To ride “bareback” means to ride without a saddle. If you are a first-time bareback rider, this may seem more difficult because you don’t have the comfort and stability of the saddle.
It will take some getting used to at first but riding a horse bareback will greatly increase your balance and ability to ride.
It is not suggested that you attempt riding bareback until you have been riding for a while using a saddle, you have strengthened your core, developed your seat, and you have great balance on a horse. If you haven’t managed these things yet then you will be bouncing around quite uncomfortably.
What muscles are used when riding bareback?
You can count on being sore for a week or so when you first begin riding bareback. When you ride with a saddle, most of your weight is in the stirrups to help you to keep your leg position correct. When you are riding bareback you will have to remind yourself to hold your legs in the proper position.
Expect to have extremely sore thigh muscles. This is because, in the beginning, you will be gripping the horse with your thighs to try to balance yourself and stay on the horse.
Your abs and your core will be sore too. When we talk about your core we are referring to the muscles that help you to keep your balance, deep in your abdomen. This will come from constantly tensing up your muscles. After riding without a saddle for a while your muscles won’t hurt so much.
How to stay on a horse when riding bareback
When learning how to ride a horse bareback you will more than likely feel as if you are going to fall off of the horse. So, I’ve listed some tips below that may be of some help to you.
Try to relax!
Tensing up when you first start riding bareback is normal, however, this might cause you to uncomfortably bounce on the horse’s back rather than allowing your body to move with the horse’s movement.
When you catch yourself trying to tense up, stop! Take a deep breath, focus on calming yourself and relaxing, then start again.
Communication with your horse will be so much easier and your “center of gravity” for balance will be better if you remain relaxed and calm.
Shift your weight to your heels
Make sure to keep your weight in your heels. Having your weight anywhere else can cause you to lose your balance.
Practice being able to keep your weight in the proper place, in your heels, and this will allow you to have a better “center of balance” and a more developed seat.
Putting your weight in your heels also helps you to wrap your legs around your horse in the proper way.
Use the correct position to ride bareback
An important thing to remember is that whether you are riding bareback or in a saddle, your riding position should always be the same. Be careful to not allow your legs to swing forward. Make sure you are sitting straight, keep your legs in a position right under your hips, and keep your shoulders squared back.
Move with your horse’s rhythm
If you are not in rhythm with your horse’s motion, it will be uncomfortable for your horse as well as yourself. You don’t feel this as much when you are riding in a saddle as you do when you are riding bareback.
Focus on how your horse moves. You will notice when he is simply walking, you can feel his hips and back as they swing from side to side. When he is trotting or running it will cause your hips to move. Make sure that you are moving with his rhythm, not only is it a lot more comfortable, but it also encourages your horse in his own movements.
Set your own pace
Do not allow anyone to push you at the speed of learning how to ride a horse bareback that you are not comfortable with. Proceed at your own speed. Start off by simply walking your horse around the arena. Practice stopping, walking and circling. Do this until you feel comfortable to move on. Then move up to a slow trot. Again, once you are sure of yourself and your horse, try to canter. Pushing yourself to do more than you are ready for can end up with you on your backside on the ground.
Ways to get better at riding a horse bareback
One of the most important things in riding bareback is balance. Below are some ideas to help you to be able to develop your balancing skills a little better,
First practice without stirrups
Before attempting to ride bareback, practice riding without your stirrups while still using a saddle. Many people tend to rely on stirrups to help keep our balance. If you don’t have them then you have no choice but to use your muscles to balance yourself.
This will also aid you in making the muscles stronger that you will need in bareback riding. Keep in mind that you can expect to be pretty sore the next day.
Ride without your reins
Ask your instructor to lunge your horse so you can ride without reins. This will help you to learn not to accidentally jerks on the reins or use them for balance.
Ride with your eyes shut
I know it sounds crazy, but this is a wonderful way to develop your seat and your communication with your horse. If you can’t see then you can’t anticipate your horse’s movements. You have to feel the movements as they are happening. This helps you to learn to keep your motion in rhythm in time with your horse’s. Of course ask your instructor to control the horse while you do this!
Use a bareback pad
If you are insecure about riding bareback, try using a bareback pad, It puts a little cushion underneath you and you can even purchase one with stirrups.
Benefits of learning how to ride a horse bareback
There are many benefits to riding your horse bareback including improved communication with your horse, confidence, strength, balance, and overall awareness of your seat and riding technique.
Strength
To be able to hold the proper sitting position and stay on your horse without using a saddle takes your core muscles and leg muscles. Riding bareback will definitely strengthen all of these muscles.
Awareness
When there is nothing between you and your horse then he can feel your movements and you can feel his so much better. In time, you will be able to tell by your horse’s body movements, exactly what he will do next.
Communication
Being able to feel each other’s movements makes for better communication between you and your horse. Having better communication means that you will eventually be able to steer your horse just by shifting your weight.
Improved confidence
Since riding bareback helps to develop so many skills, it adds to your confidence. Riding bareback is one of the hardest ways to ride so riding any other way will be much simpler for you once you can ride without a saddle.
Improved balance
Saddle equals balance, once you no longer have that secure balance, you have to learn how to balance yourself. This helps you to sit properly because without the saddle you can feel yourself slipping to one side or the other. With practice, your balance will get so much better.
Conclusion
It is indeed a little more difficult to learn how to ride a horse bareback. Once you learn your skills for horse riding will be developed to a much higher level. You will become an overall better horse rider.