by Vida G

Created on: July 29, 2008   Last Updated: September 08, 2009

Bare Back Riding:

Intimidating and majestic at the same time, horses have captured our imaginations for centuries. With nothing but you, the horse and an open trail one could be riding on a horse and immediately be taken back to your favorite novel, Little House on the Prairie for me, Dances with Wolves for others.

Horses, as it turns out, are not a native fauna to the western hemisphere. They did not make their appearance until Christopher Columbus and Hernan Cortez when the Spanish came to conquer the Americas. The native Aztec population had never seen horses before, and so, completely mistook the Spanish for Gods.

Funny how some of our first ideas about horses are associated with the "wild wild west", Indians and the cowboys; both hand in hand with bare back riding. For some, mounting a horse bare back style is still an unaccomplished dream and so, it will be the topic discussed today.

You have found access to a horse, let's call him Mr. Ed, and now you really want to ride bare back, or maybe, you can't decide if you should ride saddle or not? Well ponder no more, friend! There are plenty of reasons for riding bare back, and surely you can imagine there would be a few safety precautions as well.

There's the time issue. It's faster to get your horse ready. You don't have to put on any gear if you don't want, not even his bridle! If this would be your first time, you should probably use at least the bridle, though. It would make for an easier introduction to your hobby. An optional but not required accessory might be a quilt to perhaps put some space between you and Mr. Ed. Personally, it kind of kills the idea of "bare" back, but you know, it works for some people.

Think of the buddy system. Yes, it is smart to go with a friend but Mr. Ed will love you more for riding with out saddle! Think about it, those things can weigh up to 100 lbs! Would you like to carry a back pack with bricks in it? My guess is no. Not only that, but the saddle has to be buckled at his belly very tightly, it would be like wearing a small belt when you're really a medium, and then tightening it to an extra-small!

Consider the health benefits. Riding bareback is great for when you fall off of your horse. It sounds awful but it's true! If you and Mr. Ed were taking a nice stroll and all of a sudden he got scared, you can just fall off your horse. Whereas if you had your saddle on, your leg (or foot) could get caught in the stirrup and there you would go, just dragging along for God

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