About those friends who will ride with you — I wasn’t just talking about the heat and the hills, or the punctured tires and the saddle sores.

There are some other distressing cases: a horse with its stomach bloated from a severe parasitic infection and another needing surgery for a deep saddle sore.

Then he struggled last year with injury and sickness and withdrew midway through the 2021 Giro due to a saddle sore.

First, you must brush the llamas to remove any burs or straw that could create saddle sores.

Hygiene and comfort are critical, and saddle sores are no joke — and can end an otherwise enjoyable ride.