the best thing to do, is if u know how to sit the trot in a saddle apply the same thing to all bareback riding. If you don't then don't worry bareback riding will have you with the best sitting trot (in the saddle) soon. It's where i prefected mine. Basically take your tail bone and relax it down as deep as you can into the horses back, this helps make your seat a lot more secure and lets you use balance more than just your legs to hold on. Also you can start holding the base of your horses mane till your legs get a lil stronger and that will help make sure your not accidentally pulling on your horse when u lose balance (we all do, i still grab mane or end up yanking if a horse bucks or shy horribly when i'm bareback, it's natural). When u get a lil better a great excersise to do is ';Ride A Buck'; get a group of horse friends together and rip off the saddles, take out a dollar and put it between ur thigh and the horse and see who can keep their dollar the longest while doing the most things. When that gets too easy you move it down and put it between your calf and ur horse. The last person to lose their dollar gets all the money from the group. If u reaaaallly want to make it intresting pay with 5's or 10's. Some shows have this as a class both at the thigh and calf level. And believe me, next time your called to 'drop your irons' in an equitation class you'll be a much better rider seat and leg wise. All the best luck with your riding.Bareback? Tips %26amp; Advice?
its great to here your ridding bareback :)
I learned how to ride first bareback so i would have more balance in the saddle and confidence.
heres some tips:
*posture:back straight and heels in.(kinda like your in an english saddle)
*Practice alot the reason it is hard is because you have to get muscle in your leg to keep you postioned correctly.(if possible get a large rubber ball and squeeze it between your legs 5-10 minutes)
*Try to stay positioned in the center of your horses back.
Thats what helped me :)
Riding bareback is great for your balance. Make sure you keep your legs on the horse not just your thighs (Like I do, is really bad habit!) other than that, you just have to keep working on it and make sure you really use your seat! Also, if you need to hold on to something, hold on to the mane so you dont pull on your horses mouth. Dont worry about cantering or anything until you feel comfortable and secure! Hope this helps! (I basically learned to ride bareback!)
to help you keep you balance,keep your heels down, relax your body, and move with the horse, not agaisnt it. dont sqeeaze with you thights, because some horse get irittated and buck you off. keep you body limp, not stiff, and try to bounce with the horse. canter and galloping is much more easer then trot, because it is smooth and graceful.grab the mane if you need some extra balance. i starting b.b. riding a little bit ago, and it is sooooooo fun:) well good luck, with your bareback riding:)
I've been riding bareback for 20 years, bitless as well, I am very comfortable at it. It just takes time. There aren't really any exercises that you can do to make your legs stronger, except riding more! Do be careful, though, that you stay calm and collected. Bareback makes it MUCH easier for your horse to read your hesitations. They will pick up on it a lot easier. Have fun, and keep at it. It will come to you!
just practise a little each day,u will improve in balance,and b4 u know it,u will be able to stay on even when u canter!take it slow,tho.i held a bit of mane along with my reins ,that helped.when u do get good at it-dont go out too long w/out a saddle-i dont kno if this happens to every1,but if i ride too long w/out a saddle,my feet ache from just hanging down and not being able to rest on stirrups.dont go too fast till ur comfortable and ready.i fell off several times,but was never hurt,just a bit sore..have fun!
For inspiration:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEaMI5PkL鈥?/a>
If that doesn't work, go to youtube and search stacey westfall championship run.
Absolutely amazing video, and I ride English!
I read an article by Stacey, and she said the main thing is not grip with your legs, but balance. I haven't succeeded at that myself, though.
Be very careful, make sure your legs are strong enough to hold on. Doing squats can help. Also, If your not wearing riding pants, make sure you pants dont have any jewls on your pockets that might hurt your horse. Bareback is sooo much fun. Have a blast!
relax. if you tense up you will not absorb the movement and that's when you start to bounce around and more likely to take a tumble.
Practice, practice, practice. You'll get more confident the more you do it.
relax and get into your horses rhythm.
Riding a horse bareback is a great way to develop muscle and balance. It's warmer in the winter and less cumbersome if you only have a minute for a quick ride around the paddock. It's a great way to get to know how your horse moves as you feel its muscles working beneath you. This is how many of us learned to ride 'way back when'.
Riding bareback is also more risky without the saddle to rely on for security. I do not recommend using a bareback pad (or a blanket beneath your seat). Because bareback pads do not have any structure (as opposed to a treeless saddle) they can slip easily if you become unbalanced. Bareback pads with stirrups are dangerous and encourage poor seat position.
Always use an approved riding helmet and proper footwear. You'll want to use a quiet calm horse, with smooth gaits and a healthy back. Horses with high withers can be uncomfortable to ride bareback. If you are concerned about 'certain areas' becoming chaffed take a hint from the sport of distance riding and apply an application of petroleum jelly before heading out.
Before you begin, be sure you have mastered the halt, turning, walk, sitting trot, posting trot and canter/lope in the saddle with and without stirrups. While many of us had to learn to ride bareback because we didn't have saddles, starting out with a saddle will make things easier.
Because you won't have stirrups to use to mount up you will have to have to use a mounting block or have someone give you a leg up. Legions of us have used a handy fence rail to mount up. But it can be difficult to get your horse lined up and standing still while you balance precariously on the fence. A sturdy mounting block is safest. (The Guide vividly remembers using a patio chair, only to have her foot go through the seat--and hanging halfway on the horse with patio chair around her calf. Not a safe situation.)
Once aboard get comfortable. Good position is the same as in the saddle. You want bareback riding to improve your riding overall, not become a way to develop new bad habits! Be aware of the alignment of your ear, shoulder, hip and heel.
Have someone lead the horse at a walk. Have them walk forward, turn, halt and back-up so you can get used to the feeling. When you are feeling secure walking while led, take up the reins and start, steer and stop with the side-walker along for security.
Repeat the procedure at both a sitting and posting trot. Thats right; you should be able to post without stirrups--or saddle.
To canter you may want someone to lunge the horse. Keeping your balance on a relatively tight circle is a tad more difficult. But on the lunge you don't have to worry about controlling the horse and can concentrate on maintaining your seat.
Mastering the sitting trot in the saddle will help you a lot when you learn to ride bareback.. Keep your legs long and heels down. Think of letting your weight sink through your 'seat cushions' and down through your legs. Keep those 'seat cushions' springy. Stay relaxed and flexible and don't forget to breath. Holding your breath keeps your weight high.
If you start to loose your balance don't clench with your legs. Your horse could understand this as a cue to move forward more strongly. It's fair to use a hank of mane to steady yourself at first. I think that a handful of mane is more secure than using a neck rope or strap because there is no chance of the horse's mane slipping side to side!
Many people have a tendency to lean back and let their legs push forward. Or they hunch forward and bring their heels up. Either tendency will erode your overall security and skill.
When you feel balanced and in control you can head out on your own. You should stay in the ring or arena or small fenced paddock until you feel completely confident at all gaits. When you become very good at riding bareback you might want to try riding out on trail. If you do however, consider how you will get back on if you have to dismount.
Going up steep inclines can be a challenge without a saddle. Lean forward to get your weight off of the horse's back and use handfuls of mane to prevent sliding backwards. Whatever you do don't use the reins for balance. That will confuse and hurt the horse.
Good luck and have lots of fun!
No one has said this and I'm assuming you already do it. But when I ride bareback I sit higher on the horse than I do when riding in a saddle. I don't know what Krude Kitty is going on about obviously they've been in the saddle a long time but I never used a saddle when I learned to ride and sitting in one now is the most insecure feeling compared to bareback to me. I sit just behind the shoulders, with my legs in the area between the front legs and belly.
The others advice is great you do have to work with your leg muscles and make sure you move with the horse and use ALL of your leg not just your thighs.
Bareback riding has a lot to do with balance and leg strength. If you feel a little insecure at first be sure to ride in a soft arena or enclosed area. I used to ride bareback as a kid all the time and never used a saddle. The balance and strength of your legs comes in time and repetition of riding. You can do leg exercises at a gym to strengthen your legs up more, or bike ride. You need to set the middle of your horses back and don't be afraid to hang on to the mane if you want at first. Once you get really good you won't be hanging on to anything.
Some people have another person lunge the horse for them while u are on bareback to learn to get more balance and stability. I only wish i could ride bareback now, i broke my femur (big bone in leg) several years ago and do no have the gripping power i used to have. Keep riding and you'll find u get really good at it.
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