July Weekly Post - Get to the bottom of it #1

The next set of Weekly posts are going to be about my butt, in one way or another. Sorry, but it just seems really relevant right now. Let’s start!

#1 – How my breeches helped my seat

For the first three years or so that I rode dressage, I didn’t wear full seat breeches unless I was showing. Not because I was against them, I just was too cheap to spend the money on them. Then my trainer went away for USDF Regionals and, as a thank you to me for taking care of a few of her horses that didn’t go to the show, she gave me a pair of full seat breeches for schooling.

This completely changed how I ride. I hadn’t realized just how much my seat was sliding in the saddle on a regular basis, especially at the canter. Kaswyn’s canter is not the best, and it’s difficult to keep him round and balanced. Without the full seats I was all over the place. It was like my butt was the silver ball in a pinball machine, and that silver ball was ping pinging all over the place. With the full seats I actually got some stability in my seat, and my seat became stronger and more stable.

Just a few months ago I realized I had two pairs of breeches that helped my seat on Phil. Phil often gets me leaning too far forward. I know I need to stop this, but it’s a combination of #1) wanting to give him rein but not wanting to let the reins slide through my fingers in case I suddenly need them and #2) protecting myself and leaning forward when I get a little nervous. I’m working on this REALLY hard.

Anyhow, I have two pairs of full seats that I didn’t wear very much because, well, they hit me right in the lady parts. And not in a good way. You know how the full seats have that part right in the center of the crotch where two seams actually come together… well that little “nubbin” of fabric got me right in the lady parts and it did NOT feel good. I had delegated them to the bottom of the stack of breeches and avoided them as much as possible. However, one day I was forced to wear them because I didn’t have any other clean breeches (and really none that I could recycle for just one more ride).

And wow, did they poke and prod my delicate lady bits! I was squirming around, trying to shift the fabric, when I realized that if I just SAT UP CORRECTLY that the nub didn’t bother me anymore.

Glory be!

So now I wear those breeches regularly, and the nubbin poke in the lady parts reminds me to SIT UP and not lean forward. It’s not very subtle either. But it works.

So go get yourself an uncomfortable pair of full seats. You never know, they could help you!