Answer

By Your Horse

Instructor Jane Baker replies:
You shouldn’t continue to have a problem with saddle soreness. It’s generally caused by:
● Not riding regularly.
● Being tense or nervous – this makes your muscles work a lot harder as you try to
hang on!
● A different kind of saddle.
● The horse’s way of going. A horse who moves differently to those you’ve ridden in
the past could make you move about more
in the saddle.
The more you ride, the easier it’ll become. You can prevent saddle soreness coming back by:
● Making sure you’re properly dressed. Don’t wear jeans, as the seams will rub and the leathers will pinch your legs.
● Start with half-hour lessons and build
up gradually.
● Have lessons with a qualified instructor, who will make sure you’re sitting correctly, improve your balance and make you feel more secure, stopping you gripping unnecessarily.