Anybody fancy giving me some BareBack CC?

[Jackson]

Because I hate my saddle

I think that my main faults are leaning back a little too much, and having sticky out toes, although interestingly the toe sticky-outness disappears when I get on a different horse

If you could offer me some advice about getting him 'on the bit' (hate that phrase ) I would really appreciate it, getting him working over his back under saddle is really hard, impossible like. We have moments where he is nice, but they don't happen too often.. It has never really been his way, and having any contact on his mouth and trying to push him in to it with leg just ends up with his head in the air/confused horse, we really have to work for our few nice moments, I can't just ask him for them, if that makes sense?

thank you for looking!

 

[BlizzardBudd]

you do lean back a little too much, but you already know that. your toes dont seem to be sticking out in the pics

 

[Tedzrocks]

Maybe try to straighten up and sit up straight? Might help if you imagine a string through your body and it pulling. That's what I do!

 

[Jess Hoss]

We were chatting about bareback in the yard the other day. One of the girls said that it's better if you do lean back a bit more than you would in a saddle. . . .but me ? I know nothing ! ! LOL ! If you look at some Appleby pics all the riders lean back & have legs forward.

 

[Jackson]

Thanks guys when I actively try and sit up properly, it is much harder to balance, although in canter I can feel myself sitting up better because leaning back like in the pictures means that it's harder to keep him going for some reason? Maybe you're right Jess Hoss

 

[BellaBee]

Personally I lean back when riding bareback, but I do it cause my mare had bony whithers so sitting up hurts! I feel with bareback its more what is comfortable for you and your horse as each horse (and rider) is shaped differently. My friend has an armchair pony and she sits up straight no problem, but I just can't

 

[Jackson]

Personally I lean back when riding bareback, but I do it cause my mare had bony whithers so sitting up hurts! I feel with bareback its more what is comfortable for you and your horse as each horse (and rider) is shaped differently. My friend has an armchair pony and she sits up straight no problem, but I just can't

Oh yeah, I remember trying to ride a slightly on the skinny side TBX mare with really high withers, very painful! I guess as long as you're both comfortable, that's what matters

 

[joosie]

If you look at some Appleby pics all the riders lean back & have legs forward.

When riding bareback it's certainly easier to balance when you sit like this. And as others have said, it's also more comfortable to sit that way if your horse has bony withers I hack some Shetland ponies bareback and I deliberately sit back when trotting and cantering as it does indeed help you relax and balance, I think if I didn't I would just get bounced off

However, unfortunately this position is not conducive to getting a horse to work properly. Whether you're bareback or in a saddle doesn't make a difference IMO - if you want him to work correctly you need to be sitting in the correct position. Riding with legs forwards and leaning back, you put yourself behind the horse's movement and inhibit him from really working through his back and carrying himself properly.

Looking at the OP's pics I would suggest that you try to relax and lengthen your legs rather than gripping, as it looks in the photos you are trying too hard to have your leg in the position it would be with a saddle & stirrups. I wouldn't be able to tell this from looking at photos but I should think that gripping up like this is preventing you from keeping a nice deep, relaxed seat. When you're riding bareback you need to be able to absorb the movement of the horse beneath you and tension in your legs will inhibit you from doing this.

As well as sitting more upright with your seatbones square beneath you, I'd also suggest opening up your shoulders as at the moment they are somewhat hunched.

 

[Jackson]

When riding bareback it's certainly easier to balance when you sit like this. And as others have said, it's also more comfortable to sit that way if your horse has bony withers I hack some Shetland ponies bareback and I deliberately sit back when trotting and cantering as it does indeed help you relax and balance, I think if I didn't I would just get bounced off

However, unfortunately this position is not conducive to getting a horse to work properly. Whether you're bareback or in a saddle doesn't make a difference IMO - if you want him to work correctly you need to be sitting in the correct position. Riding with legs forwards and leaning back, you put yourself behind the horse's movement and inhibit him from really working through his back and carrying himself properly.

Looking at the OP's pics I would suggest that you try to relax and lengthen your legs rather than gripping, as it looks in the photos you are trying too hard to have your leg in the position it would be with a saddle & stirrups. I wouldn't be able to tell this from looking at photos but I should think that gripping up like this is preventing you from keeping a nice deep, relaxed seat. When you're riding bareback you need to be able to absorb the movement of the horse beneath you and tension in your legs will inhibit you from doing this.

As well as sitting more upright with your seatbones square beneath you, I'd also suggest opening up your shoulders as at the moment they are somewhat hunched.

Thank you Joosie

It's hard to explain, but it is near impossible to put your leg any where other than where it is in the pictures, my hips and leg just can't stretch down around his belly.. He is very.. round, and I am very narrow, and my leg has to go in front of the belly bulge! I will try though

Ah, and shoulders.. I forget completely

 

[**Vanner**]

I'm having to ride mine bareback at the moment - waiting for new saddle! and my last one has been condemmed (humm the joys of a XXXXW cob!!!) Fortunately he is v v comfy!

You look best in the last picture where you look more relaxed and not like you are gripping with your legs for dear life! Likewise ponio is more relaxed.

 

[joosie]

It's hard to explain, but it is near impossible to put your leg any where other than where it is in the pictures, my hips and leg just can't stretch down around his belly.. He is very.. round, and I am very narrow, and my leg has to go in front of the belly bulge!

LOL - I do know what you mean! I am a very narrow person myself & broad horses can be very testing on the hips... I know that "stretched" feeling very well

 

[riding_high]

it is more comfy when you lean back and i think everyone i see riding bareback does it!

the one thing that i noticed is that you are sitting as if you have a saddle, with your legs looking like they are in invisible stirrups, i don't know if that's good or bad but when i ride bareback i tend to let my legs 'drop' down and relax, that also then pulls you more into line with sitting up straighter. i probably do it because i trust my horse completely and also don't really care if i'm 'gripping' with my legs so they just hang down as if i'm riding in a saddle without stirrups. when i ride the ponies it helps me to relax my legs as then i can wrap them under their bellies.

all the above is probably totally wrong advice and i'm talking out me butt! lol

 

[Jackson]

LOL - I do know what you mean! I am a very narrow person myself & broad horses can be very testing on the hips... I know that "stretched" feeling very well

I'm glad you do, it's a bit of a strange thing to describe!!

One good thing about it, I had a dodgy hip before I got him, and was meant to be doing lots of stretchy excersises with it. It gives me no trouble any more and is completely normal!

Ah, vanner, the joys of having wide horses eh? I only ever learned bareback because my boy was too.. ahem.. wide for any saddle when he first came here

 

[**Vanner**]

Ah, vanner, the joys of having wide horses eh? I only ever learned bareback because my boy was too.. ahem.. wide for any saddle when he first came here

Tee hee - saddle fitter just said (as she made his template) - oh dear he goes off my paper! Like you though he has fixed my hip stiffness

Just to add he isn't overweight either - that is his bone structure!!!

 

[Jackson]

Tee hee - saddle fitter just said (as she made his template) - oh dear he goes off my paper! Like you though he has fixed my hip stiffness

Just to add he isn't overweight either - that is his bone structure!!!

!!!

I completely understand! even when he was fit, I think that you could actually have eaten a picnic off of my horse's back!