# Can riding bareback be bad for the horse?



## 16HHPocketPony (Aug 20, 2012)

I have recently heard that bareback riding is not good for a horse's back. Is this true? Thanks


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## Shoebox (Apr 18, 2012)

I heard as much too. I was told that a saddle spreads the weight more evenly across the back, and that bareback puts a lot of pressure in one spot... But I've never really looked into it because I don't really ride bareback. I do on occasion just hop up and ride around a bit, but I don't do it frequently, so I didn't see need to further research it. I'm curious to hear what others say about it.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

It is when I do it.

I have no padding on my hiney. Horses have indicated pain when I ride them bareback, so I don't.


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## Jore (Dec 4, 2010)

I'm sure it probably is, but a lot of it likely has to do with the rider in question.. as it definitely is a whole different ball game riding bareback compared to with a saddle.

My instructor has been forcing me to ride bareback to help with my balance and leg, which is improving.. but I feel bad for Major having to put up with me. A saddle distributes the weight a lot more evenly, plus without a saddle, even the slightest bit off balanced you are.. the horse will pick up on it. 

I'm not completely sure though, so I wouldn't take my word for it! I know that I'd only ever ride bareback on a horse with some padding on their back though.. never on a horse lacking some weight and muscle.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

I rode bareback today, and I never ride that way anymore, rode in bare feet, cutoffs and with a bosal. 2 horses, 2 hours and I don't know about the horses' backs but my buttcheeks are raw so I won't be doing that again for awhile.


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

I have no idea. I ride bareback more than I ride with a saddle. We work better together when I can feel her with my seat. I can feel when she's lifting, I can use the muscles in my thighs to get her to bend and move and lift, we have a much more harmonious ride. I haven't had any problem with her being more sore after than if I rode in a saddle. *shrug*


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## DriftingShadow (Jun 4, 2012)

I have heard this, but I think as long as you practice on your balance and not bouncing it should not affect them. I had to work up to long hours bare back riding on Drifter but now we can trot, lope, walk, etc all darn day. I am a biiig fan of bareback riding. I feel closer to Drifter when I ride without a saddle. I can feel when he is truly relaxed, I can feel when he is tense and I can feel when he is about to go a certain direction.

I am sure when we were first practicing he was like "what are you DOING up there?! geez" but now we've gotten a lot better. Trotting is still horrid, but I have found a way that works for us. It keeps me from bouncing on his back if I grip with my knees higher up as if I was in my close contact english saddle. He has never showed any sign of soreness after a bareback ride and he is one that will let you know. He also always stands perfectly still for bareback rides and will line himself up with the fence so that i can get on once I climb up on the gate. I don't have to do a thing.

I take that to mean he enjoys it


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## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

I doubt bareback is worse than an ill fitting saddle. And does wonders for balance too.


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## 16HHPocketPony (Aug 20, 2012)

Jore said:


> I know that I'd only ever ride bareback on a horse with some padding on their back though.. never on a horse lacking some weight and muscle.


Thanks so much! I suppose I shouldn't try this on my new mare yet as she definitely needs to put a bit of weight on--not a whole lot, but her back appears to be a razor blade at the moment so we'll have to see what happens after we get some weight on her


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## 16HHPocketPony (Aug 20, 2012)

boots said:


> It is when I do it.
> 
> I have no padding on my hiney. Horses have indicated pain when I ride them bareback, so I don't.


Hehe  unfortunately I don't have to worry about that...I've too much padding on mine! :lol:


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## 16HHPocketPony (Aug 20, 2012)

DriftingShadow said:


> I take that to mean he enjoys it


YAY!! Maybe my girl will enjoy it as much as I do! There is hope!


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I've been riding all my horses bareback for pretty much my entire life. I've never had any ill effects on any of them, even when I was younger and riding more bareback than I was with a saddle.

The most important thing is that you ride balanced and fluid, regardless of whether you use a saddle or not. A person who's flopping around like a sack of flour is going to be hard on the horse's back, period.

Also, I use a modified saddle pad as a bareback pad when I ride bareback. Not only for a bit of extra padding for both me and the horse, but also to keep me from having a nasty brown butt when I get off LOL.


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## Baka (Aug 21, 2012)

I have no experience with horses being sore after getting ridden bareback. Then again I only do it once in a while.


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## soileddove (Jul 27, 2010)

Lets consider a few things first. How horses are built. Google "horse anatomy" (because I'm too lazy to link a picture.. ha ha) and take a look.. Some will show the muscle structure and other the bone structure. There is very little between the horse's spinal column and your butt. 

Next lets consider where you sit. Wherever you're sitting puts a lot of weight/pressure on that one small portion of your horse's back. The saddle helps to disperse that pressure over a larger area of the horse's back. Poke yourself in the shin. Then put something rigid on your shin.. Some cardstock, a magazine, whatever.. Now poke again. There's a difference. 

Those points aside, I don't think that riding bareback is "bad." Just be practical. 

If you're riding bareback for more than a turn or two around the pasture, use some padding. I have an old saddle pad that has straps sewn on so I can add a cinch. My local tack shop didn't charge me, but I imagine it'd be very cheap. Never use a bareback pad with stirrups. Again.. Think of where the weight hangs.

Don't ride bareback if you don't already have fairly good balance and can do so without slamming on your horse's back or depending on his mouth to hold yourself in place. Riding bareback does help with balance, but develop it first. Ride without stirrups.

Don't ride bareback if you can't tell if your horse is in pain or "off." Seems self-explanatory, but I had a friend tell me once that her horse never bucks under saddle, but whenever she tries to ride bareback, he blows up. Probably because it hurts. He was always on the thinner side, as was she. I doubt it'd feel good to have her tailbone digging into his spine! His bucking was his way of telling her it hurt. She just thought he was being naughty.

Don't ride bareback for long periods of time.. At least not to start off. You and your horse both need to get used to it. Just like those new barefoot shoes.. You're not supposed to wear them all the time all at once.. You build up to it.


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## 16HHPocketPony (Aug 20, 2012)

soileddove said:


> Lets consider a few things first. How horses are built. Google "horse anatomy" (because I'm too lazy to link a picture.. ha ha) and take a look.. Some will show the muscle structure and other the bone structure. There is very little between the horse's spinal column and your butt.
> 
> Next lets consider where you sit. Wherever you're sitting puts a lot of weight/pressure on that one small portion of your horse's back. The saddle helps to disperse that pressure over a larger area of the horse's back. Poke yourself in the shin. Then put something rigid on your shin.. Some cardstock, a magazine, whatever.. Now poke again. There's a difference.
> 
> ...


Thanks so much!! This helps a lot!! I can still do it--just use my common and horse sense, right?  THANK YOU!


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## 16HHPocketPony (Aug 20, 2012)

smrobs said:


> Also, I use a modified saddle pad as a bareback pad when I ride bareback. Not only for a bit of extra padding for both me and the horse, but also to keep me from having a nasty brown butt when I get off LOL.


Oh, good idea!! Thanks


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## equinegirl26 (Jul 8, 2012)

Imo, I think it's better for the horses unless you aren't balanced or bouncing around.


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## DrumRunner (Jan 26, 2011)

I ride bareback pretty frequently, as others have said, it's not bad for your horse if you have good balance and a good seat. If you can sit your horse and move with it then you shouldn't have a problem.. Now if you're bouncing all over the place and gripping like a spider monkey I wouldn't advise doing it. Mine seem to really like it bareback, they are relaxed the whole time and we just work on little things, like flexing or side passing. During the summer I'll take them swimming bareback and they LOOOVE that. Nikki paws and splashed water around with her head. When I first took her swimming and she pawed the water splashed and scared the crap out of her.. I could just hear her say "WTH IS THIS!?" but now she loves it..


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## DoubleS (Jun 11, 2012)

I really hope you didn't get this from Rick Gore.
He thinks riding bareback is the devil.
I think riding bareback, in the long run, is really good for you as a rider. It _is_ possible to give a horse a sore back from riding bareback IF you have a bad seat (slamming onto their back when trotting or cantering), but you're not like going to break their back just by riding bareback with a poor seat 
I ride bareback all the time.. I love it because I feel like I have better/more contact with my horse. In fact, when I teach my horses something complicated (like when I try to teach them to sidepass and pivot under saddle) I usuallly try it bareback first because it's easier for them to feel your leg/seat aids!


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## JoesMom (Jun 19, 2012)

When I was much younger I only rode bareback and would do it all day long. At that time I weighed about 110. We had a saddle, but Dad wouldn't let us use it until we could saddle the horse without help. My horse never acted sore or tried to get away from me when I went to get on. She died at 33 with a nice normal back with no injury or sway back tendencies. She also had no white pressure marks on her back. I had a really good seat and used to win the bareback competitions at the local fair. Genetics of the horse will come into play here as well as the riders ability to have a still and quiet seat. I still will ride bareback for a short time , but my older hips are not so forgiving as they once were.


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## BlooBabe (Jul 7, 2012)

I have a medical condition that makes stirrups and saddles more of a problem than they're worth so I ride with a bareback pad and a saddle pad underneath, lots of cushion and comfort for both of us. I've been riding horses bareback for years and have ridden hundreds of horses bareback there has never been any problems, pain, or discomfort from it.


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## HorseSavvy (Mar 15, 2009)

I think it really does have to do with your body position and balance. If you ride poorly, then you increase your chances of injuring your horse. Personally, I ride with a bareback pad with a western saddle pad under it if I plan to ride bareback for a longer period of time. It's probably fine to hop on with nothing and bop around, if it's for a short time. I doubt there would be anything to worry about, unless your horse has back problems or something.


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## Jewelsb (May 8, 2012)

Idk but I know I ride better when I ride bareback. A lot better.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## 16HHPocketPony (Aug 20, 2012)

DoubleS said:


> I really hope you didn't get this from Rick Gore.
> He thinks riding bareback is the devil.


Nope! I follow Clinton Anderson myself  (or at least really like his methods)


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## HorseCrazyTeen (Jul 29, 2012)

I think I ride bareback more than I do with a saddle. If you aren't bouncing around real bad and can easily move with the horse it is absolutely fine. It's especially pleasant with a gaited horse like mine. It doesn't hurt them at all unless you ride them that way for long periods of time everyday or whatever. But I don't do that. The only downside to it is you will have a very dirty behind! And recently I got a lot of weight off my horse so now I can kinda feel her spine...a little bit more than is quite comfortable! lol


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## 2muchcoffeeman (May 29, 2011)

boots said:


> It is when I do it.
> 
> I have no padding on my hiney. Horses have indicated pain when I ride them bareback, so I don't.


Tried a bareback pad?


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## lkjhorse927 (Feb 27, 2012)

If anything, bareback riding could become bad for your posture, or something, but just think or the Native Americans! They almost always rode bareback, and their horses were the healthiest!


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## soileddove (Jul 27, 2010)

lkjhorse927 said:


> If anything, bareback riding could become bad for your posture, or something, but just think or the Native Americans! They almost always rode bareback, and their horses were the healthiest!


Gah.. I was just waiting for this comment. ha ha This is not really true.. Native Americans did not always ride bareback. They nearly always used at least some form of padding, at the very least-- a leather "pillow" of sorts, stuffed with hair or grass. Often times they used saddles that consisted of a carved wooden frame with rawhide holding it together. Breeching and breast collars were often added to the saddles as well.

Saddles were a matter of prestige and pride.. Something more that takes extra material and time and can be decorated. If they had the means, they had one.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

^^Agreed. Sure, some of the braves would ride completely bareback just because they needed full range of motion and freedom whenever they were riding into battle/hunt/raid/whatever, but most of their horses had some sort of gear on their back both to protect the horse and rider and to give the rider support. Later on, when white man became prevalent, the native american would often take the horse/saddle after he'd killed the white. Sometimes they would keep the saddle, other times they would sell it.

As for their horses being the "healthiest", that's a matter of opinion. Generally speaking, their horses were no healthier than any of the rest of them around those times and for the most part, they were blown out little things that were a lot tougher...and a lot _rangier_ than the horses we see today. More bone, less muscle. One thing I can tell you about NAs though, is that whenever a horse was no longer able to carry on at the top of his game, he was simply butchered and eaten by the tribe. So, just because you never really see _evidence_ of horses with trouble doesn't mean they didn't exist. It just means that they were eaten before that particular picture was taken.

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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

I used to ride bareback a lot as a kid then was told later it was bad because of the concentrated pressure. Which I agree with, a _well fitted_ saddle tree does disperse the pressure more evenly.But I think there are plenty more people who ride with ill fitting saddles than those hurting their horse by riding bareback or with a bareback pad. 
I recently started riding bareback again(with a pad) in short times periods. I think it is great for balance.


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## EmmJayCee (Jul 31, 2012)

I've love to ride my horse bareback....but he's a big, tall, rangy raw boned Tennessee Walker, and sitting on him bareback is like straddling a window ledge.


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## englishaqh (Jul 6, 2012)

I've heard things about it, but I'm 1) terrible at riding bareback 2) intimidated (lol) and 3) nervous that it won't be good for my girl's back. Not saying it definitely is terrible for a horse's back, but I've been concerned about that. That is why a properly fitting saddle, as mentioned, is so impt.


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## fkcb1988 (Aug 16, 2012)

lkjhorse927 said:


> If anything, bareback riding could become bad for your posture, or something, but just think or the Native Americans! They almost always rode bareback, and their horses were the healthiest!


Thats what my mom says! Lol


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## cebee (Apr 4, 2010)

With it so hot all summer I mainly rode with a bareback pad and my boy was the happiest I have seen him. He did not limp at all. ( clearly his saddle did not fit well ) I think I am a much better rider since I have been riding bareback. Luckily my boy has a very very nice trot, so I am not bouncing up and down. I feel like I am much more in tuned with him as well... I can tell what he is gonna do almost before he does it, so we communicate better as well... That said, he did a huge spook and bolt the other day, so I guess I am gonna have to go back to saddle shopping soon... but I think a lot depends on the horse and what kind of riding you do...


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## fkcb1988 (Aug 16, 2012)

I love riding bareback! My ride consists of a big open space, the sun on my face and the sounds of nature. Its a great time to think and dream and have quality time with your horse. Done that since I was a kid. 

Im sure a nice calm ride hasnt ever hurt any horse. Even a little more strenuous ride bareback doesnt hurt him either as long as your not floppy around like the others have stated.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

A horse might get sore if the rider sits like dead weight but normally the rider is fairly active on the horse's back, even if it's to prevent slipping off. I rode bareback for years because a particular horse seemed perfectly built for it. He was happiest without a saddle and mine have always fit well. I was never static on his back, shifting my weight or position as he moved up to a jog or lope.


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## Philiouckz (Aug 16, 2012)

Yes riding bareback on horse may cause some problem for the horse itself as the muscles of the horse may get tensed. it might cause some sorts of injuries and friction of muscles can turn into wounds..


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## Lanny Collins (Mar 30, 2012)

Probably not a problem for short rides but for any length of time I would use a bareback pad to protect the horses back.


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## epjjensen (Nov 16, 2012)

I have a veternarian friend at the local barn I board my 5 horses at and love riding bareback but I know it is not nessessarily 'good' for the horse. I studied a bit and found out that you can ride your horse bareback 1-2 times a week but it should never become a part of your regular 'barn routine'


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## Katiepie123 (Sep 16, 2012)

I ride my pony bareback mostly, hacking out, jumping, everything


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