HIdeous, shameful damp saddle problem EEEEK!!!!

[hormonalmare]

:o :o :o

Please, please don't tell me I'm alone in this.

Just recently I've noticed that in upward transitions I'm - um........ leaking slightly...:o The shame, the shame.....

I'm at that hormonal time in a mare's life when she needs the added assistance of HRT, but I've been on it for a few months, and this has never happened before.

I'm getting scared scared to trot, and even more terrified to canter. :eek:

Help, advice, sympathy, urgently sought.

PS. Pelvic floor muscles are all up to date and exercised regularly. :cool:

[breeches]

you are a star, this will be the best thread next week, i can feel it in my water, oopps sorry:p
I sympathise greatly, looking forward to all the great advice.......

This will be better than sitting trott....................:D

[Big Ears]

careful choice of colour of jodphurs/breeches may help......

also seat saver in same colour may be useful purchase......

avoid laughing or sneezing too

[monique]

Breeches you are so bad:D hormonalmare no I haven't had this problem yet but have to admit can't run to save my life actually not true I can run but I can't run without leaking hence my daughter has to do the in hand showing with our section C because I wont risk running with her in the ring, sorry I have no helpful advice what so ever but loads of sympathy and understanding. Don't let it stop you enjoying your riding and don't drink too much before a ride as I say not very helpful but sympathy a plenty:o

[poohsmate]

im having a job to keep quiet here:D :

[Sarah-B]

If you are leaking when running/riding/laughing/sneezing then you may think your pelvic muscles are toned as they should be but leakage strongly suggests that they aren't - do more Kegels (pelvic floor exercises) and/or invest in one of the pelvic floor toners (like weights for your ladies bits!!)

I have a similar problem when laughing and sneezing but so far only if I need "to go" anyway. Toning of the pelvic floor will def. help.

[sassy210605]

my mum has to wear tena ladys as she has this problem too ... she would kill me if she knew id put this on here LOL

[crinks]

Theres nothing wrong with admitting the use of tena ladys at all, they save an awful lot of embarrassment! LOL There comes a time in life when a little 'help' is needed!

[Maddison's girl]

a great thread. Im sure there are plently of folk out there with the same problem but just too embarassed to say. If you leaking then the pelvic floor muscles are not as strong as they should be. You could try doing a google search for exercises for those bits, although be careful what you type in you could get some very dodgy sites I'm sure :eek:

Might be worth looking into some tena lady until you sort the problem out and dont drink too much before going for ride! Might even be worth speaking to your GP (if they are approachable)

Good luck

[DITZ]

no suggestions other than avoid trampolines and bouncy castles at all cost (found this out myself recently to my own embarrasmentl!):eek:

[SupaTania]

have an aunt who sneezes, and must go change her clothes....

umm can "feminine" products help as a short tuerm solution, while u work on those muscles or the long-term?

[Skib]

This has actually come up before but in a PM from someone else in their sixties.I dont have a problem riding or with transitions - possibly because I am an old lady rider and dont kick the horse? But I wear a panty liner, a thin adhesive one. I gather from someone who tried a thicker pad that they tend to rub.

I have a daughter in obs and gynae and the first thing she would say is to do pelvic floor exercises. You should be able to get a sheet from your GP?
That is if it is just a symptom of age, as it is with most of us?

But if this is a new symptom for you, I suggest you check with your GP anyway. Because you meed to work out the cause and stop it getting worse. The nerves for one's bladder attach to the spine, and if you do a lot of sitting around at the computer, or slumped in a chair, or have bruised your spine by the way you sit when riding, that could be at the root of it. I did my back in simply by writing all day on a bad chair. And one needs to pay attention as it could end with an infection.

[harryhorse11]

haha poohsmate I just knew you'd be on here somewhere:D :D

Good lord I thought I had problems but luckily this isn't one of them yet:rolleyes:

[Em 1]

PS. Pelvic floor muscles are all up to date and exercised regularly. :cool:

What a great idea - sounds to me like we should all have MOT certificates:D!

It's only happened to be a couple of times but it is highly embarrassing even though no-one else knows or notices:o

If your pelvic floor muscles are exercised regularly, they should be strong enough. Do you deliberately tighten them just before you make the upwards transition - even the strongest muscles need to be engaged sometimes.

Good luck anyway:)

[palmerlover52]

Men, wouldn't it be easier if you just left this thread WELL alone!!

Maybe try pantyliners, and don't worry....once erm hit that time of the month in a lesson, wearing cream jodhpurs..oh the shame!!

[happy highlande]

Echo the pantyliners - three children and my pelvic floor muscles need to go into re-hab- or olympic training.

Also avoid bucking ponies - Highlands + oats = bucks!!, and spooking at deer - the last one is deadly - staying on is OK, but the other effects can be worse than falling off!!!

I thought of using the trampoline as a test - pelvic floor exercises, then see how long I could last on the tram!

And the males on this site whinged about sitting trot - they don't know the half of it.........((lol)))

[Guest]

The things us woman have to deal with, honestly you men don't know how lucky you are.

[poohsmate]

[QUOTE=palmerlover52]Men, wouldn't it be easier if you just left this thread WELL alone!!

i actually am a human therapist, so this is not a problem to me i hear about this all the time, and alot worse:)
how do you tell someone what the marks are on their suede saddle are, when they complain about the stains;) and blame you for it:eek:

[cazrider]

NB Definitely DON'T use a suede saddle....

[Skib]

I am a bit puzzled by the "upwards transitions" which we seem to have overlooked. And since you have done all the exercises, it might be worth thinking about?
Which upwards transitions exactly? And from what to what. Walk to canter? Is the problem only when you transition to rising trot? or to forward seat in canter?
And is it when you prepare and ask for the transition, or when you begin to ride the trot or canter?
I am asking this because if one sits for a long time concentrating on writing, or watching TV it is quite likely that as soon as one gets to one's feet, one will urgently need to go to the loo. My GP told me years ago this is because, as one gets up the position of one's bladder changes.
So if you are having the identical problem when a faster pace brings you up out of the saddle after sitting in the saddle for a long time, you may need to make a decided effort to tighten your muscles at that moment. And rising only a small amount to start with might help, so as not to create a sudden change in position?
When this does happen, (my GP again) it may well be that one actually needed to go to the loo earlier, but were concentrating so hard one was unaware of it, and it didnt impact on one's mind till one rose to one's feet. So the other factor always is how full your bladder is at the time you ride?

At what time of the day do you usually ride? And do you ride soon after a meal or drinking? If it is immediately after breakfast and you've been drinking lots of coffee, one can see the problem. I try not to ride within an hour or two of eating, and in the USA, if I trail ride at 8.00 am for 2 hours, I make my poor OH have breakfast in our cabin at 6.30 am.

In this summer weather we are all (or ought to be) drinking plenty but I certainly take precautions like rationing myself to small drinks of water before riding, and drinking lots as soon as I get off the horse. I am not sure I could manage a three hour hack, even though I would like to.
The other factor is nerves. Are you more nervous of the faster gaits? And is this happening only in a lesson when you are stressed? Before a lesson, I may use the loo just from nerves, and that is a biological function I think to lighten one's body for flight, even though there is no real need.
I have never actually ever had a problem in 4 years of elderly riding. But maybe this is because it is something I worried about, and thus avoided? Whereas you havent had to think about it till now?

[Wally]

This is something that only happened to me shortly after having my son! I was running down the park, chasing sheep, and the dog had gone off on a whim, so I yelled at him, and.......oops!

Since then I have been fine. I really can symnpathise though.

[HairyCob]

I too can empathise with this one... from a slightly different perspective. I don't have a problem with 'stress incontinence', which I think you'll find is the correct term for this, at least I don't YET.. I'm sure it will come:rolleyes:

I do however have a problem with lack of bladder capacity... I am literally in the loo every hour... and that's without drinking more to compensate for the hot weather.

I find this quite embarrasing... other folk seem to be able to 'hang on' for ages... take yesterday for example... cup of tea 09.00, had to pee twice before Domane arrived at 11.30... can of coke when Domane arrived, had to pee again before leaving the house. Got to the yard at 12.30, made a coffee, had to pee before I could drink it. Half a pint in the pub over lunch, had to pee before leaving the pub.

Domane (sorry matey, to use you in such a manner!!) had no doubt had a drink or two before she got to me, and 'used the facilities' when she arrived. She then drank the coke, the coffee AND a pint of shandy before needing to go again.

This makes it sound like I spent the day 'observing' Jane's bladder capacity:rolleyes: I can assure you I didn't, but as I'm so aware of my weak bladder, I do tend to notice how other people are.

I have tried to 'expand' my bladder by 'hanging on' as long as I can... then it gets REALLY embarrasing... suddenly I *have* to go... and if I don't get to the loo within 30 seconds or so, I too 'leak':(

When I go on 'long' hacks (ahhh, those were the days!) I have no choice but to 'hop off' and find a convenient bush... the last 2.5hour hack I did, I had to 'hop off' three times.

It gets REALLY embarrasing when riding out in company on the roads:rolleyes: I've been known to get to the stage where I literally have to hop off and drop my Johds at the side of the road, and hang whoever happens to be walking/riding/driving by:eek:

[hormonalmare]

Thank you all so much. I was fully expecting to see zero posts and was embarrassed to ever come on this site again. Some good advice there, especially about the panty liners / Tena lady pads.

Skib - walk to canter? I wish! In a few years I might be able to manage it. No, I'm finding the problem at walk to trot, and trot to canter, and the explanation of sitting and then leaving the saddle (intentional in trot, an abysmal habit in canter) makes good sense. I will try to incorporate squeezing of pelvic muscles into the mix of hand, leg and arm muscles that I am currently struggling with. Why is riding so difficult?

I don't think it's stress incontinence, as I don't have a problem with sneezing or coughing, and since it's only started happening in the past couple of weeks, I think a trip to the doctor is in order.

Meanwhile, I wonder if my RI has ever noticed the sudden startled look on my face as I move up a gear. :D

[Harvey99]

Hormonal mare you should definately go and see your GP, and ask for a referral to a Gynacologist. This is such a common problem and one that has got solutions. I used to run an incontinence clinic!?! 1 in 3 women suffer from some degree of incontinence following childbirth, and 1 in 2 women suffer some degree of incontinence over the age of 55! But it's not something that gets discussed - you all suffer in silence because it is so embarrassing. I mean it's hardly a subject over coffee at the WI is it ladies? I think you're very brave to voice it here and I can guarantee there are loads of NR's with this problem, who haven't posted.
Although you say you have done your pelvic floor exercises, clearly they're not as good as they should be. You could have stress incontinence (even though you don't leak on coughing or sneezing - yet). Get a referral to a clinic and they will test your bladder pressures etc. and can give you a diagnosis. Treatments include exercises, use of graded cones (you use your pelvic floor muscles to hold in cones of varying weights - gradually increasing the length of time and increasing the weight of cone. I'll let you ladies work out where they go................), or in severe cases surgery, including whats called a colposuspension, where they literally "hoik (sp?) everything up". All the ladies who came back to see me after whatever treatment they had, said that there lives had been literally transformed. Another alternative is that you have got an infection causing this current problem. Go to your GP and DEMAND that they send you to see gynacologist. Many male GPS still have this old fashioned view that its "womens troubles" and you just have to put up with it. You don't, and it can be treated very successfully. Don't let it spoil your riding enjoyment.

As for what to do in the meantime. Make sure you empty your bladder immediately before riding amd use an incontinence pad. Not sexy, but will save a lot of embarrassment and make you feel more confident. I wouldn't reccommend cutting down on the drinks - it can actually make the problem worse.

Oh and HairyCob, there's a treatment for you too. Its called bladder retraining. Again you need a referral to a gynaecologist and clinic. But it's very successful. I used to carry out bladder retraining too!! (A man of many talents me ?!?!?!).

We guys are very lucky. Childbirth has a lot to answer for!! My wife heard so many stories about these poor ladies at my incontinence clinic, that she became an obsessive compulsive about doing her pelvic floor exercises before and after our daughter was born! :-)

[Greentchr]

HormonalMare, thanks for posting! I have had a similar problem for years, after 5 births. It is certainly not something that comes up in conversation, so it is very nice to see that I am not the only one:) I'm afraid that I never do any exercises, but I do find myself "tightening up" and crossing my legs before laughing/coughing... hard to do on the horse, though. Hmm. Maybe that is where side-saddle began:D .

Harvey- thanks for the information!

[entreat]

wow! Thanks for the valuable information. I don't have the problem, but it definitely has given me some fore-warnings.

Thanks for bringing up a difficult subject HormonalMare!
And thanks Harvey for the informed information. :)

[RustyMary]

Hairy Cob, if you should ever meet me, we will be able to count each other's loo trips - I am just the same and it drives me crazy - such a waste of time!

[Peanut]

Well said Harvey99.

I work in gynaecology and Tension-free Vaginal Tape (TVT) is a hugely popular and successful procedure - basically puting a sling under the bladder to hold it up. Works a treat.

It's definitely "Bladder Drill" for you HC! And loads of pelvic floor exercises for all us girls with or without babies - you can do them on the bus or anywhere that it doesn't matter if people see you go ":eek: " very time you do one :D

[Colonel]

haha poohsmate I just knew you'd be on here somewhere:D :D

Good lord I thought I had problems but luckily this isn't one of them yet:rolleyes:

Thats right. Men just have to jump off every five minutes to relieve themselves as they can't hold it in for more than a minute and then we have to wait for them to try and get back on their horses!:p

No offence though!:rolleyes:

[breeches]

:(
im sooo glad im not a woman, dont think Mrs Breeches would like it either

[Harvey99]

Well said Harvey99.

I work in gynaecology and Tension-free Vaginal Tape (TVT) is a hugely popular and successful procedure - basically puting a sling under the bladder to hold it up. Works a treat.

It's definitely "Bladder Drill" for you HC! And loads of pelvic floor exercises for all us girls with or without babies - you can do them on the bus or anywhere that it doesn't matter if people see you go ":eek: " very time you do one :D

Ah yes "Bladder Drill", I remember it well :) . TVT is a new one on me - things have definately made progress in the last 12 years. This thread is bringing back such memories :rolleyes:
Secretly very glad I don't have to do those clinics anymore :p . Often went home with damp shoes :D :D .

[johnb]

I for one am going to leave this one alone:eek:
Johnb

[fuglyjowls]

Apart from all the excellent advice above - definitely visit your GP as I had a similar problem many years ago where I was fine except when my bladder was very full then I couldn't control it if I coughed or sneezed and it turned out i had an infection which was sorted out with some antibiotics.

Temporarily though you can buy some large pants with absorbent padded gussets which are designed for stress incontinence problems - I use them once a month because I find pads or tampons too uncomfortable - they were recommended to me on this site I think (many years ago). They are not sexy but they work:D and save embarrassment:o

Fugly

[Trewsers]

Wow, we're really "sharing" on here aren't we??!:D Its like an encounter group - I feel like I can tell you guys anything!:D :p Seriously, I don't have the problem hormonalmare has (yet) but I have a healthy working bladder and healthy efficient kidneys - and I do wee more than a lot of people on our yard, so much in fact, that they seem to think its ok to lock the toilets up most of the time:eek: Hairycob, I don't think your bladder needs re-training - I thought that weeing regularly was a sign you were drinking enough - if you're not weeing once an hour then you're dehydrated??! (I'll probably get told I'm wrong here - will ask bro or sis - one is a doctor the other a nurse;) ) I'll give 'em bladder re-training - when I've travelled to the yard, mucked two horses out and ridden for an hour - I think I'm entitled to a wee!:p :p

[Harvey99]

:) Wow, we're really "sharing" on here aren't we??!:D Its like an encounter group - I feel like I can tell you guys anything!:D

Please feel free to share :D :D .......................... Secretly we're just damn nosy!

Yep HairyCob (or anyone else with her symptoms) could do with bladder retraining. A normal healthy bladder should be able to hold many pints and go for many hours without needing to void. If HairyCob is really going for a pee about every hour and if she doesn't she leaks, then yes her bladder needs "retraining". It means her bladder either can't hold enough and needs to be retrained to do so, or her bladder sphincter is used to opening at a lower pressure than normal. All can be fixed with "bladder drill" !!! :D :D .
You definately shouldn't be needing to have a pee once an hour.

Perhaps we should refer you, Rustymary and HairyCob to Peanut seeing as she is currently "in the trade" and I'm not (thank goodness ;) )

[HairyCob]

A trip to the GP is in order then I think... especially as at this time of year, if I *do* drink enough to combat the fluid lost through the heat etc, I need to pee every half an hour:rolleyes:

Oh, Joy, my GP is gonna love me for this one... he already thinks I'm a hypochondriac with my carpal tunnel syndrome, twisted ankle, 'funny rash' and mastitis in the past few months:rolleyes:

Harvey- a 'normal' bladder should hold 'several pints'?! Good lord, there are times when I'm desperate that I only pee about 300ml... I definintely have a problem! And please, no one ask HOW I know it's only 300ml...!

I know I DON'T have an infection, 'cause I nicked a couple of Urine Dip sticks from work, and they indicate all is normal:D

Thanks to HormonalMare for having the courage to bring such a sensitve subject up.. and to Harvey and Peanut for such excellent advice.

Smaller, but grateful none-the-less thanks go to 'the boys' for not taking the pee- if you'll pardon the pun- TOO much;)

[Harvey99]

You know, reading through all of these - I just HAVE to go take a leak now :eek: .

Back later :)

[cvb]

I think Skib may be on to something... and we've got distracted by those naughty boys :mad:

I am a bit puzzled by the "upwards transitions" which we seem to have overlooked. And since you have done all the exercises, it might be worth thinking about?
Which upwards transitions exactly? And from what to what. Walk to canter? Is the problem only when you transition to rising trot? or to forward seat in canter?
And is it when you prepare and ask for the transition, or when you begin to ride the trot or canter?



and HM replied with

I'm finding the problem at walk to trot, and trot to canter, and the explanation of sitting and then leaving the saddle (intentional in trot, an abysmal habit in canter) makes good sense.

Two thoughts

1) HM, are you "bearing down" at all ? This is a phrase used by Mary Wanless, but I've heard other people propose it and not explain it fully. if you are pushing down, a little extra pressure (e.g. as you rise) may be enough to cause the leak ??

2) what muscles are you using to control the rise ? If you engage the wrong muscles to rise, again you may not be doing useful any favours ! Use your core muscles - I have a feeling it may help. Pilates is good for that - helping you find them in the first place, and then how to use them - I'll see if i can find something on it.

EDIT: I like the Express DVD from Body Control
http://www.bodycontrol.co.uk/dvds.html

not just cos it has Pat Cash in it as a demo :) but because it has short sessions that I can fit in more easily, or string together (ha - when has that happened !)...

[Trewsers]

Oh, Joy, my GP is gonna love me for this one... he already thinks I'm a hypochondriac with my carpal tunnel syndrome, twisted ankle, 'funny rash' and mastitis in the past few months:rolleyes:




lol - poor HC:D Know just what you mean, last time I saw our practice nurse I gave her quite a list:D I'm not a hypochondriac honestly, just that I sometimes get a lot of symptoms.....:p :p

[hormonalmare]

Oh, I always visit the doctor with a list, and they hate that - they try to get it off you as quickly as possible, resulting in an undignified pulling match. My doctor thinks I'm a hypochondriac, but I KNOW there's lots of things wrong with me. :D

Found out that the problem also occurs on the 'down' bit of rollercoasters. Oh dear. Will see the doc this week, meanwhile have bought some panty liners today. Just to share a bit more, I only leak a little bit :o , but over several transitions it can mount up. :o :o

I do try to bear down, and can see how this could be exacerbating the problem. But if I stop bearing down, I'm worried that I'll fall off. I've got osteoarthritis which flares up frequently in my left hip, so I need to bear down to balance. Oh dear, I'm such an unco-ordinated mess on horseback anyway, all this really isn't helping. I'm not the most confident rider and it's not feeling particularly fun at the moment.

Still, there's some great advice on this thread, and I don't feel quite such a pariah now. Thanks everyone for being so funny and understanding and helpful!

[cvb]

I do try to bear down, and can see how this could be exacerbating the problem. But if I stop bearing down, I'm worried that I'll fall off. I've got osteoarthritis which flares up frequently in my left hip, so I need to bear down to balance. Oh dear, I'm such an unco-ordinated mess on horseback anyway, all this really isn't helping. I'm not the most confident rider and it's not feeling particularly fun at the moment.

a) you don't need to "bear down" to stay on
b) are you sure bearing down *helps* the osteoarthritis ?!

Gravity will keep you on :D As long as you keep the horse underneath you - works a treat !

Seriosuly - check out the core muscle engagement as an alternative/variation.

A personal recommendation if you want to do something about the "unco-ordinated mess" is Alexander technique. We don't seem to have many centered riding instructors around or I'd suggest that as well or instead of.

If you feel unco-ordinated, and it seems you are worried about staying on, no wonder you are "not the most confident" and no wonder its not particularly fun !!

[GarnetFox]

To make everyone else feel a bit more normal, I'm 25 and have a bladder disease. I'm always the youngest at the hospital clinic by about 40 or 50 years. I have had to stop riding because of it, though I hope to be able to try again in the future.

On bad days I have to use the loo every 10 minutes. HAH! Beat that HC and Rusty! ;):p

[RustyMary]

That's just awful, GarnetFox :eek: - I do hope things improve for you

[GarnetFox]

Thanks Rusty! :) There's no cure at present, and medicines are hit and miss as to whether they work or not. I have my third op in August which will hopefully help. Some people in the end have their bladders removed. :eek: I'd like to keep mine if at all possible, but those people seem a lot happier after it's gone!

[RustyMary]

I can only repeat, that sounds so awful. Really hope the op will help.

[domane]

HairyCob!!! Didn't realise my ablutions were under such scrutiny! :D And I didn't notice you dashing off to pee all the time so you certainly didn't seem unusual to me....

You may be suffering slightly from "Latch-key Incontinence" - meaning that as soon as your brain knows you are going to be able to go your bladder relaxes, sometimes just that little bit too soon...

And bladder retraining is FAB. My middle daughter had terrible leaking problems and we went through the regime and she was "cured".... basically what you do is start off by making yourself pee every half an hour by rote (or on the clock). You do this for about 3-4 days (probably best started when you are not at work ;) ) then you extend the time to 3/4 of an hour for 3-4 days, then an hour for 3-4 days and so on until you are up to about 4 hours which is well within the "norm". This is well known for working.... :)

Whilst we are on the subject of bladder capacity etc... I am not a nurse but I worked as a receptionist/administrator in a Urology Investigation Suite so I could not help but pick up knowledge... "Holding your bladder" for a length of time is not good. People who brag that they can go all day without needing to pee are not doing themselves any favours. Obviously there are times when you need to hold your pee for a longer than normal time but doing this regularly is very bad. Over time you will overstretch your bladder and not be able to empty it properly. Think of the concept of a balloon. Before you blow it up it is fairly small. If you blow it up and leave it inflated for a few days THEN let the air out, it does not reduce down to the size it was before.... it is the same principle with the bladder. If you constantly fill and don't empty on a regular basis, the muscles will overstretch so that you are physically unable to empty all your urine... this will result in a "residual" and can lead to infections and other such nasties.... So advice to all - try to empty your bladder at least every 4 hours when you are awake and you will keep it working at it's best. And certainly don't ignore the urge to pee if you have immediate access to the loo....

Sermon over!! ;)

[Franqui]

Yes, echo Domane about the "residual". It was thought I might have this and I had to have a "gadget" inserted to stretch the urethra. They did tell me this might do the trick in any case, and thankfully it stopped me feeling like I hadn't quite emptied each time, with consequent small leaks at unexpected moments! I did the weight training (even bought my own which I still use on occasions) after my third child. It's SO embarrassing when the blooming thing drops out without you seemingly doing anything, but it also shows when improvement is happening.

Interesting thread :o

[HairyCob]

HairyCob!!! Didn't realise my ablutions were under such scrutiny! :D And I didn't notice you dashing off to pee all the time so you certainly didn't seem unusual to me....

You may be suffering slightly from "Latch-key Incontinence" - meaning that as soon as your brain knows you are going to be able to go your bladder relaxes, sometimes just that little bit too soon...

Sorry Jane, I wasn't *really*scrutinising your bladder habits, just happened to notice that, as usual, the person I was with needed to go MUCH less than me!

I don't think it's 'latch key' incontinence either.... my brain does not (I hope!) believe that I can go in the middle of a long lining session with Dolly in the 'Polo ground'.... but that's just what I had to do yesterday:rolleyes: Had only been just before I tacked her up too... so 'twas only 30mins before:o Thankfully Dolly has learnt that if I say 'OK, you can eat for a minute, but only if you stand *right there*' that I really do mean 'don't move or the cars on the M5 may get a nasty view'!!:D

[sidesaddlelady1]

:o :o :o

Please, please don't tell me I'm alone in this.

Just recently I've noticed that in upward transitions I'm - um........ leaking slightly...:o The shame, the shame.....

I'm at that hormonal time in a mare's life when she needs the added assistance of HRT, but I've been on it for a few months, and this has never happened before.

I'm getting scared scared to trot, and even more terrified to canter. :eek:

Help, advice, sympathy, urgently sought.

PS. Pelvic floor muscles are all up to date and exercised regularly. :cool:
Tenalady or Poise? I have occasionally had recourse to the latter. They come in differing thickenesses to suit different requirements and as a side line also protect those delicate little places against discomfort from contact with a hard saddle. They aren't very visible and, being specially for this problem, are better than sanitary towels. Passing urine, even if you think you don't want/need to, immediately before riding helps as well.

Incidentally, if you suffer from constipation you can get pressure on the bladder which can cause leaking.

Umm, and now we are really into delicate and embarrassing territory, are you a little over-weight? This can aggravate leaking as well.

[hormonalmare]

Sidesaddlelady, I'm not overweight at the moment, although I'm a dreadful yo-yo dieter who just happens to be at the thinner end of the scale right now.

Have been to my doctor, who is reluctant to prescribe meds as I'm already taking loads of prescriptions, but she strongly recommends the weights. I tried to buy some in my local chemist, but they don't stock them so will have to venture to the nearest town at the weekend. Meanwhile, I'm trying extra hard with the pelvic floor exercises, and it seems I might not have been doing them right before. :eek:

Had a lesson this morning, which I was dreading as my confidence has gone again, but in fact it went brilliantly. One minor leak, which isn't at all bad considering the number of transitions we had to do. But it's another set of muscles to worry about, when I'm already trying to control my head, feet, legs, hands, arms........

When did I cease to operate as a whole being? I completely lost control of my hands today because I was concentrating on not weeing myself going into canter. :rolleyes:

[Harvey99]

No, you don't need medication HM, but you need an assessment of your problem. Your GP is a women - I'm surprised she not suggest referral to a clinic where you can have a cystometrogram (bladder pressure measurements under different conditions), so that the problem can be defined?
If the weights don't help - go back and ask for a referral. It's important. I can bet she doesn't have this problem............................:rolleyes:
Did she check it wasn't an infection?

Glad the lesson went well. Hmm yes another set of muscles to worry about doesn't help.

But remember we chaps have our dangly bits to worry about/distract us when we ride:eek: . It's no easy task :D . You ladies have it easy really....;)

[cvb]

But it's another set of muscles to worry about, when I'm already trying to control my head, feet, legs, hands, arms........

When did I cease to operate as a whole being? I completely lost control of my hands today because I was concentrating on not weeing myself going into canter. :rolleyes:

Thats why I like the Pilates approach, because it helps you learn to engage the core muscles while you are doing other stuff i.e. its not a specific action in itself, its like breathing while you walk - you don't think about it, you just do it ;)

[galadriel]

I've been on depo-provera for many years. Last year I discovered that thanks to the hormone suppresion provided by the depo, I was going through what a lot of menopausal/postmenopausal women go through in terms of lack of estrogen. Among other things, no matter how much core muscle/Kegel exercises I did, that area had atrophied; it *needs* estrogen to stay toned. (Now, I was doing these exercises for back problems, but it still applies!)

I'm way, way too young for HRT! ;) --but then, I'm also too young to need back surgery (May '05 fusion L5/S1), I'm too young for this, too young for that...Blah. So hey, don't think that just 'cause you're doing the exercises, that area must be strong & toned as you can get it. Checking with a gynecologist may help you out.

~ ~ ~

Something else I've discovered is that when I haven't had caffeine in a while (days/weeks), my bladder capacity goes up. Something to consider...caffeine *is* a diuretic and if you're already having problems, abstaining from caffeine might help you a lot.

[Peanut]

Something else I've discovered is that when I haven't had caffeine in a while (days/weeks), my bladder capacity goes up. Something to consider...caffeine *is* a diuretic and if you're already having problems, abstaining from caffeine might help you a lot.


Don't forget that caffeine is also present in chocolate and cola drinks.

Just a tip - sometimes the use of a tampon can help with leaking. We have loads of tennis playing ladies who find this a life saver.

[hormonalmare]

Some brilliant advice here. I exist on caffeine and chocolate, more so of late, and this is clearly not a good thing :eek:

Incidentally, went for a long (2 hour) hack yesterday, and not so much as a dribble.......it seems to be a lesson thing. Maybe the stress of trying so hard weighs heavy on my bladder?