# Hiya! has anyone out there galloped bareback?



## Mckellar (Apr 18, 2012)

Ah to be 16 again (Im only 22 lol) I have nothing to contribute to your question except be safe. Sometimes when you get horses to a full gallop -real gallop it becomes quite hard to stop them. Anyway, I'm sure you already know that, so be safe and I hope someone on here can help you out!


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## JustAwesome (Jun 22, 2011)

Sure have, in large paddocks and along the beach one handed might i add LOL!

It's fun, you just ride like you do and enjoy it!


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## EmmaP (Jun 2, 2012)

hehe lol you funny people, and i ALWAYS wear a helmet i think i'm just going to have to go for it, will let you know how it goes


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## hberrie (Apr 28, 2012)

When i was your age I never used a saddle on my horse. I would ride my horse all day long on trail by myself or with friends. I galloped and jumped anything in site. Only once did he take me by surprise by galloping nonstop down a very long hillside. I miraculously stayed on and only suffered some slight bruising in my crotch lol. I miss those days when I was fearless and strong. Have fun and be as careful as you can  Of course if you were my daughter I might have to offer different advice.


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

I used to all the time when I was riding my Paso on a regular basis. Excuse my riding (and the commentary!), this was years ago :lol:


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## calicokatt (Mar 5, 2012)

Do it fairly regularly! Relax, and enjoy!


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## Country Woman (Dec 14, 2011)

I used to be able to canter bareback


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## Paintlover1965 (May 22, 2009)

I can still canter bareback on my Arab/Saddlebred. He has lovely gaits. I have only walked and trotted with my Paint horse as his gaits are a little more animated and he has tons of speed.


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## Paintlover1965 (May 22, 2009)

Sorry, I guess what I mean is you have to feel confident on your horse then just relax and let it happen. When I was a kid, I too used to just jump on any horse and ride bareback down hills or anywhere. I was fearless then but now I know what can happen if something goes wrong so I am more careful than I was then.


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## QHriderKE (Aug 3, 2011)

I've done just about everything stupid you can possibly do bareback. Raced, jumped, barrel raced, bridless, chased cows, the list goes on  Mostly because I'm lazy and can ride my horses in halters, so no need for much tack.


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## Domino13011 (Aug 10, 2009)

It is definitely fun! Your legs will probably be super sore the next day when you first do it, but its worth it! They only hard part is stopping like someone else said, it gets super bumpy. But again, maybe that's just my horse :lol:


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## nvr2many (Jan 18, 2011)

Yes I have, on the biggest pasture we have out here on the 400 acres we live on and about half way over the pasture as we were really gaining speed it dawned on me...................... omg, if I need to stop I am screwed! There is a fine line between having fun and being OC (outta control) bareback at that speed. Don't think I ever did it again! That was about two years ago.

Edit: some peoples definition of a gallop may be different than mine...........
1. to ride a horse at a gallop; ride at full speed:


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

I used to when I was your age. I would go swim the horses in canals, ride in the foothills, it was a blast. My sister and i taught ourselves how to jump on from behind like in the old westerns (be careful, hind feet in the belly hurt )
Ended up with lots of bruises but many memories of fun times. 
Just keep in mind, what you do to your body today, will come back and be 3 times of painful when you get to age 50. So have fun and be careful .


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## BarrelBunny (Jan 15, 2012)

All the time!! ...with my hands in the air! lol Just remember to hang on! (...until you're good at it. :twisted: lol) Just remember that safety ALWAYS comes first. Don't do anything that you or your horse don't feel comfortable doing. I always think that if I don't feel comfortable doing it in a saddle, then I probably shouldn't be doing it bareback. Good luck!!


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## WyomingSissy (Apr 11, 2012)

my sis and i ride bareback all through the winter, because one its easier and quicker to just hop on, and two its SO MUCH WARMER!!!

when we first started doing it, we went lightly up hill at the gallop, that way we could lean slightly forward and still be in the right position for it. 

my sis likes to have a hold of mane, and i do sometimes, but mostly just less reins than normal. usually i have them pretty loose, but i like them slightly tighter so i can go with the movement of the horse's head easier, note i'm not tugging on her mouth or anything. plus we just use halters  

but like when my horse had a hip and rip out last year and i didn't know, she reared up, almost flipped, and i immediately grabbed mane until i could get off safely. 

manes are there for a reason 

even though we just roached my sis's big gelding's mane


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## DriftingShadow (Jun 4, 2012)

I actually did this today! Unintentionally, and I can say with certainty I will not be trying again until I practice my balance. I canter on my boy with no saddle fairly regularly with no problem. Today he decided cantering away from the group was a bad idea (he can be a tad herd sour on trails. work in progress) so he threw his head up, rushed to the side (trying to turn himself) and gave an itty bitty buck. Normally with a saddle I would have been able to run him in circles (since he wanted to turn anyways  ) but his jump to the side unbalanced me, the buck had me slip even more to the side and once I was able to collect myself we were already tearing across the hay field. I dismounted (ok..I crashed and burned) when we were about 15 or so yards from the group and to my boy's credit he slammed on the breaks and trotted back to me (with a sheepish look i think lol). 

Anyways the point is I would love to gallop bareback again when I feel like I am able to better control my position and balance and that's awesome that you're up for it! My boy also has a long mane, so I tend to grab it if I'm feeling myself slipping at a faster gait, because I figure he would rather grip that than get in his mouth


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## Prinella (Jul 12, 2011)

Id suggest a monkey stap but go for it! Up hill is easier!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Ne0n Zero (Dec 25, 2008)

Yes definitely!! One of my favorite things to do, you just feel like you are free and flying. Feeling the movement of the gallop underneath you with no leather in between is also a very humbling experience. You really feel every ounce of the power you are riding.


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## BarrelCowgirl (Jun 4, 2012)

Like one person said, I didn't really ride my horses in tack. It was just hop on and go. 
Another said they were lazy to put tack on, yup, that was me. 
I use to work at a horse camp/ranch and I'd saddle and unsaddle horses all day long. The last thing I wanted to do was saddle my horse and go for a ride. 
Like another, I've done a lot of stupid things on horses. I should probably have more broken bones then I've had, but I was fortunate. I didn't always wear my helmet. Infact, I think I rarely wore a helmet. :shock:

It's quite fun, very exciting. It gets your heart racing, your adrenaline pumping. Grab mane, that's all I can say. 
It's hard to stop, once you get going full speed. I suggest check and release to slow down, instead of dead stoping.

If you have a helmet, wear it. If you don't wear one, well you know what could happen if you fall and aren't wearing one.


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## Hunter65 (Aug 19, 2009)

I used to take out trail rides for 10 hours a day bareback and we used to gallop down the beach, it was awesome. My favorite lead horse was Cadillac he was a pacer and beautiful. I used to have a hat on his bridle and we would be cruising down the beach at a full out pace passing people who were galloping. I would hardly move it was so smooth. No the trotter that they had was another story. I wouldn't have ridden it with a saddle.

I have ridden Hunter bareback lots but haven't got the courage yet to go faster than a few steps of trotting. I should practice and get my balance back again.


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## horseandme (Jun 4, 2012)

Yesss!! its so much mroe fun than being stuck in a saddle. feels more free. when Irun I usually run in a open field bareback. Makes me feel like an indian


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

You could try tying a lead rope around the neck at first. It's easier to hold onto than a mane, just in case you need it. My mom suggested this during a bareback game at a show. O.O Saved my @$$ when Selena decided she'd had enough and started jumping around.


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## indyjenny (May 1, 2012)

*bareback is hard on horse's back*

I am a beginner rider.....so, definitely couldn't do it....My only bit of knowledge (and some may disagree) about this question is that it's good to keep in mind that riding bareback is actually harder on the horse. A saddle serves to distribute the weight off of the horse's spine...when bareback, obviously then, you've got your dead weight right there on the spine.....from what I've read, it's best to ride bareback for only short periods of time.


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## WyomingSissy (Apr 11, 2012)

indyjenny said:


> I am a beginner rider.....so, definitely couldn't do it....My only bit of knowledge (and some may disagree) about this question is that it's good to keep in mind that riding bareback is actually harder on the horse. A saddle serves to distribute the weight off of the horse's spine...when bareback, obviously then, you've got your dead weight right there on the spine.....from what I've read, it's best to ride bareback for only short periods of time.


 
i sort of half agree with this. i think that there are some horses that can only take bb in short periods no matter what. but i think there are also horses that can do fine either way, some start out that way and others need to get their topline built up a little (like my girl ) but if you think about it, an english saddle is pretty much the same as bb, weight placement wise, yea? and you also use your legs to lift yourself up. its not so much butt as it is legs and thighs. occasionally i'll relax and be on my butt as a standstill, but my girl knows when we're about to get moving because she can feel me switch to my legs. especially when we're about to canter. half the time i don't have to ask, just get set up for it and she know. 
as long as you sit in the right place and in the right position the horse should be fine. i actually notice my horses move more free when i ride bb.
i think its always going to be a matter of opinion and a debate among horse people  but keep in mind too that horses aren't all the same, and some can do while others can't. and maybe those that think bb hurts the horse have mostly been around horses that can't really take bb. or not. it could just be their belief and opinions

thought i'd put my two cents in  i'm currently working on building one of my mare's topline because she can take long bb rides.... but i can't take her withers :shock: whereas my other mare has a nice flat back and low withers. smooth as butter that girl!....... unless she's bucking..... but hey.... i can still stay on so that counts for something :clap: :hug: 
stupid things on a horse. its what makes us different from people that can walk without limping


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## Ne0n Zero (Dec 25, 2008)

My horse actually does better riding bareback; he gets grumpy when we put a saddle on him. Yes, the saddle fits him just fine, perfectly even sweat marks, etc, but he just prefers to be ridden without one, and his movement is a lot more free and relaxed too. It really depends on the horse.


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## EnglishElegance (Jun 6, 2012)

Galloping bareback is amazing and fun! 
My advice - wear a helmet! 
And only gallop bareback if you feel like you are ready for it. Don't just do it because you feel pressured to. If it doesn't feel like you're ready that ride, then so be it. There will always be another ride! 
And just have fun!


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## Radiowaves (Jul 27, 2010)

Just looking at the forces involved would imply that you are correct. 

For the sake of discussion, say the rider weighs 150 and the saddle weighs 30. OK, when you remove the saddle, you do cut the weight a total of 16.6%, but you are cutting the surface area over which the load is distributed a lot more than that (assuming that the rider is of average build) and since the rider's "bearing surface" is a mix of soft tissue and embedded structure (bone), the evenness of load distribution has also been significantly reduced.

My main concern would be that if the rider didn't conciously keep using the thigh muscles to keep the thighs significantly in play as load bearing structures (taking a good bit of load off the hip joint/pelvic structure), that quite a lot of the load would be concentrated at the pelvic/hip bone structure which has a LOT less surface area than a saddle.

The long and short of it is that the rider's weight could be concentrated in a pretty small area. That would seem to be potentially a lot less comfortable to a horse than a saddle, strictly from a load-bearing point of view...

All that being said: when I was young, I rode bareback a lot and never saw any problems from it, at least none that I could detect...  

The engineering analysis of it does bother me though, because I can't explain it away. 



indyjenny said:


> I am a beginner rider.....so, definitely couldn't do it....My only bit of knowledge (and some may disagree) about this question is that it's good to keep in mind that riding bareback is actually harder on the horse. A saddle serves to distribute the weight off of the horse's spine...when bareback, obviously then, you've got your dead weight right there on the spine.....from what I've read, it's best to ride bareback for only short periods of time.


_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## DoubleS (Jun 11, 2012)

Be sure to wear a helmet!
I love to gallop bareback when I have the chance, but only when I know I have control over my horse. 
There's nothing scarier than riding a horse that you can't stop; especially bareback!


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## Failbhe (May 8, 2012)

Ne0n Zero said:


> My horse actually does better riding bareback; he gets grumpy when we put a saddle on him. Yes, the saddle fits him just fine, perfectly even sweat marks, etc, but he just prefers to be ridden without one, and his movement is a lot more free and relaxed too. It really depends on the horse.


My horse too, she definitely prefers being ridden bareback. Since I only got her this spring, we've yet to do anything more than a fast walk  but I have high hopes for going for long rides bareback. 

About the issue of bareback being possibly harder on the horse - I'd say it probably depends on the horse (and the rider). I think I'm going to invest in a bareback pad as my girl can be a little bony after a while. Not sure if it will help her at all, but I think it will help my own comfort level. 

****the following story is an example of extreme stupidity and I know that! Just thought I'd share anyway****

The very first time I rode bareback, I was about 12 or 13 and hanging out with the horses in the pasture. For some stupid reason, I thought it would be fun to try jumping on 'just to see if I could.' No halter, no nothing. I did... and for about 10 seconds, it was relaxing and fun. But then the other horse ran up, nipped my horse on the shoulder and took off into the bush. Naturally my horse took off after her. She dead galloped through thick forest for about half a mile, until we reached the end of the pasture (and caught up with the other horse). 

It was incredibly stupid, but I'll say this for it - after that, there was nothing that horse could do that would scare me/unseat me! 

Not that I'm recommending the OP (or anybody!!!) try this method of learning to ride bareback...


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## poniesis mee3 (Jun 29, 2012)

go for it as long as they stop! the sheltland i used to ride had no breaks, so when i galloped him out bareback i could only turn him and he would eventually stop. i also use to gallop out my 14h pony that absolutely loved to gallop. he was dead easy to stop though.i took him over a 2ft log out and did it better then in the feild  i still ride out now and then bareback on my mare that can be scatty. i find it easier to stay on her bareback sometimes rather then with a saddle on  i'm like you, i prefer hacking then schooling.


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## HeroMyOttb (Dec 28, 2009)

I used to gallop my OTTB with just a halter in a big pasture :lol:...
Ahh those were fun days even thou they were just last summer!! lol
I don't really ride anymore right now due to back problems and chronic pain :-x


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