# Riding men - riding and manly body parts?



## TaMMa89

I brought this topic up with man who has never ridden nor has experience of horses. He started to wonder how riding and manly body parts fit together. As a woman, I cannot say much for that since I don't have these body parts. I can advise is that you sit more on your butt, not so much on your genitals but that's all I can say.

So how about you, riding men? Do you take a lot of hits around your sensitive parts? Or how often do you feel yourself uncomfortable while riding? Is there any things which are good to consider? We talked especially about riding with English gears.


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## Mike Zimmerman

My advice is don't wear boxers!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## TaMMa89

So, I guess boxers put your parts on some uncomfortable position..? :razz: What would be the best pants to wear?


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## jinxremoving

Well this thread is going to get awkward sooner or later, might as well kick it off...

Speaking as a male rider who does jumpers, there's always going to be the occasional bang against the saddle that's going to hurt. I have no idea what it's like when someone squishes your boobs but I imagine it's the same horribly awkward feeling when it happens to us down there. You quickly learn how to sit on your seat bones and avoid leaning forward unless necessary.

For me personally, I took most of the hits while posting and found that some saddles were more forgiving than others. Eventually, I realized that I was simply rising too high and coming down was where things were getting squished. I can now go weeks without having any memorable incidents but it does happen from time to time. Just last weekend, I had a jumping lesson and near the end I got lazy and lost my balance going over a rail... slammed myself into the front of the saddle and it was the most excruciating pain ever! Needless to say, I won't be making that mistake again.

I never feel uncomfortable riding, but I have to 'adjust' myself before I lead the horse into the ring. A quick look around, make sure no one is watching and then align everything up so it's perfect, lol. This is probably too much information, but you don't want anything tucked under you that doesn't need to be there if you catch my drift. Also wearing boxer briefs, jockey shorts or plain briefs is much more comfortable than loose fitting boxers.


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## Joe4d

its called buying a gaited horse, No more trotting, ever.


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## DuffyDuck

jinxremoving said:


> Well this thread is going to get awkward sooner or later, might as well kick it off...
> 
> Speaking as a male rider who does jumpers, there's always going to be the occasional bang against the saddle that's going to hurt. I have no idea what it's like when someone squishes your boobs but I imagine it's the same horribly awkward feeling when it happens to us down there. You quickly learn how to sit on your seat bones and avoid leaning forward unless necessary.
> 
> For me personally, I took most of the hits while posting and found that some saddles were more forgiving than others. Eventually, I realized that I was simply rising too high and coming down was where things were getting squished. I can now go weeks without having any memorable incidents but it does happen from time to time. Just last weekend, I had a jumping lesson and near the end I got lazy and lost my balance going over a rail... slammed myself into the front of the saddle and it was the most excruciating pain ever! Needless to say, I won't be making that mistake again.
> 
> I never feel uncomfortable riding, but I have to 'adjust' myself before I lead the horse into the ring. A quick look around, make sure no one is watching and then align everything up so it's perfect, lol. This is probably too much information, but you don't want anything tucked under you that doesn't need to be there if you catch my drift. Also wearing boxer briefs, jockey shorts or plain briefs is much more comfortable than loose fitting boxers.



My dad's mare has a speciality. Proven she does this as a mannerism, not through pain or training. If, when in a canter, she wants to trot, her faveourite pace, she'll drag her head down, pullling my dad forwards. He stops (horse chuckles) and has a few moments to himself, avoiding lesson kids, as he pushes the horse back on. Evil mare.. I don't like her at all :lol:

I don't know about Finland, however most riding wear catalogues have good sportwear for male riders.. or even look in a sport shop for some.. ahem.. better boxers.


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## FlyGap

My Hub wears briefs, tight ones when riding. Same as us getting support up there. I did teach him to ride, bareback! He was pretty sore, and sore with me too! But he got the "hang" of it, LOL!


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## Darrin

Joe4d said:


> its called buying a gaited horse, No more trotting, ever.


Couldn't of said it better myself.

Few things I've learned:

-Don't wear boxers, you need some support.

-Don't wear really tight underwear, they tend to cut in over time. Personally I go with boxer briefs as they are the most comfortable for my build. Comfortable waist band helps too.

-Wear pants with plenty of crotch room. You might think you look good in really tight jeans but they'll have you feeling uncomfortable in short order in the saddle. Have you noticed rodeo pros don't spend much time in the saddle while in those jeans? Think that's where 8 seconds come from, any longer and they'll be gelded.

-A good fitting saddle is very important. To small and you are squeezing the family jewels. To loose and you are slopping around in the saddle which causes the family jewels to get knocked around.


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## QOS

Darrin, you are hilarious!


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## mildot

This guy's observations

1) I ride english. Western saddles have a much bigger bump (pommel) for you to smash your boys against.

2) I smashed them once or twice when learning to rise the trot. Once I got the hang of that, no more accidents. Walk, trot, canter, doesn't matter.

3) Supportive briefs and supportive breeches are your friend. They keep the equipment where you put it.

4) I don't think about where my gear is packed when I get on the horse. It goes where it goes. I have a saddle large enough for me and enough balance.

5) I'll pass on the gaited horses. Trot, canter, and gallop are way too much fun.


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## bsms

Well, I wear tight jeans (Wranglers, available for about $15 at Wal-Mart) and 'tighty whities', although they actually come in colors now. Apart from a tendency to sing soprano, I've noticed no problems...

Joking aside, I think a couple of things are important. No - get your mind out of the gutter - not THOSE couple of things. I mean about riding!

1 - If you're riding on your balls, you're either jumping or doing something very wrong. And I honestly think you are doing something wrong if jumping causes contact, but I don't jump so I won't say. Or maybe you need to wear tight jeans. If I'm in an English or Aussie saddle, I'd have to lean WAY over to get contact between the family jewels and the saddle.

Realistically, how many guys can't sit in a chair because their testicles get slammed on the chair when they sit down? Your thighs are not vertical when you sit in the saddle. You are not straddling a 2x4!

The picture below is of an old-time cowboy. They rode with a straighter leg than most modern riders.










Even there, his thigh is forward of vertical, bearing weight and preventing his balls from contacting the saddle. Or consider the ancient Greeks, riding naked:










*If riding a horse required contact between the balls and the horse, men would never have tamed horses.*

2 - Western saddles can be more of a problem. The typical western saddle now-a-days is marketed to women. They look more like a torture trap for men:

This is the "Julie Goodnight Circle Y Teton Trail Flex2 Saddle" - maybe it works for Julie, but Bob has no desire to ride in it!










A better design for men is the old style Wade ranch:










Most English and Aussie saddles avoid the stupidity of the 'saddle for women who hate men'. This is the one I mostly use:










Like most English saddles, it allows a man to be a man.

Please remember that *men rode horses for thousands of years before it became common for women to ride*. It says a lot about how depressingly female dominated riding has become that folks wonder if men can actually ride a horse without pain.


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## mildot

bsms nails it yet again.


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## Darrin

Just thought I would throw this in. Gramps was in the calvary before it was disbanded. He swore up and down that a McClellan was nothing but a giant nut cracker. He said that gap down the middle did not save his jewels from abuse.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians

:rofl:


Joe4d said:


> its called buying a gaited horse, No more trotting, ever.


SNORT! LOL!


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## bsms

Darrin said:


> ... He said that gap down the middle did not save his jewels from abuse.


If Gramps was relying on the gap in a McClellan, then he needed to try sitting up straight. Just IMHO. Besides...Gramps wouldn't be a gramps if there had been too much damage!


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## my2geldings

jinxremoving said:


> Well this thread is going to get awkward sooner or later, might as well kick it off...
> 
> Speaking as a male rider who does jumpers, there's always going to be the occasional bang against the saddle that's going to hurt. I have no idea what it's like when someone squishes your boobs but I imagine it's the same horribly awkward feeling when it happens to us down there. You quickly learn how to sit on your seat bones and avoid leaning forward unless necessary.
> 
> For me personally, I took most of the hits while posting and found that some saddles were more forgiving than others. Eventually, I realized that I was simply rising too high and coming down was where things were getting squished. I can now go weeks without having any memorable incidents but it does happen from time to time. Just last weekend, I had a jumping lesson and near the end I got lazy and lost my balance going over a rail... slammed myself into the front of the saddle and it was the most excruciating pain ever! Needless to say, I won't be making that mistake again.
> 
> I never feel uncomfortable riding, but I have to 'adjust' myself before I lead the horse into the ring. A quick look around, make sure no one is watching and then align everything up so it's perfect, lol. This is probably too much information, but you don't want anything tucked under you that doesn't need to be there if you catch my drift. Also wearing boxer briefs, jockey shorts or plain briefs is much more comfortable than loose fitting boxers.


I appreciate your response! my fiance is getting into riding now, and I have to say I wouldn't know what advice to give him. Thank you muchly!


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## TaMMa89

Okay, thanks for responses. That gave some perception to the issue.


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