As a man—and I can’t say that it’s any easier for women—I’m not afraid to admit that riding a horse bareback isn’t quite as comfortable as it often looks in the movies. It depends on your horse’s gait, the size of his withers and your own comfort level, but bareback riding isn’t for the faint of heart (or weak of muscle). It requires considerable balance and strength to stay seated on your horse without benefit of a saddle.
If you’ve never ridden your horse bareback before, it’s a good idea to try it with a friend or trainer on the ground to watch. Some horses become frightened when they are ridden bareback for the first time because they don’t understand, so you’ll want assistance if the situation turns dangerous.
Getting On
Arguably, the most difficult part of riding your horse bareback is deciding how to get on. My daughter can swing herself onto her horse with just a handful of mane and she makes it look easy, but us older folks need benefit of something more stable. A mounting block is generally too short to give you much leverage, so you might want to try a fence or a picnic table.
When mounting your horse bareback, it’s important that you don’t catch his flank or hip with the heel of your boot. Make sure that the thing you’re standing on is sufficiently tall to allow your leg to clear his back. You can also have someone on the ground give you a boost, but make sure they are strong enough first.
Getting Comfortable
While I know that this isn’t exactly a science, riding your horse bareback is a matter of finding the “sweetspot” between his withers and the rise of his back. You don’t want to sit too far forward for obvious reasons, but if you scoot too far back, you risk loosing your balance much more easily. When you first walk off, shift around until you find a spot that’s comfortable for both you and your horse.
As far as position, when you ride your horse bareback you don’t want to sit exactly the same way that you do when there’s a saddle between you. Again, balance is key, so you’ll want your knees to rest a little higher than normal on his shoulders and you don’t need to sit up straight. Hunching your shoulders a bit and relaxing into your heels will make for a smoother ride. My trainer once said that riding bareback should make you feel as though you’re a “sack of potatoes”.
Getting Going
It takes a while to get into the swing of things when riding your horse bareback, but don’t try to do more than you’re capable of. Your friends might be trotting and cantering around like it’s no big deal, but don’t go any faster until you’ve mastered the current gait. It’s usually best to walk around for at least fifteen or twenty minutes to get into the rhythm, then step it up to a slow, even trot.
You can choose to sit or post the trot when riding your horse bareback. Neither way is better than the bother, but a bumpy horse might be more comfortable if you post. To sit the trot, sink down into your hips and lift your knees around the horse’s shoulders. Point your toes toward his ears so you’re using the strong part of your calf muscle.
Riding your horse bareback can be a fun way to liven things up after a week of hard training. It also allows you to feel your horse’s movements more easily than with a saddle, which can help you to understand him better.
