Tearing around bareback - young and reckless.

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pennyturner

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D4 has problems with her ankles, so last weekend rode her pony without a saddle. Pony is very comfy, and we were intent on a steady trot/canter hack, so I wasn't too worried, but the ride turned into a full on gallop-til-you-drop, screeching around corners hoolie.

On the one hand I'm terrifically impressed with the seat my 11yo has. Not many people would have stayed on, let alone led such a ride.
However, I'm not comfortable her riding at that speed without stirrups - even if she seems to be.

What do other mums do when their kids start getting outside their comfort zone? I'm the one that got them riding in the first place, so it seems a bit cowardly and hypocritical to start stopping their fun now.
 
Well it shows she's developed good balance if she sat well without them, but if she's having problems with her ankles, she could consider trying different stirrups.
 
To be honest, It is probably safer without the stirrups - especially if she has problems with her ankles because if pony was to trip and her foot got stuck in stirrup it would do some harm - bareback you merely slide off! Have you tried the spregner stirrups?
 
If my mother had any inkling of the stuff we used to do when we were kids, she would have locked us up and thrown away the key. We rode without stirrups, saddles, bridles, helmets. We raced motor bikes on the beach, and jumped anything. We also climbed trees, never wore hats, sunscreen or shoes in the summer.

Didn't you?
 
Lol. I'm afraid my childhood antics were limited to pulling wheelies on my bicycle! I was told very firmly that 'people like us' didn't have ponies. I do remember mum having a fit about me climbing trees (aged 5, I think).

Several of you suggesting Sprenger stirrups. I'm not one for gadgets, so have never tried them. Do they make a difference?
 
See this is the problem nowadays!
When I rode years ago what mothers couldn't see didn't worry them!!!

I have distinct memories of riding out bareback on our ponies, ages about 12, and we rode the whole way sat backwards!! On the roads too, and each of us trying to make the other ponies bogg off!
 
If her seat is that good, chances are she's been doing it behind your back for a while anyway :D

I remember building a jump out of an old mattress someone had dumped. I shudder at it now. Not the jump but that I manhandled something that might have been filthy and flea-ridden!

Agree with trying different stirrups. Sprengers make a big difference to my bad knee.
 
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NZJenny said:
If my mother had any inkling of the stuff we used to do when we were kids, she would have locked us up and thrown away the key. We rode without stirrups, saddles, bridles, helmets. We raced motor bikes on the beach, and jumped anything. We also climbed trees, never wore hats, sunscreen or shoes in the summer.

Didn't you?
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Well I never rode without a hat, but my earliest experiences of riding were on a farm where we were camping for a week, and the farmer offered to catch the pony for us. He was too fat to get the girth around so it was bareback or nothing. Within a week of never riding before I was cantering and jumping fallen down drystone walls on the moors above the farm. Parents never saw any of it and we never had any accidents. Later I rode a very naughty pony on a friend's farm and learned every way of falling off there was. We used to gallop him bareback across the field on the way to turn him back out, with just a headcollar and leadrope for steering and brakes. I used to jump him up off the road onto and off a Cornish hedge, into a mini-plantation, galloping between the trees then out over the back hedge and into the road again. He was only 12.2hh and I was 16 by that time so a bit underhorsed. Great times!
 
omg we did alsorts, twos up along the main busy road no hats, gallop full pelt on the school field. Riding on the pavement with a headcollar and lead rope or even bailing twine if we couldnt find the the rope. Loads of stuff. Its part of being a child.
 
Sprenger stirrups aren't "gadgets" anymore than normal stirrups are gadgets. They have cushioning and are able to move so may be more comfortable for your daughter's ankle problems.
 
A parents fears should never hamper a childs development. At least that's what I keep telling my wife when daughter or son want to do something she considers dangerous but I consider exciting. :)
 
ihatework said:
See this is the problem nowadays!
When I rode years ago what mothers couldn't see didn't worry them!!!

I have distinct memories of riding out bareback on our ponies, ages about 12, and we rode the whole way sat backwards!! On the roads too, and each of us trying to make the other ponies bogg off!
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This!!

I did however get bucked off of my pony when I decided to get on her backwards in the field with nothing... She very quickly told me where to go!

I find it difficult to find fun people to ride with now, everyones all prim and proper and there I am, hoping someone will play bareback games with me! I used to hack out bareback with a headcollar, some people don't know what fun is.

Its the best way to get a good seat, let her crack on :)
 
OK, OK. So that's me firmly put in my place. I would like, in my defence, to say that no-one can accuse me of being 'prim and proper'. In fact, usually I'm getting pillaried on here for cantering on roads, riding without a hat occasionally etc.

I won't bother with a neck strap, as Buster has plenty of mane. Having seen her ride, I don't think she'll fall off unless something really big happens, but I will invest in a pair of bendy stirrups, as I hadn't thought of that.

Worth mentioning that she only started riding him last spring, under duress, as she was terrified of going faster than a trot. How times change!
 
A friend posted a video of her 8 yr old daughter galloping bareback across the field and turning to wave at the camera as she pelted past. Most grandparents would be horrified and as her grandmother (also horsey) does a gasp from behind the camera you think she is, but all she shouts is "stop showboating and look where you're going!" It's brilliant to see them being allowed to just have fun!
 
just want to say i am SOOOOOO jealous of all your amazing horsey childhoods! not having my first until 21 I have absolutely missed out on all the fun!!

let her loose & enjoy while she can, she only gets one shot at being a kid :)
 
Not to mention sneaking out at night, two up on a welsh cob and riding in local woods. Coming off when rider in front ducked under a low branch and I didn't!

Jumping gates in a headcollar rather than getting off and opening it when bringing horse in from field.

I don't know how I survived, but I did.

Riding and leading up to four others, bareback, on the road.
 
NZJenny said:
If my mother had any inkling of the stuff we used to do when we were kids, she would have locked us up and thrown away the key. We rode without stirrups, saddles, bridles, helmets. We raced motor bikes on the beach, and jumped anything. We also climbed trees, never wore hats, sunscreen or shoes in the summer.

Didn't you?
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Apart from the beach, that was me too. My friend fell in the river and we never told anyone. We played cowboys and indians with wearing shorts, no shoes, no hat and galloped round the wilder fields jumping bramble bushes.

Unless the pony starts bucking I think your daughter is as secure as on a saddle. Maybe add a neckstrap.

If I had my time again I would start children on a sheepskin, so they can feel the warmth of the pony and the movement underneath.
 
I have encouraged them to ride bareback. It's something we've done fairly often in the field, or when someone forgets a girth. Flat out gallop the whole ride is just a bit much!
 
I think it'll do amazing things for her balance OP. I'm holding off giving my 2yo son the 'luxury' of stirrups until he gets good balance trotting about on the lead-rein without! I remember thundering about and jumping stupid heights as a kid bareback, I got the nickname "rubber legs" as I could stay on most things as a result. Once I grew up and stopped doing that, my riding went rubbish!
 
i used to jump bareback in a headcoller & leadrope
hack bareback in a headcoller & leadrope, once I ended up having to gallop down a field to shut a gate so a horse that someone had fallen off so it didn't get loose on the road !
I used to hack down the road in a bridle & a bareback with a rug on

would never do it now !
 
Old and reckless !! runs and hides, and no it's not me I have never been fortunate enough to be that fit. My barge horse though, who is not so slim.

DSCF0227_zps897b4249.jpg
 
My two,aged 9 and 10 were riding around the field bareback yesterday,one on a pony she has had for a week.The other was jumping bareback.All good fun and I'm not even horsey myself.
 
Think this is more a case of mum being out of her comfort zone. If your child is happy enough with riding bareback at speed let her. Explain the possible things that can happen to her and leave alone.

One thing that my mum used to do that ended up making all her kids far too cautious was to say"be careful" all the time. Kids need to discover some things for themselves.

Our PC kids love riding bareback. It's great for their balance and confidence. At one time the majority of kids learnt to ride bareback or on a sack. With the modern trend of deep seat saddles and heaps of numnahs it's good for kids to be close to their pony.

Bareback, old and reckless!!
ZebedeeBareback.jpg
 
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Can she not ride in a saddle, but without stirrups?

She appear to have very good balance and seat- I would say if she were to come off with stirrups and to get her ankle/foot caught, she is going to do more damage in that respect, than she is just to slide off!

As a kid we did all sorts bareback and in saddle. It is part of the fun of being a kid with no fear and having amazing little ponies to ride! As well as it being fun, I actually learnt a lot during these moments. You had no one to tell you how to sit, what to do etc, you had to think for yourself and find your own seat and balance. Don't disregard that bit :)
 
I grew up and learnt to ride a lot more recently than most of you, and my RS was very safety conscious lol.

Bareback is great, and it's exceptional for balance and her position in general.

However, there's a new trend in 'free riding' without bridle or saddle and I've seen countless people who don't have the skills or ability trying to pop their pony over 3" with a neck rope and it's very hard to watch the thud as they come down on their back and how the poor pony has to endure fistfulls of mane being yanked. There's riders like Alycia Burton who are able to ride tackless as they have the balance, skill and have trained their horse so that it's possible to be jumping 6" with nothing more than a neck rope, but there's also riders who watch a youtube tutorial and think they now know everything and are capable of riding their pony tackless (and often pony has no idea what they're asking) - not saying your daughter is like this, but it's something I would be concerned about if I saw someone younger than me hammering round with no control whatsoever.

If your daughter is sensible, knows that there are things you are not comfortable with her doing while you aren't with her or there isn't someone to watch her/with her (e.g jumping bareback, galloping across fields) then there's no problem at all. And as long as she doesn't try something she's not capable of then I really don't see any reason why not to ride bareback.

I think the difference these days is that people know more about health and safety, and unfortunately the roads aren't as safe and even the horses and ponies don't seem to be as brave as they used to.
 
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