Hack bareback?

RubysGold

RubysGold

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Does anyone hack bareback?
im supposed to be working my horse lightly now, she had steroid injections and I was told to lightly ride soon after
But my saddle doesn't fit anymore :/


I have been riding bareback to the end of our drive but really need to go further with her.

Do you think its ok to ride out bareback until my saddle fitter can come?
 
I rode my pony bareback for years, including hacking, and I don't hang abut, plus popping over the odd xc jump on my way round the field, including drops! I would recomend a neck strap though!
 
I would do it, but then I backed my horse bareback using a hessian sack and a lunging roller. Problem is if you had any kind of accident it would probably invalidate your insurance.
I hold on to the [thick ] mane or would use a neck-strap.
 
I used to take my old mare out bareback all the time, however this was all on private land and mainly in fields. was great fun - and very occasionally would pop a very very small fence... (wouldnt dream of doing that now, just going over poles on the ground gives me palpatations!)

I wouldnt ever go out on the road bareback - too many lunatics out there, feel much safer in a saddle - something to hold on to!
 
like a lot of people I used to do it as a child and then briefly rode my horse down the drive from the field. It is a lovely feeling and I don't see why it should damage your horse. The difficult bit, is getting on from the ground unless you are super springy.
 
Personally I'd feel happy to from a riding point of view but legally its frowned on. It's not excluded from most insurance policies but in the case of an accident if it can be proved a saddle would have prevented it, or reduced the claim the insurance could refuse to pay out because you've not taken due precautions.
That said, I often hack bareback down a local lane that is impassable by car & only a few houses to pass at our end of it. And used to loads in my teens.
 
I think its on the high way code that a horse must have a saddle and bridle on.
But not sure how that stands on a bride way or other recreational track.

(Please correct me if that's wrong!)
 
Yes. I had a very similar situation to yours. She had steriod injections and then her saddle no longer fitted. I walked in hand and also rode bareback. I have to ride on the roads to get to any bridlepaths so I got some very strange looks!
 
this is something I've contemplated but have decided against it, because we have 5 mins roadwork to get to the forest. If it wasn't for the roadwork, then I'd be out there regularly bareback.

I am now schooling bareback and ride around within the yard.
 
Afaik its not in the highway code, horse must just be under suitable control hence you can be held responsible if a saddle & bridle would have prevented or reduced the accident.
 
I used to do it all the time (still do occasionally off road) but it is legally potentially problematic...
 
Always did it as a child and often as an adult. Nothing like it for improving your riding. Use a neck strap though, to avoid accidentally hanging onto the mouth.
 
My horse lives out and his field is a little walk from the yard, I have been know to take bridle with me and just hop on (leaving rug on as it gives me something to grip!) and I hack him round the fields, I wouldn't go on the road (as it's a busy suburban main road) but out the back I can get in a couple of cheeky canters :D

(I love the fact that my 16hh tb feels like my childhood pony, we potter about being silly and having fun! :D)
 
A friend hacked her horse through the centre of milton keynes bareback. We even met a police man! We had no issues, dispite the horse only being 4!
 
JFTD said:
I used to do it all the time (still do occasionally off road) but it is legally potentially problematic...
Click to expand...

This^^ Not sure of the ins and outs out of it but it does say in the highway code specifically about wearing a saddle.
 
Yeah I do on Hairy all the time - roads or fields, motorway bridges, village, bridleways, etc. He's comfy enough and I always ride him bareback [unless I'm leading the colt off him]. We do everything no different, go out alone or with others, go for canters, gallops, pop some XC jumps etc :)

I'm often the butt of jokes down the yard for needing to save up to buy a saddle.

Only thing I don't like is now he's moulting!!! Bareback butt lol.
 
I used to ride Dom (you know who he is :D) out all the time bareback, I'd be out all day on him during summer, loved it, apart from getting a sweaty wet bottom is was great, I'd only ever do it on a sensible one mind, having said that I have taken Mr M out bareback before...and as you can see, I survived!!! :p wouldn't take the Crab out bareback though, not if you paid me a bag of sand, she's too spooky :rolleyes: I wouldn't last 2 minutes!
 
Have hacked out bareback on Blaze, I can trust her not to be silly :D but I wouldn't on Jasmine, she's too young and too spooky!
 
I used to hack Lucy bareback all the time (coz I was to lazy to put the saddle on ;) :p) And I rode Herbs out alot after xmas bareback because his saddle didn't fit and I needed to save up for a new one. Now I have his new saddle I still seem to be riding bareback alot as I don't want it to get wet ;) :p :o
I walk, trot, canter and even jump things out hacking. I often get funny looks from people and wonder why. I forget it's not actualy that normal to ride without a saddle on :o
 
yes i did but i had one of those bareback balancing things with stirrups so my insurance was valid ;) you need to have stirrups not a saddle ;) i used a sheep skin pad and that was it... did it for 9 months when i didnt have a saddle never had a problem although i wouldnt do really long hacks that included main roads and i didnt really fancy my chances but i used to take him galloping jumping the odd jump everything :)
 
Highway Code states Saddle and Bridle.

Personally if it was short roadwork I'd walk in hand to the off road riding and then hop on. I'd not go on the roads local to us with or without a saddle though! Luckily straight out the back door on to miles of off road hacking

Pan
 
Highway code does indeed say

"52

Before you take a horse on to a road, you should
•ensure all tack fits well and is in good condition
•make sure you can control the horse

Always ride with other, less nervous horses if you think that your horse will be nervous of traffic. Never ride a horse without both a saddle and bridle."

Although it isnt a clear 'you must' statement (which if you break it you may be committing an offence) or a "you should" statement (not an offence but failing to follow may lead to you being held partially to blame in the event of an accident, the 'Never' part of the statement would seem to lean more towards the 'you must'

I do think bareback riders on roads are leaving themselves way open to a car driver getting away with arguing that a lot of the damages part of a claim should be reduced due to the rider not using tack as specified in HC. ie they may still be liable in terms of fault but you may get little or no damages because of contributory negligence.

Not a chance I would want to take....
 
debsg said:
Have hacked out bareback on Blaze, I can trust her not to be silly :D but I wouldn't on Jasmine, she's too young and too spooky!
Click to expand...

She may not be silly and she may not put a foot wrong ever; but the car driver that hits you and injures you and her will probably get away with paying very little damages as they can suggest that the injuries/outcome were made a lot worse by contributory negligence of you failing to follow the Highway code.....doesnt mean you should stop, it's a free country but do be aware of the potential consequences :-(
 
Highway code says without both saddle & bridle, which could be open to interpretation that one or the other is ok!
 
I used to take mine out every morning bareback leading the old dear when I had yard with no turn out or school. We went miles. In rugs and snow and everything.
 
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