too padded, it also depends a bit whether it is a pressure or friction issue (on a wintec mine is both, K+M I've got on better with but still had some issues. From a front end point of view too much padding is often worse but a cycling short chamois removes the friction, combined with liberal amounts of a lubrication (I use paceline buttr her). So it depends what your current padded shorts are. I use cycling under shorts which are designed not to be bulky, but bike knickers will also have similar shiny chamois
For me my HM helps by making the seat shallower and therefore the pommel less high but arguably my very old shiny one is better friction wise.

 

[thefarsideofthefield]

Big thick shiny really tight fitting spandex ' shaper ' style pants . Absolutely no padding . Keeps all your lady bits tucked away and helps alleviate friction . As recommended and worn by top rider I used to work for who suffered ' friction burn ' ! One of the best tips I ever learned

 

[w1bbler]

As soon as you said k&m saddle I sympathised. Never got on with them, feels like the stirrup bars are in the wrong place so my legs are in the wrong position & saddle tipped me forward.
Sorry no advise, I got rid of the saddle

 

[Parrotperson]

Try liberal applications of Body Glide for Her. I feel your pain. I had lunge lessons on such a saddle! The memory of it still stings.

Yes this. Or Vaseline!! It’s the only way….

 

[sbloom]

I don’t have back ache it very much is just the front. Legs feel on correct position apart from my fidgeting to avoid pain. Seat bones fine. Annoyingly he has three other riders who all get on fine with the saddle. It’s a Kent and Masters. His owner is very attentive and has regular saddle checks physio every three months etc.

K&M can be tricky for riders, some find them comfy but I'd say 9/10 are blown away when you put them into a traditional wooden treed saddle that's decent for riders in general.

Everyone is different, if you search a few of my posts, or see what I post on SM rider fit is a fine art and no-one has really understood the role of the pelvis shape and size. Without assessing your pelvis and your hip hang it's hard to know what the problem is - sure, sometimes more padding is worse, but only if the twist is already too wide for you. If it's too narrow, or the pommel too high, then padding the riight place will help.

Unless the seat size is on the large side (making the sitting area narrower) then it's likely it's too wide for you and yes, more padding can make it worse. Try a triangle shape of yoga mat, just in walk so as to be safe, narrower than the bit of the pommel you sit on, but as wide as the seat where your seat bones are, as they seem to suit you and see if that helps or hinders. You could possibly try lifting your whole pelvis but that's trickier. Diagnostics, solutions aren't dead easy but may be possible with tweaking a seat saver.

 

[j1ffy]

Not much help but I sympathise - the saddle of a horse I rode in HK used to rub me raw, literally blood in my knickers! As my Cantonese instructor so delicately put it, the saddle "hurt her little sister"

ETA - I'd avoid the Acavello gel-out pad as that will stick you in one position, which may not be ideal if it doesn't help the rubbing!

 

[Skib]

I dont think that padding and seat savers help. I was taught there are two styles of seat when riding. One where one's weight is forward (which may rub and make you bleed) and the other I use which is with the weight back on my seat bones. I ride (and hack) with my stirrups fairly long and this helps. I put a thin panty liner inside my M&S cotton pants, for hygene really but it doesnt rub. I rarely bleed or get sore but, if I do return sore, I find savlon cream sorts it.
However this wont help if the horse and saddle are too wide for you. I ride in old age, but I ride a mare who fits me. I knew from the start that I couldnt ride wide horses or a cob.

 

[cold_feet]

That's your pubic bone then by the sounds of it.
Are you sure you're sitting with your pelvis upright and not tipping forwards ?

This. Check out Pilates pelvic tilt exercises and check you are not riding in anterior tilt.

 

[sbloom]

We should always try and ride with weight on both seat bones and pubic arch AND in neutral ie no tilt - if you have to work on getting a neutral pelvis then you're always in tension which stops the horse being able to truly lift its back, and if you're only on your seatbones then again the horse can't lift AND you have concentrated weight on the seatbones. It's a high bar for rider fit, but it's the absolute best for the horse and of course bear in mind that a neutral pelvis position looks different for everyone. We can objectively test for it though, if you know what you're doing.

Anterior tilt tends to cause lower back issues and cause the legs to drop back too far, hence my questions

 

[ester]

See I’m worse with a panty liner as it’s dry. Also for fanny health there’s a reason there are lubes designed for it that aren’t Vaseline .

 

[holeymoley]

Surprise surprise! A k&m. I’ve not long sold mine for this very reason. I know you don’t have that option unfortunately. The only thing that helped ever so slightly was a fluffy seat saver.

My ideal saddle now is like night and day, so comfortable. Other livery that was having same issue has just traded her k&m in for an ideal too. She said it was remarkably comfy in comparison.

 

[exracehorse]

I’ve struggled more since the menopause. Don’t know why

 

[planete]

I’ve struggled more since the menopause. Don’t know why

Less natural lubrication and tissues becoming thinner and more fragile? I am still religiously using Vagifem 25 years after my menopause.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

I do not miss my K&M one bit.. so uncomfortable!

 

[ester]

Surprise surprise! A k&m. I’ve not long sold mine for this very reason. I know you don’t have that option unfortunately. The only thing that helped ever so slightly was a fluffy seat saver.

My ideal saddle now is like night and day, so comfortable. Other livery that was having same issue has just traded her k&m in for an ideal too. She said it was remarkably comfy in comparison.

I loved both my ideals! Never an issue all day with those

 

[pistolpete]

It’s only a 17’’ saddle I have always had 17’’5 and I had a really wide highland no issues. He’s a narrow Hispano Arab! So it’s not the width of horse or too long a saddle that’s the issue.

 

[Horseysheepy]

I found Kent and masters saddles uncomfortable despite fitting mare very well.

I agree with poster about the effects down below with menopausal years.

 

[ecb89]

I’m another who hates K&M saddles.

 

[mustardsmum]

As soon as you said k&m saddle I sympathised. Never got on with them, feels like the stirrup bars are in the wrong place so my legs are in the wrong position & saddle tipped me forward.
Sorry no advise, I got rid of the saddle

Another who has just sold a K&M saddle after less than ten rides on it. I found out from my saddler that it was a compact (whatever that is) so although a 17", it felt way smaller and was so hard and uncomfortable. I felt tipped forward, felt like there was no pommel. Found an Ideal to fit awkward shaped pony (who also hated the K&M and wouldn't canter in it at all) I can imagine how it could rub.... I did find my Heather Moffat seat saver made it marginally more comfortable to sit on but it was the wierd position my legs ended up in I couldn't deal with...

 

[MereChristmas]

Another who has just sold a K&M saddle after less than ten rides on it. I found out from my saddler that it was a compact (whatever that is) so although a 17", it felt way smaller and was so hard and uncomfortable. I felt tipped forward, felt like there was no pommel. Found an Ideal to fit awkward shaped pony (who also hated the K&M and wouldn't canter in it at all) I can imagine how it could rub.... I did find my Heather Moffat seat saver made it marginally more comfortable to sit on but it was the wierd position my legs ended up in I couldn't deal with...

I have K & M Original Jump saddle which has been the best I could find. I haven’t found it hard although it isn’t the softest.

I am finding now that the pony is older that it slips forward on steep downhills. Changing to a narrower gullet makes everything far too high above his withers and I feel perched.
Also if I ride for more than an hour or do lots of walking I get sore.

I hadn’t thought of this but you mention canter. My pony canters in a field but struggles to give and maintain canter in a school.
Food for thought and a saddler visit. I think.

 

[cold_feet]

I love my K&M saddle. No one saddle will suit everyone - that goes for every make of saddle.

 

[mustardsmum]

I have K & M Original Jump saddle which has been the best I could find. I haven’t found it hard although it isn’t the softest.

I am finding now that the pony is older that it slips forward on steep downhills. Changing to a narrower gullet makes everything far too high above his withers and I feel perched.
Also if I ride for more than an hour or do lots of walking I get sore.

I hadn’t thought of this but you mention canter. My pony canters in a field but struggles to give and maintain canter in a school.
Food for thought and a saddler visit. I think.

Mine ended up my boys neck as well, after it was fitted. So saddler made it wider and it sat so low, we both hated it. Pony started being really nappy and I ditched it. Sold it and moved on. I think they are like Marmite.... I did find out later that there are different types of K&M saddles and that apparently the S-Series saddles are better quality. I was never convinced that my saddle seat was leather, it was sooo slippery and saddle soap did not get absorbed. I did sit on a friends cob saddle that was the S series and it wasn't uncomfortable as mine and the seat was def hide.

OP I can recommend the Vaseline that has Aloe Vera in it too, its really a lip balm, but works and I have occasionally used it as menopause has a nasty habit of making your bits sore!