After our long ride on Saturday, I was really sore. It turns out that if you don’t ride for 3 months, your muscles will melt away. Shocking, right? I also had some blisters from walking downhill in my riding boots and I wanted to stay in my regular shoes. Enter bareback riding.
I used to do a lot of bareback riding. When I had Snitch, I would head out for the day with a bareback pad, a halter and leadrope and a mini backpack with snacks. I would ride for hours and like that, covering miles of trails, roads, powerlines, and exploring woods and fields without trails.
I also didn’t ride with a helmet and I don’t do that anymore. I don’t need to be told how stupid that was; I’m well aware.
I was a much better rider back then. I could hop on from the ground without any step up. I could stick almost anything and rode a lot of very sensitive (crazy) polo ponies and trained horses for people. I was also younger and more fit back then, but I truly think the bareback riding improved me as a rider.
Snitch was a draft cross and as such had the most jarring trot. She could jog nicely, but trot was painful. To this day, I can sit the trot on almost anything. In fact, I often forget to post if I’m focusing on something (like a harder dressage movement) and trainers will have to remind me to post. I think the years I spent riding bareback are what sealed that ability for me.
Because Nilla and Dijon think any leg touching them means go faster, I have developed a bit of an odd style of bareback riding and riding them didn’t really help me develop my leg. Seat, yes. Core muscle, yes. Leg? No; that still sucks.
no touchy
Levi, on the other hand is a leg-on sort of ride. And he is also the most comfortable horse I’ve ever ridden. He’s so smooth, my husband complains that it’s not fair. He’s like riding a couch.
However, he’s also a very green horse with the mentality of a 2 year old so I don’t really trust him. I’ve jogged him around the small arena a few times and done a walk only trail ride around the property, but I haven’t done more than that because I’ve already had a lot of serious riding injuries and really do not want another. But I do want to improve as a rider. Given my limited access to consistent training, bareback riding is one of the best opportunities that I have to improve my riding.
On Sunday, I hopped on bareback again. This time we had access to the large arena so I could do more than just jog around. Levi is a bit of a dick about cantering (again, he’s very green and we’re working on it). I was very hesitant to try cantering as I did not want to either get bucked off in addressing his attitude or give up the fight and let him learn he can get away with ignoring me.
We started with some walk, trot and transitions work. Then I ran him through his turn on the fore and hind and “sidepass”. I put this in quotes because Levi knows how to side-step in the western style, not the dressage way. I still like to do it though as it’s good practice for moving off my leg. Wee usually practice sideways each way from stand-still and then I start asking him to leg-yield a bit at walk and trot to and from quarter line. Sadly I got no pictures of this.
Once I felt like he was listening to my leg, we tried cantering. As I suspected, he was no happy about it and wanted to suck back. If I reinforce my leg with the crop, he’ll buck. The first time. Then he gives up the fight and we have a good ride. And he used to be worse about it, so I fully believe we’ll get past this eventually; it’s just a stage of green horse brain we’re at right now. But it’s not something I want to do while bareback.
But I don’t wanna canter
It’s probably actually better practice for me anyway as I actually have to use my leg and my god is it exhausting. Like I managed to canter only a little bit to the right and had to take a breather.
Then we went back out and got some much better canter going to the left. It was still exhausting, but we made it further around the ring before breaking. He has a very lovely, rocking horse canter and I’m really glad I got to experience it. I plan to try again soon though I’m not giving up the saddle yet. We have a lot of training to do.
Anyone else enjoy bareback riding? I’m thinking of making Saddlefree September a thing. Anyone want to join me? You’ll have 5 months to practice before it starts.
Between Saddlefree September, 2pointober and No-Stirrup November legs of steel will be had by everyone!
I could use some legs of steel
Aw he’s so cute! Bareback isn’t my favorite ever but maybe I’ll give it a shot on the new guy one of these days?
I’m not a fan of bareback on those tbs with their big whithers, but it might be worth trying.
I ride Paige bareback more than anything. She’s just so comfortable (and very broke) and it’s probably cooler in the hot of summer for her. Or that’s part of my rationale. haha. My challenge for us this summer was to mount using as many different obstacles in the fields as possible. My favorite is the front end loader on the tractor since it’s taller than a mounting block and very stable. 😉
And yes, it totally makes you a better rider. Riding Paige bareback then going to Copper in a saddle, I just feel more balanced and stronger.
I get lots of practice mounting from random things through trail riding. Since I broke my back I can’t get on from the ground so I always have to find something from a fence or boulder to putting the horse into a ditch.
I seriously applaud your bareback skills and courage! I’ve never ridden much bareback and I find it really tough. Kachina is also totally a horse who thinks any leg means go faster. She also gets really fast and tense if I get out of balance at all, and if I’m riding bareback I will get out of balance. I also really suck at mounting bareback. I do it occasionally at the walk but I only trot when things are going perfectly and have never cantered bareback. Basically I am making lots of excuses but the bottom line is that I’m chicken but it would totally improve my riding so I should totally suck it up and do it!
Would periodic bareback rides be more beneficial than a full month? Maybe Saddlefree Sundays instead of Saddlefree September?
You should try it. Good thought on the Sundays thing. 2-point and no-stirrups are also things we should do all year long, but people seem to like the one month challenges. I definitely plan to mix it in throughout the year.
I wouldn’t exactly say I ‘enjoy’ bareback riding anymore (although I grew up riding almost exclusively riding bareback on our farm just because what kid has time for saddles, right? haha), but I have been riding my youngest horse around at home bareback over the winter and think it is great for both horse and rider. And man, do you ever figure out in a hurry how good your balance is (or isn’t!) without a saddle!
It’s certainly a very good tell. You can’t fake it without a saddle.
Haha, I really tried to make SaddleFree January a thing too, life just got in the way. I really like riding bareback as it does wonders for your balance and strength. It’s just really hard to do actual training haha
I know a few people were trying to do January saddlefree, but that’s the worst month. Our horses are all pent-up balls of snorty, bucky energy in January and I definitely want a saddle for that.
As a very new rider (childhood) I was dragged around an arena at a full gallop, in a super upsetting and injurious riding accident. Bareback generally feels more relaxing and secure to me. I’ll join you in September! Good for the seat, and bonus – Val is a comfy sofa ;D.
We’ll have to make a comfy sofa club. It’s so much better that way. Nilla’s back is comfy, but she’s downhill and bouncy, so I slowly slide up her shoulders.
It’s great that Levi has such comfy gaits. He’ll be great for endurance once he stops screaming at the other horses. If he’s not too hard on his bell boots, you should get him some fun colored ones. What’s his color going to be?
Good question. I’ve been doing black and grey for his colors. I really want to do maroon, but I’m finding it really hard to find maroon things that aren’t custom order. I actually do need to get him nice bell boots for riding and leave the cheapies on when he’s just hanging out.
Levi is so cute!
I’m totally into Saddle-Free September! I’m not super into riding my horses bareback (because they’re all pointy-withered TBs), but it’s fun to hop on Gina without a saddle. It really forces me to work my core.
Yes, it’s so good for the core. I put a sheepskin mattes half pad underneath the best friends bareback pad to make it more comfortable.
Riding bareback is so good at getting you nice and strong! I’m sure you’ll get past the cranky canter transitions soon, and you’ll be bareback cantering all over the place in no time. Levi seems like a smart guy.
I haven’t gotten on bareback since college I don’t think… Jamp is way too spooky (and he has big withers, ouch). Rio has always been kind of weird about getting on, and since he’s close to 17 hands, and I’m 5’2″ I haven’t figured out how to make that work without a stirrup.
Someday I bet Romey would be good bareback. Once he doesn’t want me to die.
Ha ha. Yes, it totally depends on the horse.
Do you remember riding the horses at Rim Rock to the river to swim? I will never forget those few rental horses they got that were super skinny at the beginning of the summer. Sitting on them without a saddle or bareback pad was not comfortable!
I do occasionally ride bareback to work on my seat but I really don’t enjoy it. It feels too easy to fall off!
It is much easier to fall off. I do remember riding them bareback at Rim Rock. Swimming was a lot of fun though. I really want to find a place to go swimming here.
Swimming was so cool! I have never done that anywhere else. I hope you can find a place to do it!
It’s such a unique and cool experience.
I love bareback riding! I have yet to canter Leo bareback – he’s pretty narrow and his canter is not the most balanced thing in the world – but I also haven’t ridden him bareback with a bareback pad. I really need to invest in one!
I should do a review of the bareback pads we use; they really help.
The only way i do bareback is at a walk. I am serious i have never been a natural rider. And the trot (maybe i never had a horse with a decent job??) always jars me. But great blog and so much! Love your couch analogy. THAT Is what i need 🙂
Trot with Snitch was incredibly jarring. It’s doing that without a saddle that made me a good rider. I was young then though and would not be up for it now. Now I prefer couches.
I love bareback I just need to get better about getting on
Love the imagery associated with your story about riding hither and thither bareback with some snacks for the day. I used to do that as a kid a lot and definitely credit it as the reason why I can sit tall with a draped leg instead of doing a hunter perch or forward lean of some kind.
Saddle free September sounds great to me! I’ve been bareback riding a lot more lately. Dressage and jump schooling goes a lot better when I’m bareback. I also love what it’s doing to strengthen my body as well as my riding ability.
I loved wandering the countryside. I grew up near where Dom rides so a lot of her trail rides along power lines, across fields, and along canals are what I used to do. I miss that.