Bareback effects on the horse

["April Lee" <adlee@bigfoot.com>]

Hi, all,

  This message is directed specifically at vets and experienced bareback
riders (experienced means many, many hours riding bareback, not just a few
15 min rides to somewhere).  However, any input is welcome.

Some of you may have picked up that I am a bareback rider.  I rarely use a
saddle and I never did before buying Apache 6 months ago.  In fact, I never
even saw a saddle used on any of my friends' horses until I'd been riding
for 3 or 4 years.  I ride in a barebacking community.   Now saddles are a
bit more common to me, but I'm still getting used to riding in a saddle.

My training rides are done about 60% bareback.  Most of my training rides
are 10-20 miles in length depending on the day and the time I have to ride.
Any non-training rides (less than 10 miles, as I define it) are done
bareback with little exception.

I would like to ride Apache bareback for at least 25 milers and maybe even
50s down the road.  I'm quite sure if I ever do more than 50s, I'll have a
saddle for at least part of the time!  I haven't found any mention of this
being illegal; if anybody knows of a rule against it, I'd like to hear it.
I'm quite sure my body can handle the barebacking to a point...when that
point is reached, I know.  I already got a number of e-mails from my last
related post telling me that I would switch to a saddle for my sake.  Ok,
I'm a new person and I might.  I'm prepared for that.  I'm not totally
opposed to saddles, just would like to ride bareback in the rides if I'm
allowed to, feel like it, and it doesn't hurt my horse.

Finally, we come to my question.  Is barebacking for long hours/miles
detrimental to the horse?  I haven't noticed Pache being sore (in the
back...his back legs will be a little stiff after a particularly hard uphill
ride, but...) after any of our rides, but I know that we are just getting
into this sport and I would like to know what the risks are for him to be
ridden bareback for 25-50 miles at a time.  I would also like to what to
look for to make sure he's ok and I'm not hurting him.  I will not ride
bareback just because I'm stubborn and want to.   On the other hand, I won't
ride in a saddle that kills him and throws me off balance just because it's
the "accepted" thing to do.  (I know, I know, you'll say, buy a saddle that
fits and ride more in it and you'll solve both problems...)

I read the archives on this topic and came up with a lot of "you'll switch
to a saddle" posts (not very helpful, IMO), a few "more power to you" posts,
and only one or two that referred to the effects on the horse.  The
mentioned effect was soreness where the human sat.  How do I check for that
soreness?  Just press down on his back while I'm on the ground and see how
he reacts?  Any other thoughts on what else to look for and how to test for
it?

Thanks for the help,

April
Apache (whew, no girth strap today)
Chattanooga, TN


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