Bareback riding

056775

056775

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Went for a little ride around on friends pony last night whom had just finished a lunge lesson thus had no saddle on. What a joy, forgot how much fun it was.

Prompted me to go and get my old boy who I don't ride as look too big on him although he can take my weight - and ride him too for the first time in about 2 years bareback!

Had lots of fun and managed walk trot and canter on both reins without being bounced off. Also had a little jump.

Makes me not want to use a saddle again - was really fun. Will def do again.
 
I went out riding bareback for an hour or so on my last horse - took him round the woods for a laugh (can't remember if he was bitless at the time). It was good fun - I just hoped he didn't do too many big spooks!
 
Bareback is great, I spent more time bareback as a child & teen than with a saddle, still ride mine bareback frequently. And daughter learnt to ride bareback, she always hops on to & from the field, as well as riding bareback quite a lot. Apart from being fun, there's nothing like it for position & balance.
 
I used to ride my TB ex racer with a folded blanket strapped on with a leather surcingle as he was uncomfortable to ride. Jeans are quite good for riding bareback as they aren't as slippery as jods
 
TrasaM said:
I want to try it :) just wondered if my seat bones will did into the horses back though? Also aren't horses backs really slippy ?
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Will only dig in if you sit like a sack of spuds or if you have a real bony bum :p and no they're not slippy. I find the warmth rises enabling you to stick more especially if you have suede section in your jods. :)
 
debsey1 said:
Will only dig in if you sit like a sack of spuds or if you have a real bony bum :p and no they're not slippy. I find the warmth rises enabling you to stick more especially if you have suede section in your jods. :)
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Bony bum :o however coblet looks to have a very comfy back so once the field drys out I will see if my bony bits bother him :D
 
I find it really easy (she says.....) because when I was a child we had stables out the back of the house but the field was about a 1.5 miles away either through the village or a short cut through the woods. We would hop on from the field in either a head collar or bridle and ride them to and from the field daily like this, and if when going through the forestry there was a fallen log, over we would go!!

Also if we didn't have time to ride and get our tack would just hack out like it...

I find it odd when people havn't but then I never went to riding school as most have.

Think it definitely helped my seat with out realising it and also "feel" through my seat.

Most of all though just really good fun!

I agree with jeans but always ride in them - skin tight or cords would be fine but if you ride in jods I wouldnt worry too much - just get on with it!
 
I love riding barback! I love it so much that i bought a bareback saddle that is competition legal so that i don't have to use a saddle at all :) It's great! :D Also since riding in thei saddle, my mctimony has said that my horses back has never looked better! also she has never worked better so its a win win! :D
EDT: heres the link to the saddle if you're interested :) http://www.totalcontact.eu/en/saddle.php
 
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I have seen these saddles but didnt know they were competition legal!

Would LOVE LOVE LOVE to SJ in one!!! Obv only Un Aff!! And on a pony not a horse!!
 
Well the one i just posted the link to, is competition legal, some italian riders compete in sj internationally in them! :) I've competed recently for the first time, and my mare is prone to ducking out and i haven't had any duck outs since riding in this :) But if you do get one, be prepared for unwanted comments about it. I went to a venue with lots of 'posh' sj horses and their chavvy owners, so i mostly got ''omg look at that girl she riding with no saddle, omg why would you do that, omg'' lol, there was one lady that asked me about it and she was very nice and seemed genuinely interested, so i told her all about it, she asked mine and horses name so that she didn't miss our round because she wanted to see me, horse and saddle in action :D so yes, you would get a lot of comments, mostly bad, but nevermind, im happy, and horse is happy, thats all that counts :D
My mare is a 16.1hh ISH btw, so not a flat backed pony :D
 
That is pretty cool, especially if you have a horse who is hard to fit to. Our TB is a bit young yet for bareback with my weight as would worry about not being balanced enough but once she has muscled up more I will have a go. On another note you can tell that site is Italian; check out the picture of the woman on the grey in a mini bikini in the slideshow!!!
 
debsey1 said:
You'll be fine :D Just try short distances at first. Hope your coblet isn't too young though?
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Thanks :) He's 6 now or soon will be. He had problems a few months back when his old saddle was pinching his back and has gone through a tanking off and bucking his rider off. So far he's been fine with me on board so I will just have to trust in that and find a softish place to practice :D
 
I'd love to ride mine bareback but he's a 16.2hh high withered, narrow tb. I think I'd be off the moment I'd ask for trot and it's a long way to fall!
 
PingPongPony said:
Well the one i just posted the link to, is competition legal, some italian riders compete in sj internationally in them! :) I've competed recently for the first time, and my mare is prone to ducking out and i haven't had any duck outs since riding in this :) But if you do get one, be prepared for unwanted comments about it. I went to a venue with lots of 'posh' sj horses and their chavvy owners, so i mostly got ''omg look at that girl she riding with no saddle, omg why would you do that, omg'' lol, there was one lady that asked me about it and she was very nice and seemed genuinely interested, so i told her all about it, she asked mine and horses name so that she didn't miss our round because she wanted to see me, horse and saddle in action :D so yes, you would get a lot of comments, mostly bad, but nevermind, im happy, and horse is happy, thats all that counts :D
My mare is a 16.1hh ISH btw, so not a flat backed pony :D
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I think in the horse world you get slagged off whether you you ride bare back, bare back with a saddle pad, with an English saddle, with a western saddle, side saddle or a combination of those!! haha Got to love horsey people!

It makes me laugh just how much people stopped and noticed on my yard though - to me its NOTHING yet to them I looked like an alien.

Did have one nice comment from some one who was doing dressage movements I can only dream of being able to do (who was on her horse in school at the time) and that was that there was no way on earth she would be able to stay on in trot let alone cantering nice 20m circles and jumping as I was.

Little chuffed moment!

Can feel my seat bones this morning for first time in years!!
 
Billabongchick said:
On another note you can tell that site is Italian; check out the picture of the woman on the grey in a mini bikini in the slideshow!!!
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Didn't realise it came with stirrups. Sounds like a great solution to poorly fitted saddles and all the extra weight they add to the horses load. Am seriously interested now.

Ah, the bikini clad lass :D don't think that apparel, or lack of, would be pass muster with the powers that be :D
 
No i haven't been riding in my bikini it it either lol! They're £200 and £20 postage, its all leather, hand stitched, very nice, i would reccomend this to anyone and my mactimony has also taken contact details of person who makes them and the name and is going to reccomend it too. It really is great :) Needs a gel pad undreneath though, but apart from that just a normal numnah. :) Feel free to contact me if you want to know any more :D
 
Cool thanks, bit over budget at the moment having just spent loads on dressage saddle but I wanted something for polo schooling and jumping eventually!
 
Have just been on his fb page and the price is £175 + postage for the normal one and £185 + postage for the one adapted for dressage girths :) I think he said that postage to mainland UK is about £8-£10 :)
 
PingPongPony said:
No i haven't been riding in my bikini it it either lol! They're £200 and £20 postage, its all leather, hand stitched, very nice, i would reccomend this to anyone and my mactimony has also taken contact details of person who makes them and the name and is going to reccomend it too. It really is great :) Needs a gel pad undreneath though, but apart from that just a normal numnah. :) Feel free to contact me if you want to know any more :D
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Looked at the site again and I really like the idea. Do you know if a special girth or stirrups are required or could I cannibalise what I've got to hand?
 
normal girth and normal stirrups, you can order a normal girth one or one that's for dressage girths. What you do need for it though is a gel pad to put underneath, if your horse is normal wither or flat then just a simple gelpad will do, but if its for a high withered tb you'll need a front riser gel pad, like this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Shires-Eq...Horse_Wear_Equipment&var=&hash=item5651ca2321
Apart from that, you use everything that you'd use for a normal saddle :) namnahs, saddlecloths, stirrup irons and leathers, girth etc. it does have d rings so you can attatch breatplate to it :) pm me for the mans contact details or if you want to know more :)
EDT: i use simple leather stirrup leathers and plastic irons, but i have used sprengen bendy irons too and it works the same. and for a girth i have one of these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/THOROWGOO...Horse_Wear_Equipment&var=&hash=item3cce5c6688
but i have used a normal fabric one too and worked just as well too :)
 
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Just two days ago I thought I would give it a go having never done it and having saddle troubles, I'm sure the riding is fine, but I couldn't seem to get on! So in my attempts I fell off flat on my back and went home with a muddy bum (after a few more attempts) and some sort of strange whiplash feeling in my neck. Poor horse was probably terribly confused! I'm going to try again with my BF holding her next time! Oh and a higher mounting platform of some kind!
 
Billabongchick said:
Is there any way to archive or 'favourite' threads on here as I will never remember this by summer time!?
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Summertime? Are you considering trying it out in a bikini then :D

Pingpongpony has PMd me the details of the saddle which isn't a saddle. Why not ask her to do the same for you and keep it in your inbox ? :)
 
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