Bareback effects/horse&rider

["Angela C. McGhee" <rides2far@juno.com>]

>  This message is directed specifically at vets and experienced 
>bareback
>riders

O.K. as a kid who wasn't even given a BRIDLE until I'd owned my pony 6
months...then rode bareback from age 11 thru 15, I can say I've been
there.  

I've seen one horse sored working for endurance being ridden bareback. 
It's also the only horse I've seen worked for endurance bareback.  He was
very sore right where the two seat bones contacted the horse's back.  The
rider was a very boney butted fellow,  so a female might have it better. 
However, my saddle has developed two hollowed out areas from my seat
bones even though they seem well padded.

When I rode my pony bareback all day every day I rubbed the hair off in
the shape of my legs in the winter.  Made loin rubs look like small time
stuff.  The salt on our skin can definately chaffe.

I wouldn't get too excited about doing it just to be like the Indians. 
They adopted saddles pretty quickly when they saw them. They also ate
their horses when they couldn't go on. (new idea for ride meals) We just
studied in our history class that one of the major reasons for change in
Europe was the invention of the stirrup.  Can you imagine what they could
have accomplished with E-Z rides? :-)  There's no rule about using a
saddle.  As a matter of fact, someone said Earl Baxter did a ride with no
bridle.  Any truth to that? 

I'm getting back into bareback riding out of necessity.  I'm riding with
Josie (8 year old daughter) on our two Welsh ponies and letting her use
my Express for the added security.  It is awfully nice to be able to hop
on without a full brush down; just grab a helmet and a bridle and you're
out of there, but once on the trail it definately slows me down.  I do
miss that extended trot which requires no gripping, even if we do canter.
 The canter requires quite a bit more from my leg muscles.  

...and worst of all....WHERE will you hang your sponge?

Angie (riding Rountuit's Stormy Weather bareback)

  

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