A recent dressage lesson where I worked on my position was a somewhat uncomfortable exercise. It’s not the first time it’s happened, it won’t be the last. But THIS time, I vowed to do something about it. You probably know what I’m talking about – the chafing, irritation, and burning. Time to get serious. My saddle fits and is comfortable – but an intense lesson or schooling session can get downright painful!
So, I hit the internet in search of relief. Turns out there’s a huge world of products for men and women who suffer from ‘personal chafing’. Especially bicyclists and equestrians. In addition to padded shorts, there are quite a few imaginatively named creams available – Chamois Butt’R For Her, DZ Nuts Cream, Udderly SMOOth and Gooch Guard, to name a few. Eventually I happened across a product called ‘JellyPantz’ . I stifled a giggle, and clicked on the link.
Whoa! This looks exactly like what I’m searching for! I need to investigate this further….
Back at the barn, I conducted an informal survey of my fellow riders, as to whether they have used any type of special underwear or product to protect their feminine bits while riding. I got a number of replies, and, predictably, with this bunch, the conversation rapidly devolved into some fairly juvenile jokes.
Then, I hit the Mother Lode with one fellow rider, who had not only tried pretty much every rider undergarment and product out there, but actually had a pair of JellyPantz to show me! She gave a very positive review. That clinched it for me – I went home and ordered my “JellyPantz Starter Kit”. (hoping that the credit card charge would give a generic description so I wouldn’t have to ‘femsplain’ my purchase….)
Naturally, minutes after placing my order, I received a text from my husband, “Did you order something from JellyPantz?!?!?!?
Me: “Easy there partner – it’s a horse thing….”
I settled in to wait for my Magical JellyPantz.
At long last, my eagerly awaited purchase arrived. The ‘Starter Kit’ included one pair of flesh toned Pantz, with a velcro strip, to adhere the Jelly portion of the pad. The Jelly part is a Panti-liner shaped Gel pad, with velcro adhesive. It comes with a zippered pouch for storage.
I checked the JellyPantz website FAQ to inform myself of any potential problems/hazards – it all seemed pretty straightforward. I felt safe to proceed with my trial.
Note: I will will be conducting this test in a Dressage saddle.
Day 1: After work, I changed into my jodphers, complete with Pantz and Jelly Pad. It was fairly unobtrusive – not much different than wearing a panti-liner or pad. Once in the saddle, it did provide added cushion. However, warmed up after walk and posting trot, I noticed a problem with sitting trot. The gel was less forgiving than just plain underwear, as it has a bit of ‘grip’, so I found it to chafe more, not less. This was disappointing. I did read in the FAQ, that some riders added a lubricant to the pad for added relief. I decided to try that on Day 2.
Day 2: Yesterday, hand washed and stored Jelly Pad according to instructions, and Pantz as well, in preparation for today. As per recommendation in FAQ, I added Sterile Jelly on Jelly Pad to alleviate the chafing. This worked very well, and I was back on board with JellyPantz. Once again, washed/stored Pad, and hand washed Pantz. Which brings me to Day 3…
Day 3: So, I’m fairly happy with my JellyPantz, except for the fact that I’m NOT going to hand-wash and wear the same pair of underpants every day of the week. The actual pad yes, undies, no. I’m also reluctant to buy a full weeks worth of Pantz, and to have to change underpants before and after every ride. So that brings me to my 3rd day and question. Will the pad work with regular underwear?
It started off fine, with regular underpants, and Jelly Pad, (with the Sterile Gel) . All was good in walk, but in posting trot, the Jelly Pad started to go on a field trip. Well, this was distinctly uncomfortable. I had to stop, remove the pad, and continue my lesson. I can’t fault the product, as I was going off script with the trial. As different underwear are comprised of different materials, I’m going to try another pair, and see if I have better behavior from Jelly Pad. Stay tuned…..
Day 4: Revisiting the underwear issue, I chose a pair similar to the JellyPantz style- I positioned the pad firmly, and a bit more forward. (the velcro grippy part is on the pad, so it will snag fabric- that’s a good thing for our purposes, but don’t use your Silk Victoria’s Secret panties here!) Added a small amount of sterile gel, and voila – success! Jelly pad did not go AWOL, and I had a pleasant, chafe-free ride!
In conclusion, I give JellyPantz a thumbs up. I will probably not use it on a daily basis, but definitely when I am anticipating a more intense ride – during lessons, clinics, and shows. I would recommend this product to my friends!
