bareback riding - bad for horses backs??

Jenny923

Jenny923

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What the title says really.
Saw a post the other day about someone riding bare back and thought 'i haven't done that for ages. im going to do it next time i ride.' So the next day i did but i was very conscious that i was banging his back/spine when trotting and cantering.
so basically was wondering if riding bare back was bad for their backs??
 
probably no more than doing sitting trot
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oh ok thats gooood because i really enjoyed it, and will be doing it more if its not bad.
i was just thinking that at least with a saddle it is slightly cushioned.
 
If your unbalanced and banging around excessively on the horses back then i'd probably work on position and balance before doing a lot of bareback work. My horses is currently only been ridden bareback as he has a sore where his girth lies so rather than aggrevate it he his going in the nude. Hopefully he'll be fine then by the weekend for his show
 
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oh ok thats gooood because i really enjoyed it, and will be doing it more if its not bad.
i was just thinking that at least with a saddle it is slightly cushioned.

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As time goes by and you do it more, you'll find you bounce less
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. If it worries you, put a saddle blanket on and sit on that
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Like others have said it's only bad if you bounce around excessively! Having a nice thick polypad to sit on until you get the hang of it helps at first. Canter is generally alot comfier than trot so prehaps practice sitting in this first (as long as your horse is reliable), just watch you don't do a downwards transition into a rushed trot as this will be uncomfortable (for you both!). And try to practise on a well covered horse that doesn't have big boney withers!
 
I don't think a little bit of bareback riding will harm your horse, but you shouldn't be banging around. Maybe do some riding without stirrups as an interim thing?
However, when you ride bareback the weight coming down through your seatbones is not distributed in the same way that it is when you ride in a saddle. In which case, if you rode bareback all the time it probably wouldn't be the best thing for your horse's back.
(Yes, I do ride bareback, but not all the time).
 
I agree with Woeisme, try riding without stirrups first, if you feel you're bouncing around too much. I do a little BB riding, but normally in the winter - not sure why that is!! Maybe to keep my botty warm?
 
When I first got my mare, her back muscles were so assymetrical that her saddle used to slip to the right all the time. I used to find it more comfortable to ride bareback. Luckily she has a very well-padded back! It does wonders for your balance & your sense of how the horse is moving. For longer rides I used to do half bareback riding & half running alongside, to stop me stiffening up too much and to prevent her back getting sore.
 
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