My gf has horses, and we went riding this past weekend. After a few hours of bouncing around in the saddle, I wondered how cowboys dealt with the scrotal trauma involved. Seriously. Calluses don’t seem likely 
None that I know do.
Briefs + tight pants?
You want to keep a little weight in your stirrups, timing is everything. But yeah, the first day or two and your ass is range burger.
One of you is facing the wrong way. :dubious:
Did Pony Express riders cushion their Packages?
Well, I was thinking more along the lines of old tyme cowboys.
Seriously, the dude in the picture has gloves to protect his hands, a hat to keep the sun and sweat out of his eyes, etc. Did real cowboys buy some sorta “package protector” at Ned’s General Store?
Go Ned’s!
I’ve done a bit of riding in my time and you quickly learn to make adjustments in the saddle or reach down and adjust.
I’d be more concerned about the indians though. The spine of a horse can be quite bony.
When you ride a horse properly, you are sitting back on your seat bones. You’re sitting on the back pockets of the jeans, not the front crotchal region. Plus, with skill, you don’t bounce at all. Plus, a horse suited to long distance riding has smooth, non-jarring gaits. Plus, cantering is far smoother than trotting.
Basically, your 'nads hurt because you suck at it. If you were any good, it really would not be an issue.
No, I’m actually not all that bad. 
The horse I was riding is a gaited horse, and is smooth as silk. But when you are moving along and a deer jumps up in front of you, and the horse throws on his brakes, ooooomf. And if you watch film of cutting horses working, they are stop/start and sharp turns.
I have nothing to contribute other than to say that Speck is really cute!
I think the lack of nad protectors is why cowboys are “rough and tough”…
This where the original idea for “Jockey” shorts came from. 
Interesting choice of words. 
My hubby uses a Cashel Tush Cushion when he’s working with our horses but not in the show ring. He calls it “nad insurance.”
Cool. I ride with an Australian Saddle (because that is what my gf has).
Yes she is! She was dumped at my office this summer. She was a real mess- emaciated, filthy, flea infested, barely able to walk. We fixed her up and now she lives like royalty.
Cool. I have seen gelpads for kayaks, but have never tried one.
I ride a couple of times a week, if life doesn’t interfere. I don’t have this problem. I wear Levis and jockey shorts.
I will suggest that you not riding with any regularity, then going “bouncing around in the saddle for a few hours” is a good recipe for problems. If you were new to the sport of running and wanted to run in a marathon, you wouldn’t start by trying to go 26.2 miles at your first practice session.
Like any other athletic endeavor, riding a horse is something you should build up to. Start off with 30 minute sessions and slowly increase your riding time from there. You’ll learn lots of technique along the way.
Happy trails!
Well, the McClellan does have a cut-out running fore and aft, and has what is sometimes called a split seat. That however is not for the benefit of the rider (in fact it could be a catastrophe for the rider if he gets caught in the split at a good fast trot). Rather it is for the benefit of the horse. The split puts the weight and pressure of the saddle and rider on the muscles the run down either side of the horse’s spine. Also, as a horse loses condition and weight, as is bound to happen on, for instance, a forty day patrol or a period of reduced rations, the saddle does not bear directly on the beast’s backbone. A sore backed horse is of no use to anyone and the purpose of the government saddle was to avoid sore backed horses.
Full disclosure: I ride a 1903 McClellan that was releathered by an outfit in New Jersey that makes museum quality reproductions of US Govt saddles and horse tack – and very good quality campaign hats. The saddle was my father’s. He got to keep it when his NG cavalry company was dismounted in the mid-1930s.
In terms of avoiding physical injury, a proper saddle seat involves tilting the pelvis so that contact with the saddle is on the pelvic bones, not on the soft stuff in front. Even when seated an experienced rider will take a fair amount of his weight on his legs, not on his butt. Early on there is bound to be a sore butt and sore knees and sore muscles on the inside of the thighs, but that will pass.