Prevalence and risk factors of stress urinary incontinence among female horseback riders in Poland

Why Riding and Bladder Leaks Belong in the Same Conversation

Horseback riding is often praised for building strength, balance, and confidence. Yet for many women in the saddle, an unspoken issue lurks beneath the surface: urine leaks during effort, known as stress urinary incontinence. This study looks at how common these leaks are in female riders and which factors make them more likely, offering insight that can help riders stay healthy, comfortable, and active for longer.

Who Was Studied and What Was Measured

The researchers surveyed 100 women in Poland, aged 21 to 54, who rode horses either for fun (most of them) or professionally. All participants answered a detailed online questionnaire about their riding habits, pregnancies and births, urinary symptoms, and general health. Women who reported any urinary leakage also completed two standard scales that measure how much bladder problems interfere with everyday activities and how distressing the symptoms feel. This allowed the team not only to count how many riders leaked but also to gauge how much it affected their quality of life.

How Common Were Leaks in the Saddle

More than one in three riders—36%—reported stress urinary incontinence, meaning they leaked urine during activities that increase pressure in the abdomen, such as effort, coughing, or sport. For many, this was not a minor nuisance. Riders with leakage scored much higher on both impact and distress questionnaires, indicating that bladder problems interfered with daily tasks, travel, sex life, and emotional well-being. Feelings of embarrassment or anger, planning bathroom trips "just in case," and avoiding certain situations were all linked with worse quality-of-life scores.

Age, Weight, and Childbirth Matter More Than the Sport Itself

To understand what lay behind these symptoms, the team examined a range of possible influences. Classic factors—age, body mass index (a measure combining weight and height), and whether a woman had given birth—stood out clearly. Older riders and those with higher BMI were more likely to report stress incontinence, and women who had delivered one or more children had higher distress scores than those who had never given birth. The odds of leakage rose steadily with each additional birth. In contrast, the type of riding (amateur, recreational, or professional), how often women trained, and how long each session lasted did not show a strong link with whether they leaked.

Riding Experience and Other Health Factors

While riding style itself did not seem to trigger leaks, experience in the saddle did make a difference to how severe the symptoms felt. Women who had been riding for less than a year reported higher distress scores than those with several years of experience, suggesting that over time riders may develop stronger pelvic support or learn body techniques that lessen impact. Other health conditions also played a role: riders with a history of urinary or genital infections, bladder inflammation, or illnesses like hypertension and diabetes tended to report more troubling symptoms. Interestingly, taller women had slightly lower odds of stress incontinence, though the biological reason for this finding is still unclear.

What This Means for Riders and Their Care Teams

The study shows that urinary leaks are a real and often hidden problem for women who ride, driven mostly by the same factors that affect non-athletes—aging, higher body weight, and childbirth—rather than by the sport alone. However, the repetitive pressure of riding may expose weaknesses in pelvic support, especially in less experienced riders. The authors argue that open conversation, early attention to symptoms, and simple preventive steps—such as pelvic floor exercises, guidance from a physiotherapist, and coordinated care between sports doctors and gynecologists—can reduce leaks and the shame that often surrounds them. In practical terms, that means more women can continue to enjoy horseback riding without sacrificing comfort, confidence, or long-term health.

Citation: Zalewski, M., Kołodyńska, G., Piątek, A. et al. Prevalence and risk factors of stress urinary incontinence among female horseback riders in Poland. Sci Rep 16, 5606 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-36444-y

Keywords: horseback riding, urinary incontinence, pelvic floor, womens health, sports medicine