Riding technique and tips for men?

[MaryS]

I'm teaching my boyfriend to ride, but I'm having some pushback because he's claiming some techniques are causing his man parts grief. He won't try posting at a trot because he says when he stands in the post, it doesn't clear high enough to not wrack him. I had him lope because I thought it was fun, but he wracked himself due to the fact he can't really sit there - it hurt. So, because of that, he's gun shy if there's a possibility of another repeat.

I'm going to try this weekend with a different saddle because it could partly be that his stirrups are not short enough (they are up as high as they go on this one). I'm just trying to understand what modifications I need in order to teach him to ride.


I looked up another thread in a different forum about this subject, but nothing about technique and things were all over the spectrum.

[MaryS]

I should also mention that I know that stirrups aren't necessary for posting, but for beginners I think it helps get the basic understanding and develops the muscles. Then, I move to no stirrups, English, English/no stirrups, and then bareback.

[ghostrider]

My husband said the same thing on the few occasions I got him to ride. And we had some issues when Matt was riding. We found the size of the seat caused the biggest problem. Matt doesn't have trouble in the Tucker saddle because it has room between him and the horn. I thought it would be REALLY big because he's tall and thin and has no butt and it's a 17" seat (with Tucker you order 1 size larger because of the padding). But with his legs being so long he needs a larger seat. With DH I think he would have been better off in a larger seat too.

I did see a tack sight that carries mens riding underwear with "pockets" for those parts only men have. I wish I could remember where but maybe a search?

[Kirk Martin]

Hi Mary, Being a male somewhat beginner, I might be able to bring perspective on this.
I think your boyfriend is probably really tense and that's causing him to bounce in the saddle.
Try some of the basics until he gets his balance and seat right. Can't imagine why posting is a problem though.
Take it slow until he gets the feel.
On a lead my instructor had me walk the horse and I rode with no stirrups. Then she had me walk the horse with my eyes closed
so I could really feel the rhythm. Though I never tried it, she always advised me to drink exactly one beer
before riding to loosen up (but not be drunk).
I normally take a 18" English saddle as I'm 6'2" but once I tried a much smaller Australian saddle and it
was exactly as you describe, horrible. I started on an English saddle. As I learned on gaited horses never got
the posting down but have experimented with it in the past and had no trouble. The Western saddle just makes you feel like you have more
control than an English (the horn is reassuring to a beginner), but I'd really try the English first.
I learned a lot volunteering at horse shoes and really watching other riders and see how they move with the horse and tried to duplicate that rhythm. Hope he sticks with it, tons of fun. Funny thing is I can't get my wife to ride.... how's that for irony.

[ghostrider]

I tried to find the undies but couldn't but the men who commented on the threads about the same problem said UNDERARMOR Male undies work the best but you need to buy them so they're snug. Dover saddlery has them for guys who ride.

[horsespoiler]

I would suggest not wearing boxers but using compression shorts from the sports dept. Tell him to embrace his feminine side and consider wearing panty hose under his jeans. It reduces saddle sores too. If it was good enough for John Wayne it should be good enough for him For general comfort my DH uses a saddle cushion. That works good for those who don't have enough natural padding.