Sore Butt

[gman1]

I need some help from the group on what you do to prevent the ol sore butt conundrum while riding horse back. I know the first thing is to just ride prior to that big hunt, but isn't there something else that can help this ol green horn. I was thinking that maybe there are some padded shorts or something to make the ride into camp a little more tolerable.

Thanks for your assistance and Merry Christmas to all the EHJ subscribers!!

Gman

 

[Gr8bawana]

The thing I found when I had horses is to make sure the stirups aren't too long. You should be about an inch or two above the saddle when you straighten your legs. This allows you to give your butt muscles a rest for short periods and helps a lot.

 

[Tim McCoy]

There are saddle pads you can get that cover most of the saddle. Used one and it helped a bunch. Google saddle seat pads or saddle tush pads, plenty of options. Some even have memory foam, the one I used had a faux sheep hair looking cover with about 1/2" foam under, it stayed put very well. As Gr8 said, make sure to adjust the stirrups, then if worried about soreness, use an add on pad.

Padded bike shorts would probably help a bunch. Never tried them.

 

[Granby guy]

Remove the chair from your office and replace it with a stool that has a saddle fastened on top.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I did a 34 mile 9 1/2 hour horseback ride to get to elk camp in the Teton Wilderness in 2012. I was 70 and had the same concerns as you. I did do some riding during the summer, but what helped the most was going to a bike shop and buying padded lycra bicycle riding shorts. I worn them under my regular pants, between them and my underwear. Worked fine for me. the comment about making sure the stirrups are not too long is good too.

 

[hoshour]

I rode about 200 miles all told on a two-week hunt in BC in September. My butt never was sore but my knees sure were.

We all got off every 30 minutes or so to lead the horses and limber up our legs and that helped a lot. I also learned it helps to squeeze the horse a little with your knees and keep only the toes in the stirrups. Even my guide, who has been doing this for almost 50 years, got sore knees and wanted to walk every so often.

Still, I badly tore the cartilage in my right knee and had to have surgery on it this week. Riding a fat horse with a thick blanket under the saddle worsened the angle at which I had to turn in my knees to keep my boots in the stirrups and I think that was part of the problem, though it's not out of the question that busting through black birch tangles and willows on steep hillsides was how I tore it and the riding just made it worse.

 

[RICMIC]

Thanks a lot there CC. When I'm trying to get to sleep tonight, all I'll be able to picture is a vision of you in those lycra bicycle shorts.
Somewhere in the far, far past, I was told that if your butt hurts, then the stirrups are too long. If your knees hurt, then the stirrups are too short. If everything hurts, then the stirrups are just right. Hoshour has the best solution. All I can add, is that if something hurts too much or doesn't feel right, then try adjusting the stirrups until it feels better.

 

[sneakypete]

I did a horse hunt this Sept. In B.C. and I hadn't been on a horse in 40+ years. As said above your stirrups need to be adjusted correctly. My ass didn't hurt at all, though my knees stopped hurting after 4 days. Two things I found out is about once an hour remove your feet from the stirrups a move your legs. Good luck

 

[Triple BB]

An old guide told me once if yer knees hurt, yer stirrups are too short. And if yer butt hurts, yer stirrups are too long. If yer knees and butt both hurt, then everything is just right.

Pick up a cheap foam pad and run a string through it and tie it off on yer saddle horn. Best thing you can do for the first couple days is get off and walk whenever its flat or your going down hill. And if you can't do that, stand up in yer stirrups periodically when riding for as long as you can. If yer stirrups are adjusted properly, you'll never be sore...

 

[win264]

"If your knees hurt your stirrups are to short, if your butt hurts your stirrups are to long, if everything hurts you had a good ride!"
I rode for 9 days every day on an elk hunt this year in Washkie Wilderness, a good saddle helps a lot!

 

[mntnguide]

If you show up with one of those damn fuzzy saddle pads...your guide will already think you cant handle the rest of the hunt...just sayin from experience haha. . The bike shorts idea does work and might be worth looking into. . You are gonna be sore, there is no way around it, whether it be your knees or your butt, if you do not get to ride in a saddle much, there is nothing that will prevent some soreness. . It just takes conditioning. Having your stirrups adjusted correctly is very important, and dont hesitate to tell your guide if you feel you want them shorter or longer, it is absolutely no problem to change quickly. ive had clients get to camp and be damn near unable to get out of the saddle from being so sore, because they were to "proud" of there ego or something, to speak up and tell someone they were uncomfortable. There is no guide that wants his clients being uncomfortable and in pain before we drag ya up and down the mountain already! just stay vocal with your guide, and hope you dont get a fat horse! ha

 

[Againstthewind]

Lol fat horse. I always used to get the fat horse. Partly because he was a big stout dude and I am not very small and partly because he was pretty easy going and I am no cowboy lol. Well just brought back some good memories.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

If I had a choice, I'd ride a big ol mule. Rode one on my Thorofare trip and he was great. Has a different gait than a horse, very sure footed and tons of stamina.

 

[Tim McCoy]

If I had a choice, I'd ride a big ol mule. Rode one on my Thorofare trip and he was great. Has a different gait than a horse, very sure footed and tons of stamina.

I too prefer the Mules smoother gait and sure-footedness over the cayuse.

 

[Eberle]

Yep, mules are the way to go. I have 4 of them. There is a gel pad you can buy that will help alot. I run 4 miles 3 days a week and ride my mules every chance I get when getting ready to hunt.

 

[missjordan]

Probably will be hard for you to avoid either way but just like stayed before, stirrups should hit you at around the ball of your ankle. Keep your heels pushed down to engage your butt muscles, and hopefully you get a good comfortable saddle! Sometimes on your ride in kick your feet out of the stirrups and let them hang and stretch your legs out. Even standing up in the saddle can help. Either way your going to feel it the next day reguardless of what you do.

 

[gman1]

How was your hunt in the Washakie?

 

[win264]

Washkie hunt was great! Saw some Beautiful country, we killed some nice bulls,4-5, largest was 368, and 350. Lots of griz saw 5 in one day, 3 at the same time, going to back this year, draw permitting.

 

[gman1]

What unit were you hunting in?