Bareback riding & insurance?

A friend of mine's 19 year old daughter was riding her horse out through a field to its own field after a ride, bareback with a bridle on and a police man stopped by the side of the field and questioned her about whether she was about to go on the road and if she had been on the road bareback. She hadn't. He than told her not to as it is illegal because you are not in full control of the horse without a saddle and both feet in stirrups.
 
skyejosh said:
A friend of mine's 19 year old daughter was riding her horse out through a field to its own field after a ride, bareback with a bridle on and a police man stopped by the side of the field and questioned her about whether she was about to go on the road and if she had been on the road bareback. She hadn't. He than told her not to as it is illegal because you are not in full control of the horse without a saddle and both feet in stirrups.
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I had thought of that, however, if anything, I would think I was in more control as I can get off the horse quicker. For me I have a stickier bum when I am not on a saddle!
 
Yes but as far as I am aware it is law that you need to be in control with tack, regardless of how good you are without it.
 
OMG, am I glad that public liability wasn't really around in the 1970s, most of us kids would have been "riding illegally"!! :eek: :eek:
 
skyejosh said:
A friend of mine's 19 year old daughter was riding her horse out through a field to its own field after a ride, bareback with a bridle on and a police man stopped by the side of the field and questioned her about whether she was about to go on the road and if she had been on the road bareback. She hadn't. He than told her not to as it is illegal because you are not in full control of the horse without a saddle and both feet in stirrups.
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I actually think that's a load of rubbish and i am surprised a policeman even bothered to question the rider! As far as I am aware there is no law stating that you have to have a saddle and/or bridle on your horse to ride it (otherwise surely a heck of a alot of travellers would be arrested as they invariably ride without a saddle or indeed bridle from what i have seen!).

I also don't think there is anything in insurance that can stipulate what you can and can't wear on your horse when you ride on the roads. However, you would need to READ your inurance policy wording to double check as at the end of the day they can really choose to cover or not cover you in various circumstances.
 
ex racer rider said:
The highway code states that anyone under 14 must wear a hat and the horse should be in a saddle and bridle
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"Should". I don't think that makes it a legal requirement though as there is no actual rule to say what you have to have on your horse. In my opinion a saddle doesn't make a huge amount of difference to the safety aspect anyway. We all used to do it as kids - I forgot my tack once i recall so my sister and I shared the one set we did have. We went for a hack with my pony wearing the bridle but I rode bareback and my sister wore the saddle but used a headcollar instead of a bridle. I would be very surprised if i was stopped by a police officer even if I did the same today.
 
Ooooo interesting thread. I rode bareback with a bridle round country lanes for an hour and a half at the weekend, never gave insurance & certainly not legal implications a thought! It was fantastic & had planned to do it again, bit of research etc needed now me thinks!
 
How sad if it is true that it's kind of "illegal" if you ride bareback :eek:

Riding bareback as kids taught us so much about balance and was fun too :D

I will definitely let my kids ride bareback once they are getting a bit older. You can't take all the fun away from them :D
 
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