Seatbone Sores

[cuonxc]

um....well the title says it all :)

Anyone else suffer from crusty/ bloody sores where their seatbones are?

Solutions? Tips? Commiseration ?

[Alexie]

no, never :eek:
that's not right, shouldn't be happening surely

what on earth are you using for a saddle :eek:

[Alinera2]

Much as I hate to admit it, I just went through a rather long bout with this problem. New horse, very different than what I typically ride and well, I screwed up how I was sitting which explains the sores. I'll take as a given that you've checked the saddle & that it fits the horse correctly & that it fits you as well. If not, that's your obvious first place to start. If neither of those are the culprit, then the problem is how you are sitting. You need to make sure that you are sitting properly and not leaning too far back or too far forward. You should be able to plant your seat in the saddle in a relaxed way & not be skidding around thus causing the friction burns. Others will have better descriptions than me for how to describe the proper placement of your seat bones. In the meantime, ask yourself the following questions: Is your frontline open? Are you sitting tall, balanced on both seatbones, shoulders back and relaxed? Could you raise your arms over your head as though you were being longed without falling forward or backward? If someone pulled the horse out from underneath you, would you be standing or would you fall one way or the other? It would be great if someone could longe you so you could work on your seat. If not (in my case the horse was too young & is rarely longed), perhaps someone could video you or take photos, or perhaps you could have someone watch you & focus on how you're seat sits in the saddle. Watch videos of riders with great seats, look at photos, try to figure out what they're doing that you are not. This is a conquerable problem. It just takes work. In the meantime, enjoy your hot baths & healing ointments!

[cuonxc]

Saddle fits me & horse...Prestige 2000D

I've found the "problem" occurs MORE when I really focus on my core and using those sit-up muscles.

[Alinera2]

I'd be willing to bet that when you "focus on your core" and "use your sit-up muscles," you're tipping somewhere & angling your pelvis so that you are friction rubbing the skin right off your seat bones. Your seat should be relaxed in the saddle so it can follow rather than staying rigid against the leather which would allow it to gradually burn the skin off with each sitting stride.

[Ambrey]

Saddle fits me & horse...Prestige 2000D

I've found the "problem" occurs MORE when I really focus on my core and using those sit-up muscles.

Mary Wanless has a bit in one of her books about the muscle pad around your seatbones- that your actual seatbones should not be poking the horse, but the muscle pads around them, supported by the muscles of your inner thighs.

I am not sure this would help, it's just what I thought of when I read this.

I've really enjoyed her books. I believe this part was in this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Ride-Your-Mind-Essentials-Innovative/dp/1570762449/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222185393&sr=8-2

Also, she has exercises to make sure your seat bones are pointing straight down, rather than forward or back.

[petit fromage]

I am also fighting a saddle sore. Interestingly, it started from my bike saddle during a biking vacation, not my horse saddle. However, since both bicycle and horse saddle have similar contact points, both aggravate it. According to articles on bicycle sites, the sores are actually infections. The germs are harbored in clothing and enter the skin through a minor break. Once introduced, the infection can be very difficult to eliminate. Besides, I am unwilling to boil my full seat breeches to rid them of germs!
Anyway, try Googling the bike sites...some interesting advice there.

[mp]

Anyone else suffer from crusty/ bloody sores where their seatbones are?



Ye gods, dear. I don't mean to state the obvious, but if your saddle fits you, using your core muscles to sit up should not have those results. Could the twist be wrong? Also, make sure your underwear isn't the problem. I wear Assets or Spanks when the weather is hot to be sure I don't get rubs.

Until you figure it out, stop wearing fullseats, and get a sheepskin seat cover. I just got back from a 4-day trail ride. I rode 6 hours a day in my dressage saddle over some fairly interesting terrain. Thanks to my comfy seat cover and Kerrits riding tights, my bottom came through unscathed.

Good luck.

[Donkey]

I recently went through something smiliar (ouch!) I found my breeches (full seat pikuers, which had never been a problem in the past) were getting a little loose (very slightly) and causing the chaffing on my seat bones, so out of desperation I added a sturdier and tighter belt and my problem was solved (breeches stopped sliding around so much). I was very very happy that it did the trick as I really didn't think it would make a difference. At the time I was busy looking for equine specific undergarments as it was really painful and I couldn't bear to stop myself from riding :D

Good luck in finding a solution!

[Trying]

DRESSAGE TODAY; August perhaps; Abbe Howard addressed thiss seat issue and stated that on should have their seats under them - the butt muscle and if you are sitting on yur seat bones, it is incorrect.

[egontoast]

Have you ever heard of the expression

Too Much Information?

No doubt there is a rock somewhere under which people love to discuss their boils and pus filled maggot infested weeping pubic sores but must we do that here?

[hum]

Dressage: Ur doin it wrong.

[whitehorse2008]

Too much sitting trot was making me sore, so I tried a gel pad. Better but not great. Then I found a memory foam pad on the internet and thought, "What a great idea!" I love it! It made a huge difference. It's a Heather Moffat pad. I don't think anyone else is making one.

[AnotherRound]

That sounds really odd. Not being funny, but I think you really should see a doctor based on what you have described. I have never heard of someone riding incorrectly being the cause of crusty/bloody sores on their seat bones. It sounds terribly painful.
I agree. "Crusty??" I would see a doctor and investigate herpes. This shouldn't happen from normal riding.

[cuonxc]

OMG -I do not have herpes!
I think we are getting a bit dramatic! and maybe my descriptopn was off...the skin is irritated/ red/ dry - is that too much information for you egontoast? :)

I think Donkey may be on to something -my breeches are loose. Hoping that is the culprit!

and checking out the biking info was a great suggestion -it seems chaffing (and perhaps that is a better descriptor) is a common problem.

[doublebridle]

Get to your doctor and have sores cultured, this type of thing can develop into MRSA very quickly.

[Alexie]

we are all very interested in your ass all of a sudden :D

how embarasing :o

[FancyFree]

I've never had any problems on my bum, but when I first got my horse, learning to sit her trot, I did get rubs on the insides of my knees. Obviously I was gripping too hard, desperately trying to stay on. My trainer recommended mole skin which worked like a charm. After I learned to sit, I never got another rub. Maybe put some mole skin on your posterior?

[CatOnLap]

I am trying to figure out how on earth this belongs in the dressage forum?
Asses cannot be ridden in dressage competition.
Now if we were talking mules...

[AdAblurr02]

DAMMIT............. now I have to wipe up my keyboard, and I do not have a cat on my lap to help!
:) :) :)

[Alexie]

:D

[kcmel]

Who would have thought that a thread on crusty sores could be so funny?

[whitewolfe001]

LOL... this reminds of a fairly graphic discussion of female riding problems that happened on other board a while ago, some people were grossed out, but you know, these things happen, and I don't think there is any reason to be prudish about it. :-)

Anyways.... fortunately I have never had much of a problem with saddle sores. The only time I started to experience some soreness in the seatbone area was when I was riding a schoolmaster who came with a certain saddle... and that saddle and me did not get along. It was old, and the seat was rock hard. But it never happened before or since.

[Bubba Boo]

I agree. "Crusty??" I would see a doctor and investigate herpes. This shouldn't happen from normal riding.

I doubt it's herpes. Any type of constant pressure on a bony prominence can cause a sore.:D

[Griffyn]

The 1st time I have been thankful for plenty of natural borne seatbone padding.

[Dressurfan]

I just saw an article on this topic but unfortunately I don't remember which magazine it was from. I think we should all stop giving this person such a hard time. If it is worth writing an article about then it must happen to a fair amount of people. I have never had this problem but I have heard of one person at my old barn having this problem. She was very thin and is it possible this contributes? Not enough fat padding those seat bones? Maybe you just have sensitive skin? I have gotten a rub on my knee from riding in a friend's saddle with certain breeches. So I can see how certain saddes/ breeches/ movement of certain horses combinations could create a problem. Maybe the seam on your full seat breeches ends in the exact wrong spot? I think they suggested "mole skin" in that article, but I don't remember the whole thing. Good luck!

[username]

I suspect that you have developed a plain-old garden-variety BEDSORE. not that it lessens the impact, but to give it a name that might be of help in treatment. were you in a bed in,say, skeletal traction, so you couldn't move, the mere weight of your body parts WOULD cause you to develop what are known as pressure ulcers. AND they start in perfectly healthy body parts in less than a hour or so if the pressure is constant enough to prevent blood circulation to the affected part. which is why patients need to be rolled, turned, massaged, etc constantly. they are murder to heal in an old or sick person.

very likely your continued contact with the saddle, even if it fit you well, caused a sufficient lack of blood supply to the injured part to damage the skin and other tissue over what are known as "boney prominences" (the parts that stick out and are hard) aka your seat bones.

they start as dusky or bruised-looking areas that do not blanch when pressed. and will rapidly progress to "blistered", then broken skin. they are not a joke and must be treated fairly aggressively. you absolutely MUST pad that area when you ride. when they grow they usually do it inside where you can't see it till they explode outward in a big mess. you don't need that! and you probably aren't anywhere near that injured. but do pay attention to how the area heals. try not to let it get worse.

no suggestions but Granulex if you can find it. watch out though - it stings!!! (works on horse saddlesores or other broken skin as well - but it stings!! - be warned!)

[goeslikestink]

OMG -I do not have herpes!
I think we are getting a bit dramatic! and maybe my descriptopn was off...the skin is irritated/ red/ dry - is that too much information for you egontoast? :)

I think Donkey may be on to something -my breeches are loose. Hoping that is the culprit!

and checking out the biking info was a great suggestion -it seems chaffing (and perhaps that is a better descriptor) is a common problem.

look here- make sure stirrups are correct as that effects your position and using you core mussles http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=168593

then change your washing powder -- and sometimes its nylon jods or things mke of nylon so use cotton r visa versa that incudes knickers

also check your saddle- a saddle should be really and truely fitted by a mastercraftsmen of a saddler or saddle company where by the measure the horse and bring laods of saddles for you to chose from then measure you to the saddle so will end up having a small selection of type price and style that matches both

2nd a saddle can cuase sores of the bum if rock hard and not supple so if 2nd hand might have gone past it sell by date, might not fit your size bum and might not fit the horse
and might need flocking as no stuffing to protect you from horse and visa versa

[cuonxc]

so glad many of you are amused by my pain! :) (said with sarcasm-if you can't laugh at this what can you laugh at?)

The last 2 rides I did with some smaller/ tighter breeches....that seemed to do the trick.

Will also check my stirrups and postion...that can never hurt!

So I'm off to eat a big lunch so the rest of my breeches will fit :)

[Trevelyan96]

Maybe put some mole skin on your posterior?

EEEYYEEOOOWWWEEEE!!!!!!!! Have you ever tried to pull that stuff OFF! I put it inside the ankle of my paddock boots where they were rubbing, and its still there after 3 years!

[FancyFree]

EEEYYEEOOOWWWEEEE!!!!!!!! Have you ever tried to pull that stuff OFF! I put it inside the ankle of my paddock boots where they were rubbing, and its still there after 3 years!

You better get a doctor to look at that. :lol:

I never had any problem taking it off. It really helped me. I was getting rubbed raw on my inside knees. ::shrugs::

[Cupcake]

I know there is this stuff that basically looks like roll on deodorant, which is called Glide (or something to that effect) and is supposed to help with chafing.

The breeches that are too loose are probably not helping, but I would make sure that these things heal OK and not get infected. There was a girl in our barn who got a sore on her inner thigh, which got infected with MRSA, and she spent a week in the hospital! So definitely keep it nice, dry and clean.

BTW, herpes sores come out on very specific "areas"....not on seat bones!

[Savoy 8]

There is a powder that is specifically made for things like biking, and riding... It is a friction powder, I have used it before.... It's called Anti Monkey Butt powder... I know it sounds funny but look it up! it helped me!

[Long Spot]

I also want to mention weight. You've mentioned your breeches have gotten loose lately.

I HAVE had this issue. When I was very much underweight. Very painful and plenty of incentive for me to eat a few sandwiches.

[goeslikestink]

op should have just said my arse hurts-- ha ha
anyways little tip for those with sore bums and new or havent done enough riding
as sometime new people or those that dont ride longer than hour usually end up with a sore arse
so hot bath and two big tablespoon of normal salt-- ie dinner table stuff and soak for as long as you can while the waters hot chiill with glass of wine and a chocky

[nuts4cowboybutts]

Sometimes if you get sweaty, that area can stay too moist and you can get a fungal infection.

Cruex spray might help. Most guys know what that is. It helps.

N4CBB

[Watermark Farm]

At a recent medical exam, the doc commented on my "weaver's bottom." OMG, it had a name? How embarassing. I guess weavers of olden days sat astride hard, wooden benches and developed sores/callouses on their seatbones.
There was a wonderful article in the USDF magazine within the last couple of months that addressed all those "unmentionable" ouchies us dressage gals get, and why, and how to make it better (and why women are conformationally predisposed to such stuff). It was SO helpful to me! I changed from regular panties to biking underwear, which has helped a lot.

[Gaia]

It has happened to me twice. New saddle/breeches AND excessive heat when riding a tough lesson.
Solution - DermiXXXXX - something, a dressing developed for handicapped people, thin plastic with wax (Bees-wax?) can be bought at pharmacies here in Sweden. Forms a new skin AND allows the real skin to heal while protected.

Good LUCK!/Margareta in Sweden