Riding Horses Bareback

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Hi Folks,

We just bought our first horses a few months ago and I started to really enjoy riding them bareback. Are there any reasons why I should not? Is it less comfortable for the horse if I ride it bareback?

Thanks

-- Bernd in NC (Bernd001@aol.com), April 06, 2001

Answers

Won't hurt the horse at all, in fact they probably like it a whole lot more than a saddle. You'll become a better rider, more balance and a good leg grip, without a saddle too. If you need extra security you can use a "neck rope". Take a cotton lead line, loop around horses neck by withers, not real tight....at least a fist or room under it....then tie in a non-slip knot. You can use it to hang onto instead of the mane. Enjoy your life.

-- Deborah (bearwaoman@Yahoo.com), April 06, 2001.

Unless working from the saddle, my horse and I both enjoyed just a blanket or riding pad. Easier on his back,less sweat and softer on my tush and such.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), April 06, 2001.

That's the only way I used to ride mine, I don't have any horses right now & the few I've ridden the owners insisted on a saddle, forget it, I'll get my own again someday. In the winter their body heat will help keep you warm, I would ride mine on cold days when my friends who used saddles wouldn't. You will have to contend with dirtier jeans, but you can get a saddle blanket, it's belted on just like a saddle, but it's just a comfortable blanket on top.

-- Lenore (archambo@winco.net), April 06, 2001.

If you're a good rider, with good balance and you don't weigh too much for the horse's back (saddle-less or not), there really should be no hinderance. As Deborah noted, riders who are habitually bareback riders usually develop a better seat, and I have seen many horses with tremendous saddle sores from ill-fitting saddles and/or poor riders who hang all over them and make sore spots, something that is much less likely to happen bareback.

The only thing I have to add is that some people get 'bareback pads' for themselves or their kids, either as a cheap saddle alternative, or for the 'security' of stirrups, but they are very unsafe, and frequently slip, and many people have ended up getting dragged with their foot caught in the stirrup of one of those, or taking a real hard face-plant when they rely on that slippery synthetic pad.

-- julie f. (rumplefrogskin@excite.com), April 06, 2001.


Anybody ever ride in the fun classes at shows that included bareback with a dollar bill under your butt? If you got through the class with the money still under your seat you won everyones money. In the adult classes the side bets were considerably more than the dollar bills won in the ring :) Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), April 06, 2001.


I've done Ride A Buck, Vicki. It's fun, especially when you get a bunch of us older riders in the ring. The kids do Egg and Spoon, and Champayne class at County Fair too. Egg and Spoon is when you put an egg on a plastic spoon and walk, trot, canter the last one with their egg on the spoon wins. Champayne class you have to carry a champayne glass full of colored water and walk, trot, canter the one with the most water left wins. I had an awful time getting red colored water off my daughter's good wool show blanket last year.

Stacy Rohan in Windsor, NY

-- Stacy Rohan (KincoraFarm@aol.com), April 06, 2001.


We do both Ride a Buck and Sit a Buck...the difference on those as played around here is that in Sit a Buck, you have the dollar under your posterior, and in Ride a Buck, it goes between your knee and the horse. They are also great training excercises for bareback riders.

Man, I'd insist on champagne in the glass if I was going to be doing that one (of course they'd have to refill it a couple times before we got going).

-- julie f. (rumplefrogskin@excite.com), April 06, 2001.


I have been teaching my son to ride and he rides exclusively bareback right now to learn how the horse "feels" under him. We have great fun at the walk and you should see the trot, (bounce, bounce bounce!) but he is learning to let his hips follow the horse. I have a trophy for the egg and spoon in my office. Won it when I was 14 at a show, probably don't have the coordination to do that now! There is nothing wrong with riding bareback, horses like and no saddle to lug out or clean! Just enjoy it!

-- Cindy (colawson@mindspring.com), April 06, 2001.

It's fun teaching your kids to ride isn't it, Cindy? My youngest has got to the point where I can't really teach her anymore and she goes to a trainer now for advanced instruction- mainly jumping. She'll start saddleseat lessons this spring. The poor old barrel horse is going to go in some 4H saddleseat classes this year. I'm totally lost about saddleseat, I've never even seen it ridden. Kady listens to her trainer better than she did me too (grin) Old Mom taught her to barrel race tho!

I did egg and spoon on Kady's barrel horse last spring...what a hoot. I didn't win but I placed fairly well. I did win parent's barrels, poles, western equitation (also done on the barrel horse) and keyhole. I think the kid respected me a smidge more after that especially since I beat her time in cloverleaf.

Stacy Rohan in Windsor, NY with I'm A Star Down Home (Morab gelding- Mr. Versatility), Emer (TB mare-broodmare/pasture ornament), and My Pooh Bear (Quarter Horse gelding-Hunter under saddle/Western pleasure deluxe)

-- Stacy Rohan (KincoraFarm@aol.com), April 06, 2001.


I started out riding Western, then switched to English, jumping. I have no problem riding either way and have shown both. When people ask me which why I like to ride best, I say bareback!

I had a saddlepad slide all the way to my mare's butt once. Wasn't pretty. Another time I forgot it was a saddlepad and fell when I used the stirrup to dismount.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), April 06, 2001.



I do some tough mountain riding and ride for many hours. Years ago, I ran into a problem with my mount's body constantly changing. I won't mickey mouse with pads; I need safety for the type of riding I do. I got tired of buying saddles. I then discovered the Natural Ride, a safe bareback pad. It fits just about every critter, high, low or no withered. I also use it on my steer.

All this is is a fork with the cinch and stirrups attached. You can carry it with 2 fingers! It comes with a pad that is similar to carpeting. They also have a leather pad, but it's rough out leather. I would be leary, since roughout eventually wears and becomes slick. I've had this for many years, but it's not for anyone who needs the security of a saddle. Here's a pic:

http://www.statelinetack.com/images/product/st4239.jpg

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), April 07, 2001.


I see nothing wrong with riding bareback. In fact thats how I learned. Later I wanted to buy a bareback riding pad until I saw someone else use one. It never stayed in place & really concerned me. At the time I was also getting a couple of horse magazines of some kind (Western Horseman was one). In one I saw an ad for a bareback saddle (more of a rig then a saddle) that was unlike any I've seen before. It was made of hard plastic or nylon that once on the horse was in front of you, giving you a sturdy handhold if needed. And it also supported western style sturrupes(?), as well as come with an english style pad, & a girth. (Both pad & girth were made of felt.) I can tell you now that the girth wasn't worth anything. I had to tie the girth in a not (not the normal kind used on saddles) because the buckles didn't work right. And I never cared for the pad (prefered western style, & was thin). A few years later I got married to a Marine, & moved (from Indiana) to Kentucky where he was currently stationed. While there I took the bareback rig to saddle shop that also did repairs. I had him put a string girth with leather tie straps & a couple of D rings on the saddle, & I've never had any problems with it since. The next year we got orders to go to California (29 Palms area), which we took vacation time for the trip across country. Before leaving, we made reservations for various camp grounds & a all day ride (in Idaho). Naturally I took the bareback rig (I sometimes have problems with places where you pay to ride, they almost always put me in a saddle too small for me, giving me not the horse sores). When I asked if I would be allowed to use my rig (explaining about saddles & me not getting along), she didn't look too thrilled. After saddleing the horses (without asking she put 3-5 pads on my horse to make me more comfortable, though totally unnessary, it was very nice of them), she put a rope around my horses neck in case I needed something to hold on to (we were climbing some steep mountions). During the ride she kept asking me if I was alright. However, after we climbed a steep trail and saw me riding it easy, she never bothered to ask again. I didn't know if she was satisfied with my riding ability, or impressed with the rig I was useing. I never did use the rope. It was a great ride. In fact it was there on that ride that I first heard of huckleberries (grew wild on the trail & near the meadow where we had a steak lunch, also part of the ride). There is a bareback rig alturnative to the bareback pads that constantly slip. But it also costs more ($99 + shipping when I bought it years ago). If anyone does manage to find this rig for sale, I recommend (after getting it) you replace the girth with your favorite kind, you won't have any trouble with it after that.

I know this has been long, but it was a good memmory (happened in 1995 or 96)

animalfarms

-- animalfarms (jwlewis@indy.net), April 07, 2001.


It seemes Rogo posted while I was writing that long post. It's the same rig.

animalfarms

-- animalfarms (jwlewis@indy.net), April 07, 2001.


== A few years later I got married to a Marine, & moved (from Indiana) to Kentucky where he was currently stationed. While there I took the bareback rig to saddle shop that also did repairs. I had him put a string girth with leather tie straps & a couple of D rings on the saddle, & I've never had any problems with it since. ==

Animalfarms ~ This doesn't sound like the rig I had. It wasn't a saddle, just a fork that fit over the withers. A saddle pad is used under it. No place to put D rings, unless you put them on the saddle pad.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), April 08, 2001.


I usually ride with a bareback pad. I'm 27 now and have had horses for 20 yrs & rode bareback from the time I got my first horse. I do not recommend the pad that have stirrups, they are dangerous cuz they are prone to slipping off the side of the horse. I have also ridden western & english, as well as tried out an aussie saddle a couple times. Of all the saddles my fav is a dressage saddle...nice deep seat and good contact with your horse. Funny, most of the people I know who grew up riding bareback turn to dressage saddles when they decide they are "too old" for bareback riding.

-- elle (eagle-quest@juno.com), April 08, 2001.


Dear Bernd,

Looks like You've lots of good advice! I've a degree in Equine Management and have ridden just about every style (still want to try Aussie). My fav saddle and what I ride now is an old McClellan tree: great contact, light-weight, and easily modified to fit most horses. However my favorite way to ride is DEFINATELY bareback!!! I've even gentled horses bareback because of the increased contact.

Just a few caveats: Be sensible and take TIME to develop a secure seat before getting too adventurous. You're building a relationship of trust with your horse and bad experiences can really set things back, especially at the beginning.

DO NOT USE A 'BARE BACK PAD'!!!!!!! They are just too dangerous. Everyone else covered this pretty well.

Be aware of what you're wearing when riding bareback. Silly as it may seem, I've known people to slip or fall off when their synthetic pants became wet from rain or sweat. Shorts are ok, and can be fun.

Be cognizant of riding directly on your horse's backbone which will exert pressure differently than a saddle. Try to keep your seat 'soft' so that you flow with the movement of your horse. Try carrying someone on your back who's stiff and then relaxes into your movement; you'll understand the difference.

Neck ropes are a good idea while you're learning and when in rough terrain. DO NOT try holding on with the reins- if you don't feel confident, use a saddle! No offense - I've had to help too many horses who had riders in thier mouths trying to hang on.

Most of all - Have Fun!!! If you find barebacking is really for you and want to try advancing a bit, research Pat Parelli and some of his training technique. He not only has students riding bareback, but sans bridle also! All it takes is developing a real relationship with yo

-- Randle Gay (rangay@hotmail.com), April 10, 2001.


Like what's been advised, I would never use a bareback pad, altho I'm one of few who can mount without it slipping (I weigh less than 100 pounds.) I just want it clear that the Natural Ride is nothing like the bareback pad you're used to. I could never do the steep mountain riding I do with just a regular bareback pad.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), April 11, 2001.

I want to clear up some misconceptions from the previous posts... there are DIFFERENT bareback pads. The ones with no tree, but with stirrups are VERY dangerous.

The ones that are just a pad are only meant to keep you clean, not to keep you on the horse. Like ALL pads, including saddle pads, they are slippery when new. Used a few times, they stay in place quite well. For those of you who have trouble getting on your horse bareback, a simple device called the Bareback Buddy is available. See it at:

www.hotstuff4horses.com

-- Rog (hs4hs@aol.com), June 08, 2001.


I have never trusted bareback pads with stirrups, seen too many slip to one side and riders get tangled. I love dressage saddles though with the deep seat and close contact and the lightness. I have ridden both english and western and now, prefer the english or bareback riding. Western saddles are just too heavy and do not provide enough contact with the horse. Rogo, you do a lot of mountain riding? I would love to do that one day, we don't have any hill country around here, have to travel about 4 hours north to even see hills. I think riding bareback teaches you alot about how a horse moves and develops the rider to respond with the horse. Even english riders depend alot on posting and I have snatched many english saddles off horses and put the students on without a saddle and had them ride for a few minutes. You would have thought they had never sat a horse before. It does stretch those leg muscles and develop a good seat. As my dad used to say, stick it or fall off. It is mostly true and I would suggest using an arena or closed area to ride bareback first if you have never done it before. But before long, you'll be out and about and having a great time. Lots of times I would rather do the bareback thing than lug out out the saddle, and blanket, especially for short rides. Happy trails everyone.

-- Cindy (colawson@mindspring.com), June 08, 2001.

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