Bareback riding

[Misxfire@aol.com]

Hi All,

     I learned to ride bareback as a girl which has its good and bad points, 
bad point being I developed a lot of bad, from the good equitation point of 
view, habits like being loose in the saddle, leg swinging, etc.  However I 
did develop good balance, a tolerance for meeting the ground frequently and 
therefore a sharp eye for finding places to get back on--never could do that 
snazzy swing up onto the horse's back.
     Regarding April's question, at least in my experience, it is possible to 
hurt a horse's back by long bareback rides.  I put white hairs on a horse 
right under my seatbones and that was with a thick, solid bareback pad.  I 
was in full conditioning mode (6-20+ mile rides) and after about 6 weeks 
noticed the white hairs starting to appear.  I think a saddle may be better 
because it does spread the weight out.  That being said, I understand that 
some Australian riders have ridden bare back on 100s even!  I sure wish 
bareback would work cause I haven't found a saddle to fit yet.  

Happy Trails,

Judy Etheridge
Santa Clara, CA


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