Riding 'au naturel' - being confident or just plain reckless?

[vivhewe]

Before you all get dirty minded about riding 'Au Naturel' I don't mean it in a rude way, or in the same was as them naked jockey photos that were on here a while ago were either!

I just couldn't think of a better way to describe it that's all!

 

[frannieuk]

I jump up regularly, probably at least once a week. I find it easier to teach my youngster to move laterally without my saddle on and sometimes I just can't be arsed to tack up! My seat / balance/ confidence have all improved since I staretd doing it, even chance jumping small fences without the tack now!

 

[threeponies]

Our field is a huge hill and it beats walking up it!

 

[Helga1980]

Depending on which field we're using for turn-out I will ride M out to the field bare back with only a headcollar and leadrope (always wear a hat) as one of the fields is quite a walk from the yard. However I know that he won't do anything silly aside from the odd side step at a sheep.

 

[moodymare1987]

i only ride with headcollar and leadrope to and from the field, just plain lazy but am sure most have done it. but i trust my horse with my life, so i wasnt doing it to try and kill myself xx

 

[helenandshadow]

At my previous yard i used to ride bareback to the field with headcollar an lead rope because the fields were a long walk!! Occasionally i ride in the school bareback but usually with a bridle!! I don't think it's stupid, i think it improves your balance alot, and i've had my mare from a foal so i trust her.

 

[star]

used to always ride him to and from field at old yard coz it was a long walk - sometimes we'd have a canter up the hill on the way in too - no problems stopping him in a headcollar. have also done schooling bareback with a bridle on to improve my seat. at current yard he was on in-hand walking exercise for a while and i was bored of walking for ages so hopped on him a couple of times a week instead.

 

[RunToEarth]

I ride Bertha in headcollar beacause I do trust her with my life. I would never dare get on oshk bareback and without a bit in his mouth.

 

[Josh_craney]

your all saying you ride from bringing th ehorse in but how do you get on top of the horse without stirrups or a munting block?????????

 

[druid]

Yes, ride them in from the field (on a hill!!) or just because I feel like it.

 

[maddielove]

i find i plain fun riding with nothing..and like the poll says..it's very natural and i like keeping my horse as natural as possible.
i also find it very useful when i cant be assed walking from the field to the yard, i have a good excuse anyway cause i have lots of feet problems

 

[GTs]

I would do it with Clarita when taking her home, generally had a beer in my hand too!!!

Getting on with the beer was the tough part, I usually got someone to hold it. And I would just vault on -

 

[kayleigh_and_rocky]

I ride bare back but never without a bridle unless its just coming in from the field which is all off road etc. If you have an accident on the road ridden or leading and the horse isnt wearing a bridle the insurance is void.

 

[teapot]

Have never been offered the chance at my RS.

Nearly managed to persuade YM to let us jump bare back once but she then said we ran out of time

 

[pixie]

[ QUOTE ]
your all saying you ride from bringing th ehorse in but how do you get on top of the horse without stirrups or a munting block?????????

[/ QUOTE ]

Er, just kinda jump up so your belly is on their back and swing your leg over.

 

[pixie]

Used to ride mine bareback all the time. Sometimes just got on in the field without even a leadrope to hand and just sat on her and talk to her whilst she was munching. Often jumped with nothing more than a leadrop or headcollar. However, I would only do it on a horse that I trusted 100% and in a safe environment like paddocks or the school. Would never ride bareback when on roads.

 

[Haflinger]

Occasionly ride up to the very top field (my ickle legs would get tired otherwise

)

 

[merlins-mum]

always ride him up the road from the field bareback with a headcollar on.

 

[tinker512]

Sometimes at nights when I was stopping at my nans I would get the urge to go for a ride at stupid o'clock...well ok dusk....and just grab Kassi's headcollar and go for a ride around the field with youngsters in tow!!

Then in the last week of having her hardly rode with saddle, just enjoyed the feel of the horse beneth me and popped a few jumps!

 

[loxley]

Oh, I thought this was gonna be a post about nude horse riders...

 

[icklechlo]

i used to ride my old loan horse in a headcollar, even jumped a rather good spread with no saddle, she was cool, as for gettin on, either belly jump and swing ur leg, or find a gate or fence and hop on from there if i was gettin her in from the field!

 

[vivhewe]

Ah RoL, I sense your disappointment I really do!

 

[loxley]

Thought there was a new sport... I can see it at HOYS now.

 

[Tia]

In the summer I ride bareback most days - generally catching horses to bring into the corral to be tacked up. I often have a play around with them.

In the winter the vast majority of my riding is bareback and often in a halter and leadrope as the temperatures over here are sooooo cold that you daren't take your gloves off to tack up otherwise your fingers go black and freeze LOL!!

I have ridden bareback and halter for the whole of my riding life which is a good 35 years and some!

My daughter is exactly the same - she has ridden bareback ever since she could walk and mount her pony. She often rides 3 horses a day and most of them are ridden bareback.

 

[Munchie]

As a kid I used to regulary ride my pony with nothing (not even a headcollar).

He was ace, got him as an unbroken 4yo when I was 12 so we had a lot of learning to do together!! (Totally non - horsey parents)
I taught him to go completely off my aids. Would school him 2/3 times a week without tack / headcollar. Walk to canter, all school figures and downwards transitions.....he could do it all......we quite often jumped courses of about 3ft in the same way without any problems!!

He was a fabulous little pony who taught me a lot and who is sorely missed.

And now? Well unless I could have my horses withers surgically removed I'll be sticking to saddles!!

 

[RobinHood]

I ride my horse up to the field leading one or two others because it's 15mins each way and I'm lazy. I ride in the school with no saddle or bridle sometimes but I always wear a hat.

 

[PoppyPony]

yes to qu1 because it's fun and improves balance/'togetherness' with my horsey! (i also don't have saddle but still did it when i did have a saddle)

 

[harvgj19]

I used to do it with my old horse who was kept at a livery yard. His field was about half a mile up a huge hill in the woods, so I would shove my hat on and ride up the hill with a headcollar and leadrope, leading another of his field mates as well usually.

I would never ride on the road without tack these days, it is just too dangerous. Although, you would have seen me and my best mate at the age of 10 riding round her tiny village bareback with bridles!

Oh to be 10 and fearless again!