Bareback Riding and Your Horse – The Risks and Benefits

Bareback riding seems so appealing to many who own horses or who have longed to ride horses.  What style of riding keeps a rider as in tune and united with a horse?  But at the same time, many horsemen have been nervous about this style of riding either for safety reasons or because they believe it could be harmful to the horse.

Let’s first take a quick look at why bareback riding might be a poor idea.  Afterwards we’ll discuss the benefits of this particular riding style and leave it up to the reader to decide whether or not to give it a shot.

Before you ever consider bareback riding, it is very important to understand the temperament of your horse.  A calm horse is certainly your best bet for a safe ride.  At the same time, a horse who is often nervous or who has known fears or simply one that spooks easily is going to be a real risk.  The same can be said of a horse who does not respect its rider much.  The key safety issue here is that, without a saddle, a rider has very little recourse if the horse becomes dangerous to ride. There is little to hold on to and a rider’s feet are not secured.  In short it is much easier for a rider to be thrown when riding in this manner.

Those who argue the benefits of bareback riding cite its great ability to teach a rider balance.  You are also going to be much more conscious of how your horse moves when cantering, trotting, and even galloping.  This in turn will help you become a better rider as you begin to understand how to communicate more effectively with your horse.

Some find it very uncomfortable to ride a horse bareback.  For these people, the horse supply industry has created bareback riding pads.  These pads are similar to a saddle blanket and some even come with insubstantial stirrups to help you.

As with any riding style, bareback can be difficult to master at first.  It is important that you start out slowly.  Find an enclosed and flat space to ride in and do so for the first few times with either an instructor or another person nearby to give tips or to keep you safe.  Make a point to remain calm.  When bareback it may be a first response for a rider to grip with the knees or feet when feeling off balance but this will tell your horse to speed up.  Only by keeping your head will you be able to learn safely.