# is this 'legal'...?



## Plains Drifter (Aug 4, 2009)

Wow! Never heard of bareback classes before.


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## alexischristina (Jun 30, 2009)

Yeah... now that I've heard of them and actually look around for them there are quite a few.. Mostly in local level shows and game days, but still! There are even a few bareback hunter/jumper classes. I'm hoping to try a few if I can get my gelding show-ready, he is AMAZING bareback. Much nicer without a saddle than he is with.


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## CecilliaB (Jan 21, 2010)

Only bareback class I have ever been in was the one where you put money under your legs and the last on with money wins all the money LOL.


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## alexischristina (Jun 30, 2009)

Haha, they have those too! And I definitely think spraying yourself with hairspray would be a bit of an 'unfair advantage' in that one  haha


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## Cinnys Whinny (Apr 10, 2010)

I was wondering this myself, I have never heard of or seen anyone do this when I was in California and I have yet to go to a show here in Nebraska.


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## PBritton2U (Mar 24, 2010)

alexischristina said:


> But I read somewhere on here about people spraying the butt/legs of their pants with hairspray before riding so they 'stick' better, and it doesn't exactly seem like it would be allowed, but like I said, no experience with that kind of class so I have no idea.


Well, I have NO problem using Saddle Tight for my hunt seat eq. classes. And I have been known to use Duct Tape for better traction on the (supposedly) non-skid surface of stirrup rubbers. This is a great little trick for newer English riders who have a hard time keeping irons on the ball of their feet. Speaking of that, have you seen the magnetic stirrups that somehow stick to the sole of your riding boots? What WILL they think of next?

Hairspray for bareback classes? terrific idea!

Pam
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Amir (Nov 18, 2009)

I've only ever heard of these shows in America.
In the grooming section there's a thread for show tips and that was one of the tips someone posted. I guess it would be an unfair advantage, but it's kinda the same as suede seated jodphurs with a suede saddle. I ride with suede jods and saddle, but that's just the model of the saddle I got and the jods that I like. Not because I feel the need to have more "stick" to my horse.
Many years ago Pony Club in Australia apparently had bareback lessons at the rally days but they don't do it anymore because it's too dangerous. I get that. Some people just suck bareback and I'm one of them


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

^ We always have a bareback rider class at PC gymkhanas - They are great fun!


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## alexischristina (Jun 30, 2009)

I guess since they've got actual products out there to help 'stick' it isn't a big deal... Although I stand by my opinion that hairsrpraying the money to your pants is what I call cheating in the 'ride a fivers' as we call them.


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## Cinnys Whinny (Apr 10, 2010)

Wow, talk about inflation, it used to be "ride a buck" lol...wait I think I just made myself look like an old lady ha ha ha ha


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## Amir (Nov 18, 2009)

wild_spot said:


> ^ We always have a bareback rider class at PC gymkhanas - They are great fun!


Seriously? Wow. QLD must just suck haha


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## writer23 (Apr 6, 2010)

Cinnys Winny, me too! I smiled, thankful I'm not the only one to remember the 'ride-a-buck'.


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## alexischristina (Jun 30, 2009)

Haha, well... over hear the five is the smallest bill we've got, and I don't think a coin would be very convenient, could leave some strange inprints.


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## Cinnys Whinny (Apr 10, 2010)

ah, ok...I feeeeeel much younger again, thank you


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## PBritton2U (Mar 24, 2010)

alexischristina said:


> Although I stand by my opinion that hairsrpraying the money to your pants is what I call cheating in the 'ride a fivers' as we call them.


People actually spray the money to themselves? ROTFL. Okay, seriously, that ain't right.

Pam
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I don't see a problem with it in just regular classes. In the money-sitting classes, yeah that's not right, but just standard riding classes I think it's okay. If you have a bad seat, a little bit of hairspray will NOT stick you to the horse and make it look like you are a perfect rider. I think it would offer the good rider a bit of friction on a horse that was slicked off, well groomed, and possibly show-sheened.


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## Rowzy (Mar 1, 2010)

It is common practice in schooling and 4-H shows around here. One of the leaders will bring a can of hairspray and goes around and sprays everybody. It isn't really an unfair advantage if everybody at the show is doing it in my opinion. I think the point of it is because the first class was always showmanship, which horses would be showsheened for. Then if you ride a showsheened horse bareback its hard, so you spray yourself and the horse with the hairspray to counteract the showsheens slickness, plus it makes it so your saddle doesn't slide around as much (because of the showsheen) later.

Although, if it was a money class I wouldn't do it.


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## PaintsPwn (Dec 29, 2009)

If you have to use product to ride in a class and to help you out - chances are you shouldn't be riding in that class anyway. This is why I see so many people fall in BB classes.


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## Indyhorse (Dec 3, 2009)

When I was a kid showing in 4-H, we had bareback equitation, and hairspray was a common practice. We didn't use it in gaming though, defeats the purpose (which often WAS to fall off, that was half the fun. We were dorks.)

When I got out of 4-H and started showing more seriously, I was a little disappointed to find we didn't have bareback equitation anymore - I always aced that one!


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## writer23 (Apr 6, 2010)

Ugh, I could have used some adhesive last weekend at the horse show. My sister polished the insides of my tall boots and slicked up the saddle! My inner thighs still hurt, lol. Thankful it was only three hunter under saddle classes, but geez, I definitely felt the burn. She will NOT be in charge of show prep from now on!


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

Ive heard it called "sit a buck", "bareback dollar race", "dollar races"......I think everyone has the ability to use hairspray, in which case it isn't an advantage. What IS an advantage is if I enter my gaited horse in one of 'em, and while everyone else is bouncin around, I'll be glidin along at a fox trot 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## ridergirl23 (Sep 17, 2009)

awwwww you guys are making dressage shows sound like no fun!! haha we dont have a bareback class!!!!  
but hairspray is genuis!!! when i played lacrosse we used to spray hairspray on the bottom of our shoes to make us not slip....
i dont think its cheating, its all in good fun right? haha
i dont think i would ever spray my jods with hairspray though... i love my riding pants... and oh dear! it could get on the saddle! that would be terrible! lol 
now i want to go talk to some dressage show commitees about a bareback class... haha i dont think many people would go for it...


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

^^ That would certainly be a good test of a good rider though. Doing a dressage test with no saddle.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

CecilliaB said:


> Only bareback class I have ever been in was the one where you put money under your legs and the last on with money wins all the money LOL.


The trick is to get your horse SWEATY! (and where shorts):wink:


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## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

We use (some people on my team, not me) saddle tight and stuff for XC. I don't think it would be cheating
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Rowzy (Mar 1, 2010)

ridergirl23 said:


> i dont think i would ever spray my jods with hairspray though... i love my riding pants... and oh dear! it could get on the saddle! that would be terrible! lol


From my experiance once the hairspray is "dry" it won't get on your saddle and it has never stained or done anything to my breeches, even though I would spray it directly on them.


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

Ya know, I'm not sure on that one.

I do a few bareback classes myself. Our club does every event bareback as well. Even bareback cutting, but not a lot of people do that one LOL. I like to Bareback barrel race but I don't go as fast, considering my balance sucks majorly. If I'm going to go bareback I'll probably do rail classes or trail. I tried bareback hunter once but it was difficult. Like I said, my balance sucks


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## Dartanion (Dec 8, 2008)

wild_spot said:


> ^ We always have a bareback rider class at PC gymkhanas - They are great fun!


I have only seen bareback classes in Gymkhana shows and some of the congress world breed shows. I've also need one or two at a fair but NEVER ridden in one which makes me VERY sad :-(. I know of a series that a judge & his wife are putting on at their ranch and they might have bareback classes so I am VERY excited so enter in some of those!


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## CecilliaB (Jan 21, 2010)

I would just die on Aidan in a BB class, no desire to ride his broom handle of a class in a BB class LOL


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## Horseshowmom (Mar 23, 2010)

My daughter loves it when there is a bareback equitation class on the schedule. She has a good seat without using hairspray but hey, why not, if it helps someone go for it -- I don't know how much it really would work to help them win but personally, I don't see it as cheating but maybe on the dollar bill under the tush it would be unfair. My problem with bareback classes is my daughter's tush is ugly afterwards. We now, change into another pair of breeches or jeans depending if it's western or english bareback (yes, we've been to shows where they specify which clothing they want the riders to wear). And we've been at shows where they don't allow the slow jogs either so that's where the hairspray would be helpful. Myself, I can't stay on a horse without a saddle that has a good oh sh** handle. I like to just walk.


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## dantexeventer (Jul 11, 2009)

OMG, just thinking about sitting anywhere NEAR Dante's sharkfin withers without a saddle makes me cringe. Ouch.


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## Horsel02 (Jan 6, 2010)

When I was still showing my half arab I would enter BB classes. I loved them. The last BB class I entered my horse was really good going to the left then we turned to the right and the judge went out of sequence calling for walk then canter. That ****ed my horse off and he bucked really hard I slid sideways. I also had no mane to hang onto because I have braided it and I forgot that I was entering this class and completely doused him with show sheen. I did stay on and finish the class that I had already thought I would lose because of the buck but we wound up winning that class. It was really awesome. I also was posting to the trot because I was also riding english at the time. 

On May 29th I will riding at a show with my paint gelding and I am entering the BB class with him for the first time. Now I just need to get off of my butt and go practice that.


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## HorseRLife (Apr 21, 2010)

Each year our town has a local show and heaps of people come, but anyway the show ALWAYS has a bareback class and every year I mange to come 1st place, I win without any hair spray or anything, and my pony usally do huge buck when we go into the canter and I sit heaps of them but she did it during a bareback class once and it was the biggest one so far I sat that kicked her on and kept cantering, and then I was expeting to come last but insteed I beat all these other ponies who were perfectly behaved and collected and came first! I'd say if you can walk trot canter and do a small jump easily then I wouldn't bother using hair spray your horse might have a reation to it, but its up to you I guess...


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