“I want to be comfortable,” you may be thinking, as you sit toward the back of the saddle. Afterall, extra space equates to a more enjoyable ride, right?

Wrong!

For ranchers and trail riders, a little extra room in your saddle might seem more comfortable — but did you know it could actually be causing you unnecessary pain by the end of the day?

*Cue the hip pain*

To help explain what happens to your body when you sit too far back in the saddle, I’ve asked Dr. Aimee Canda, a virtual physical therapist with InStride Physical Therapy, to weigh in.

Here are her key takeaways:

• Spine: When you sit too far back on the cantle with your pelvis tilted backwards, it changes the direction of force down through the spine and the pelvis. This position makes it harder to keep your spine in neutral alignment. It decreases the natural curve in your lower back (lumbar lordosis), increases the rounding in your upper back (thoracic kyphosis), and flattens the curve in your neck (cervical spine) – all of which puts added stress on every part of the spine.

• Hips: Many riders complain about their hips bothering them after riding. A lot of times, that’s not coming from the hip joint itself, it’s coming through that sacroiliac joint, which is takes on a lot of strain when the pelvis is tilted backward.

(If you’re a visual person like me, I made this video to help explain.)

So, moral of the story: get a saddle that fits YOU (unless you fill it all the way up, which is good too 😉). Let’s get you back to why you started riding in the first place – enjoyment. And, if you need some help picking out a saddle, I’m here to help.

Check out my calendar to see if there is a saddle fitting clinic near you or book a virtual appointment.