# Bareback riding: how much, how often?



## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

I am now in a situation where my lovely saddle does not fit my gelding, Snicks, anymore, and I have to sell it in order to buy a new one. Unfortunately, none of the BO's saddles fit him either, although she was kind enough to offer use them (with care) when needed. 

Until my saddle is sold, I am bound to ride bareback and do groundwork. I do have a bareback pad which prevents sliding issues and helps with the pressure of my seat bones a little, but I am still unsure how much and how often I can ride not to harm my boy. 

I'm a reasonably balanced, lightweight rider and can easily ride at all speeds and jump bareback for more than an hour in one go. He is a chunky, massive horse (16.2HH, over 600 kgs/1300 lbs) with a decent topline and he's recently been getting better at lifting his back and working trough it. With the saddle, I used to ride for about an hour in the arena or about an hour and a half-2 hours in the trails for 4-5 times a week, but now I feel I should definitely limit this amount. However, what are your thoughts and experience? 

Picture of the beasty for attention.


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

I think he barely feels you up there. Ride all you want.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

As someone who has spent a lifetime sliding horses on their butts (literally) down power lines, digging up the other side and swimming rivers bareback, you can't hurt your horse unless your balance is so bad you don't sit the horse correct.y in the first place. ----and I don't think balance is an issue for you.

Extreme over weight and lack of good balance would also cause a problem.

I don't know who started the hoopla about riding bareback being bad but it's a fallacy unless one is just a really bad rider to begin with.

My only other pearl of advice is don't ride the head, aka stay out of the horse's mouth. If there is a tendency to do something wrong, that would be it


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

Agreed with everyone else. Just ride as you would like, he'll be fine.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

I used to ride bareback all the time when I was a youth. Then I developed a massive boil on my rear that swelled almost to my hip in one day. The doctor lanced it and found horse hair. I was on the couch on my stomach for a week with drain in aforementioned area. Doctor advised never to ride bareback again. I will ride for about 20 minutes or so bareback, I would probably ride more if I have a bareback pad, but with the amount of saddles I have, I can't justify purchasing that too. So just be careful.


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

That may be the most interesting bareback story I've ever heard, Wares. lol
Probably something that has not happened to very many people. I bet it was impressive.


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## Idrivetrotters (Jan 5, 2013)

I never get to ride bareback anymore for mostly two reasons, one shark fin withers and two, my OTSTB barely tolerates riding, he would be very annoyed with me if I attempted to ride him without a saddle. He only just began to realize that I'm not stupid by wanting to ride instead of the proper driving in a cart behind him. You should have seen the judgmental look I got first time I rode him. He firmly believes I'm wrong, and I'm not listening to him. I firmly believe if I attempted bareback he would just go "No, no, I've humored you with this whole being on my back thing, but you have finally lost it". I can't take that kind of rejection right now.


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## sarahfromsc (Sep 22, 2013)

waresbear said:


> I used to ride bareback all the time when I was a youth. Then I developed a massive boil on my rear that swelled almost to my hip in one day. The doctor lanced it and found horse hair. I was on the couch on my stomach for a week with drain in aforementioned area. Doctor advised never to ride bareback again. I will ride for about 20 minutes or so bareback, I would probably ride more if I have a bareback pad, but with the amount of saddles I have, I can't justify purchasing that too. So just be careful.


Sweet Jesus that sounds horrible!

How does one horse hair cause a boil that big? I have had an ingrown hair of my own that was in an area that made sitting a saddle very painful, and had to lance it myself, which was even more painful.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Granted, I used to live on my horse, if I wasn't in school, I was on the horse, for at least 5 hours a day. AND I rode the day before my mom took me to the doctor. I probably wouldn't have said anything but I became feverish.


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## ApuetsoT (Aug 22, 2014)

A long time ago I spoke to a vet and she said it depended on the horses back if they could handle bareback riding. Wide, well covered backs have more space to distribute weight vs a narrow weak back. Take from that what you will.


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

I've never had a horse get a sore back from riding it bareback. When I was a kid that's the only way I rode and I spent hours on first my sister's horse and then my pony. 

OK I just remembered, I did create a sore on a friend's horse once because he had a protruding spine and I had a matching sore on my tailbone but it didn't make him muscle sore.


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

Idrivetrotters said:


> I never get to ride bareback anymore for mostly two reasons, one shark fin withers and two, my OTSTB barely tolerates riding, he would be very annoyed with me if I attempted to ride him without a saddle. He only just began to realize that I'm not stupid by wanting to ride instead of the proper driving in a cart behind him. You should have seen the judgmental look I got first time I rode him. He firmly believes I'm wrong, and I'm not listening to him. I firmly believe if I attempted bareback he would just go "No, no, I've humored you with this whole being on my back thing, but you have finally lost it". I can't take that kind of rejection right now.


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Hilarious!

I have not been able to figure out the bareback thing and what makes the difference for horses. One of my friends rode her mare bareback on long rides for years and the mare never seemed to have a sore back. Her next horse had all kinds of pelvic and back issues after being ridden bareback, and this was a younger and more solidly built horse. 

Another friend has a horse she rides bareback but only maybe once a week, for an hour or so, and that horse has white hairs all over the saddle area now. I've watched them developing more as she rides bareback more. 

My personal rule is that if I start hurting and feeling like I can't support myself well when riding bareback, it's time to stop. I don't want be flopping or slamming on the horse's back. For some people on some horses, that might take a long time. For me on my horses that's only about a half hour ride. On my friend's mare with high withers, it took me less than 5 minutes. I jumped her and decided not to do that ever again.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

My rule has been if riding that horse bareback hurts me then it hurts the horse. If they are well muscled and padded then no problem as long as there are no underlying spinal issues.


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## Change (Jul 19, 2014)

As a child, I had a half-Arab mare that I lived on, literally, all day, every day throughout the summer. I didn't have a saddle. I was out at the stable at dawn and the rule was that I had to be home (20 minute bike ride) before dark. We lived in the mountains so there was some pretty extreme riding at times, and, being a kid, a lot of full out galloping when the terrain permitted. My mare was never sore. 

I'm a lot older now (almost 50 years older! GAH!!) and if I could figure out how to get up there, I'd love to be able to ride bareback again. 

With the short rides - 2 to 3 hours - you describe, your horse should be absolutely fine! Remember, the American Indians didn't have saddles, either.


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## GMA100 (Apr 8, 2016)

I ride bareback all the time and my mare loves it much more than any saddle.


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## Prairie (May 13, 2016)

Another bareback rider here although not all the time. Bareback is a great way to practice and feel being in balance with the horse and how the muscles and overall horse move at various gaits and maneuvers. It's also warmer in winter since you can feel the horse's body heat warming up your butt and inside legs. IMO, a wide, well padded back is an invitation to ride bareback!


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## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

Thanks for the great input, all! 
His back is lovely and padded even without a bareback pad, which I use only for my peace of mind and to help with slippage issues. I guess I can start feeling much less paranoid and just enjoy riding him bareback more.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

When I was a teenager, I was much like Ware, I lived on horses when I wasn't in school. Because my saddle hurt me to ride in it (didn't know enough to know that it didn't fit me correctly), I often rode bareback daily for hours at a time. Never saw any resulting problem from it.


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