Riding bareback - Does anyone think its a bad idea?

[friesian80]

Ive been riding my 14.2h Fell in a Wintec wide saddle for the past 3 years, however I had it suggested to me I should try riding him bareback as he may find it more comfortable. He is quite compact and more the shape of a driving pony (im still to try driving him).

He is ridden bitless and the more natural approach seems to please him, so recently we have been hacking saddless as well as bitless.

I was dubious to begin with but once I tried it I found it great fun (apart from having sharp prickly hair stuck in my joddys!!!!) Jack seems very pleased to be rid of his saddle too but I have a niggling voice in the back of my head which I know is my riding instructor from many years ago who always told us it was bad for the horses back to ride bareback.
Obviously a saddle takes all the pressure off the horses spine but bareback there is pressure.

I am a well balanced rider and dont 'bounce about' in trot when riding Jack bareback but do worry Im maybre causing him damage.

Any experiences or advice welcome......

Also if anyone has experience with bareback pads please let me know what you use, I am not finding the prickly hais left in my jodphurs very comfortable!!!!

 

[Brightbay]

Do you know, it's a funny thing this... I have also got that niggle at the back of my mind. But I have ridden my horse for months bareback, when the saddle fitter let us down (horse developed white marks on his back about two months after saddle was fitted, but saddle fitter didn't come back to us for a further 6 months...). And I worried, because I thought his back would be sore after the damage from the saddle, and my seatbones would cause specific pressure points.

But after months of bareback hacking, the physio checked him - and found the small sore areas that corresponded with the white marks (which had fortunately disappeared with his coat change). But she didn't find any other sore areas at all...

And then I wondered, and thought, and mused, and realised that despite having heard that saddles are to prevent soreness associated with pressure points, and despite hearing that riding bareback caused these pressure points, I had never heard of anybody reporting that their horse had damage to their back after being ridden bareback. I am sure 50 people will now post to say their horse was... but so far... so good.

My horse tells me he likes me riding without a saddle, by his enthusiasm in approaching the mounting block without a saddle... and if he's ever lacking in enthusiasm, it's when he's wearing the (new, well fitted, frequently checked) saddle. So who should I listen to? The people who say bareback is bad, or the horse voting with his hooves?

ETA I am also familiar with the prickly knickers syndrome (especially just now with the summer coat coming out! I use either a sheepskin numnah held on with a surcingle, a BestFriend pad (great if your horse doesn't have much in the way of withers) or my new, fancy Christ Lammfelle pad which I bought when I realised that actually, I rode bareback so much it was worth my while investing in a quality pad

 

[zaminda]

I used to ride bareback all the time. I found it a great way to improve balance, and my pony loved it too. I never used any sort of pad, so can't help you there.

 

[debsey1]

I'm glad you have started this thread because I would be interested to know what others think? I too occasionally ride bareback on my cob and he doesn't seem to mind too. Although others have said I could be damaging his back (his back is like a table). My balance is good as is my sitting trot. I'll be watching this thread.

 

[Shutterbug]

Not when you have a horse with withers like mountains....its, shall we say....eyewatering

 

[zaminda]

I have never heard anyone saying that bareback can damage them!! The people who have my pony on loan have started riding him bareback, and didn't want to say, but have said he goes so much better without the saddle. I had to admit that most of my schooling was done bareback, and that he goes softer without a saddle. I also found that he jumped better without his fitted saddle, and was far more honest. We eve had lessons bareback with our instructor, and none of us ever had any problems with a wide range of horses.

 

[ameeyal]

I ride either bareback or on a cashell soft saddle which is a glorified saddle pad i love it.

 

[SallyBatty]

Thought I'd google bareback riding and came across this:-

http://forum.horsetopia.com/health-nutrition/96531-how-bad-riding-bareback-your-horse.html

Very mixed comments but in the end seemed to say that if your horse is happy with you riding bareback and shows no signs of soreness then go ahead, if they don't like it and/or it makes them sore then don't do it.

 

[mandwhy]

I have never done it ever! How sad is that? I would love to try but on a 4 yo thoroughbred who likes to buck when excited... Maybe when I'm feeling super brave!

 

[Umbongo]

I have only ever ridden bareback on the way to/from the field with my mare. She is very bouncy and I feel on a hack/schooling I would slip off. I had though about bareback pads that have stirrups on...but I would have thought these would cause pressure along the withers when my weight is in the stirrups? Has anyone used these before?

 

[StrawberryFields1]

Correct me if im wrong but I dont think it is legal to ride on the road without a saddle, and may also affect your insurance. If your horse goes well then thats great

 

[StrawberryFields1]

Oops phone posted before I was ready ... have you tried treeless? I rode a very roly poly nf bareback alot but didnt feel v secure.

 

[TigerTail]

Actually when a load of saddles, treed and treeless, were tested with the Pliance system, bareback came out the worst for pressure, directly under the seatbones.......

The next worst were the pads with stirrups attached as all the pressure is on those two points. The next the cheaper treeless saddles as these are basically the same as the pads, they just have a shaped seat on top

Id at least want a good sheepskin under me to try and absorb some of that tbh.

 

[Sparkles]

I think if you're balanced and not banging around on their back, then of course it's fine. I ride our lot bareback more than I do with tack, does them no harm at all. A couple of ours, I solely ride bareback.

I do ride my TB bareback sometimes, but he's far too bony for my liking! The cobs, ponies and welshies are comfier bareback.

 

[cornbrodolly]

As a young person I rode/hacked bareback everywhere. I dont believe its illegal - have you been to Appleby!?
In comparison treeless saddles are both useless and not comfy for the horse - as the stirrup support band thingys cross the spine and therefore rest on it.
Enjoy your bareback riding I say - you ll have wonderful baalnce/fun/inner thighs.
Compared to having a tight girth being ridden bareback must be so much more comfotable for the horse. I remember the first time I tried getting bareback on my old hoss [ then 5 and a bit of a tense ride] he tensed up against it in a' wtf?' way , then a second later breathed out and loved it. Of course he , and most of my other bareback rides are cobs - its no fun on a high withered hoss! Do they still have the bareback showjumping at Olympia? something for us all to aspire to....

 

[BackRidingAgain]

Just a word of warning, obviously its easier to slide off a horse if you are riding bareback, so please do it somewhere 'safe'. I sustained my worst injury (broken back) whilst falling off during a bareback cantering session, I'd have been OK if I hadn't hit a tree stump on the way down. I've never ridden (bareback or otherwise) without a body protector since.

 

[Sparkles]

http://www.facebook.com/v/10151197081801753




Even got bosses daughter hooked on bareback now After a few rather amusing falls bless her, she's stuck with it and sorted with it now! New game is her and Hairy trying to race the pick up back to the top field haha

 

[Brightbay]

Correct me if im wrong but I dont think it is legal to ride on the road without a saddle, and may also affect your insurance. If your horse goes well then thats great

It is not illegal - there is no law that specifies the tack a horse must wear when ridden on the roads. Some insurance companies do indeed have clauses about this... as a result, other insurance companies offer cover specifically designed for people who would like to ride bareback. Lycetts (with whom I have public liability cover) are one of these.

Regardless of this, i think very few people ride bareback on the roads (outside of Appleby ), they are more likely to hack, as I do, on traffic free paths and tracks.

WRT the Pliance testing, yes this is what niggles at both myself and I suspect the OP, because it got so much publicity at the time. But I'm still waiting to hear the whole range of stories of horses with sore and damaged backs due to bareback riding - to match up with all the stories of horses with sore and damaged backs due to saddles fitted by apparently knowledgeable and qualified saddle fitters. Along with the search of "bareback", have a search for "saddle woes" and see how many hits you get

 

[canteron]

I think the problems really come if you your horse is relatively small for you, then your weight creates a lot of pressure on a very small part of the horses back.

If however your horse is a big and you are a slip of a girl then there is less of a problem - but probably not a good idea to do all the time.

 

[Sparkles]

I think the problems really come if you your horse is relatively small for you, then your weight creates a lot of pressure on a very small part of the horses back.

See, I insist on riding any smaller ponies bareback if I have to ride them, as having a rather squishy butt on them, I think is far more comfier than it would be me having to ride in a saddle too small for me, putting pressure points in places where they wouldn't normally be

 

[Achinghips]

I ride a rather tall and wide half Shire lad in a sheepskin bareback pad I got from the States last time I was there. Must say, it is the comfiest thing in the world, rather like going for a ride on my sofa! Laddo is happy as a sand boy in it too

 

[Wundahorse]

I used to ride bereback much of the time when i was a kid and it really helped me balance and learn the rudiments about a horses natuaral movement as you can really feel how the horse goes.It was a pre requisite when i was a kid as then it was thought it taught balance and agility of the rider.Now the health and safety looby seems to have done away with this which is a great shame.I also learnt how to vault on horses and even now i think in my advancing (sadly) years i can still mount unassisted,no mounting blocks or leg ups for me.

 

[Madam Min]

I ride my mare bare back, found it has helped my balanceand she seems freeer and more relaxed. But yes the hairs sticking to your jods aint good!

 

[dafthoss]

I ride mine up to the field bareback each time, normally trotting as I'm late and only in a head collar .

 

[PingPongPony]

I mostly ride bareback and both me and horse enjoy it more. Horse works so much better bareback and jumps better too So i had to think of a way to compete bareback or as close as possible, so i got a total contact saddle ( http://www.totalcontact.eu/en/saddle.php ) and its great! horse and i love it, she works lovely and we're competition legal win win

 

[Shysmum]

I had to break Shy bareback, and it is my favourite way of riding - or would be if it didn't rub me now

 

[friesian80]

I mostly ride bareback and both me and horse enjoy it more. Horse works so much better bareback and jumps better too So i had to think of a way to compete bareback or as close as possible, so i got a total contact saddle ( http://www.totalcontact.eu/en/saddle.php ) and its great! horse and i love it, she works lovely and we're competition legal win win

That looks really interesting, but does it not put a lot of pressure on the spine under the surcingle? Also how much are they?

 

[PingPongPony]

That looks really interesting, but does it not put a lot of pressure on the spine under the surcingle? Also how much are they?

it sits very far at the front, also you need a gel pad undreneath and i put a sheepskin half-pad underneath too. the manufacturer has assured me that they have made research into the pressure and it doesn't put a big amount of pressure at all, no more than riding bareback. my horse seems very happy with it and i'm happy. mctimoney hasn't found anything wrong with her back or any pressure points PM me if you want more info about it

 

[Pale Rider]

I ride bareback a lot, it's great and the horse seems to like it.

 

[Nugget La Poneh]

I rode fat boy bare back for a while while I re-backed him. I had a double thickness polypad with a lunging roller, then put a really thick real sheepskin number on with the furry bit on the outside so it could be attached to the roller with the velco. I was so comfy I think I am going to buy a proper sheep pelt so can make something a bit more 'permanent'. It sinks down so you feel almost like you are in a saddle and that little bit more secure.

And no hairy pants