looking for bareback riding tips

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We've taken in a former camp horse who is perfectly capable of going for nice, mellow rides. (Which is all I'm up for anyway!) I have no western saddle, nor much desire to invest in one. I have ridden Ladd bareback a couple times now, and just want to make sure I'm doing things in the safest and most comfortable way for him. I've always heard conflicting opinions on bareback riding...that it's bad for their spine, etc. He is a well-padded horse, and I'm just an average size woman, so I'm not really afraid of hurting him, but if there are ways I can ensure his comfort while I ride bareback, I want to know. Thanks.

-- Shannon at Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary (gratacres@aol.com), June 24, 2001

Answers

DUnno how much you can hurt Ladd with bareback riding - didn't seem to bother any of the critters I had for the hundreds of miles we did & was toasty in the winter. Only thing that was a drag was hopping up on Trigger, which ain't my best shot. A fella who messed up his knee doing that number invented a strap that hooks around, say right leg, goes across the back & provides a stirrup thingie on the left side. When up, unhook from leg, put it around Trigger's neck & off you go. I WILL get one, next horse. Found it on the internet - somewhere on the endurance horse info links thingie & it's called "Bareback Buddy" seemed to cost about $30 & sounded like a grand thing betther than sliced white bread, you know? Try it on some horse search engine page, like haynet.com or whatever. Good luck on your adventures!

-- K-K-K-Katie (yarnspinnerkt@hotmail.com), June 24, 2001.

Shannon- I haven't had a horse in years, but back when I was doing a lot of riding there was a pad called a bareback pad that you could use instead of a saddle. They were pretty cheap- just a pad, like a saddle pad, but a little thicker and they had stirrups attached to them. Much more comfortable than trying to stay aboard a sweaty, slippery horse.

-- Elizabeth (ekfla@aol.com), June 24, 2001.

Yes! I like Bareback pads too. The stirrups are a big help and make the ride nicer. Also, if you have a tall horse that hasn't been taught to "stretch", so you can get on it solves that problem. I don't think Cimmarron and Stormy cared one way or the other but I liked it! :-)

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), June 24, 2001.

I think horses were made for riding bareback! Skip the saddle, and the man-made bareback pads and keep up what you're doing. Climb on, grab some mane and have a great ride!! You AND your horse will enjoy it!!

-- cowgirlone (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), June 24, 2001.

The most comfortable way for Ladd is for you not to bounce. Hold on with the inside of your knees, and strenghten those muscles. Practice with something under your rump, like a dollar. See if you can make it stay there. Push down with your whole body and relax and just go as he goes. Shut your eyes and pretend your whole body is limp (except the knees) and it will stay with him.

Some horses are very hard to sit, is he smooth or choppy? At a walk, trot and canter, your rump should stay down. If he is really choppy to ride or uncomfortable, you can get a bareback pad with stirrups, and put the weight of your body on the stirups. The saddle is designed to take all the pressure off the back and place it on the sides of his backbone, not his backbone. Riding bareback really is the most fun, and English saddles are great for being able to ride all day and not get tired, feels almost like no saddle too, very comfortable ride.

-- Cindy in KY (solid_rock_ranch@yahoo.com), June 24, 2001.



People ask me what I like riding better, Western or English. I say, bareback. Takes less time to "saddle up" and it really helps with your balance.

The only way I heard of a horse being hurt bareback was when two people were riding often at a trot, bouncing on the horse's kidneys.

My experience with the bareback pad was that it often slid down the back (going up hill) Also I would forget and try to dismount using the stirrup which would instantly slide under the horse. And since it didn't cinch tight, you couldn't mount with it. Most catalogs don't recommend them for beginner riders so there has to be a reason.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), June 24, 2001.


There is a whole thread about bareback pads in the old horse threads and all the reasons that you don't want to use commercial bareback pads (death, being the number one reason) for your reading pleasure.

There are some people who shouldn't be riding with a saddle either. If you are a good rider who evenly balances weight on the horse, riding bareback should not be a problem. As noted, you should not be sitting so far back that you are over the horse's kidneys, you want to be as close behind the withers as possible. If your horse has a prominent spine, padding is in order for both your comfort. You can fold up a regular wool saddle pad and put it under your seat and have it remain there while you ride, if you have a good seat (if it is slipping out, you have a problem.).

Having ridden for years in big clunky western saddles, I was very happy to convert over to forward seat and dressage saddles, however, I was having trouble with the leathers on the english saddle biting into my thigh, so I got dressage leathers and put them onto the forward saddle for more comfort. Then I tried and bought a treeless western saddle and I just love it. It has all the features that I liked in every different saddle, including extreme close contact, weighs about 12 lbs, and fits itself to all my horse's backs, so I can switch it from horse to horse. They're not cheap, but I expect it will be the last saddle I'll ever have to buy.

-- julie f. (rumplefrogskin@excite.com), June 25, 2001.


I'm one of the few adults who can mount a bareback pad without it slipping since I weigh less than 100 pounds, but I'd never trust it doing the treacherous mountain riding that I do. I never could find a saddle to fit my riding partner, a Mammoth jack. A friend had the answer and I've been using it for years. The Natural Ride is a safe bareback pad and it fits most high withered, low withered, no withered critters. I also use it for my Dexter steer.

Here's a picture:

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

I have changed everything on it! I use a neoprene cinch, my own stirrups and 'leathers' (mine are nylon). It comes with english or western stirrups.

-- ~Rogo -Texas- (rogo2020@yahoo.com), June 25, 2001.


Dear Shannon,

I contributed an answer to a similiar thread about a month ago. You might try finding the thread in the archive; there was lots of good advice. Briefly, there should be no problem with riding bareback. This may sound odd, but wear natural fibers when bareback. I've seen others wearing synthetics actually slip off because thier pants became too slick with the sweat from horse and rider.

I've seen the 'Trail Buddy' and it seems pretty ingenious. Take a look at the link and You may be able to make a home-made rig. I intend to eventually.

Bareback riding is an excellant way to develop a good seat and really communicate with Your horse. I started my Arabian filly bareback since I didn't have a saddle that fit her and had great success. She really seemed to perfer it.

While bareback pads are useful in certain situations, I discourage thier use for any but the most experienced. And "experienced" doesn't mean just riding. You should really know and understand horses to be safe with most pads. Besides, truly bareback is SOOOO much nicer!!

Good Luck and have FUN!!!

Randle

-- Randle Gay (rangay@hotmail.com), June 25, 2001.


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