by Kelly Sigler

Created on: July 31, 2008   Last Updated: July 09, 2010

I can very clearly remember some of the most amazing days of my life, spent taking a class on horseback riding in college. I was a beginning rider, just exploring my love of trail rides and the beauty of these wonderful animals. The horse I was assigned to had a definite attitude, and we had our trials, but I will never forget the first time I got to ride bareback.

When our professor announced that we'd be riding without a saddle for the first time, I was incredibly nervous. Would I be able to stay on her back? How would I even get up there?! My instructor brought over a box for me to stand on, and I grabbed my horse's mane and hauled myself up. It was absolutely wonderful! As cliched as it sounds, I immediately felt all my worries and cares just slip away. Being able to feel my horse's warmth and muscles directly under me, without a blanket and saddle between us, actually made me feel more confident about my riding than ever before. It really was like being "one" with this incredible animal, and I could hardly contain my excitement and eagerness to ride.

That first time, we were only allowed to walk around the ring, but even then, I could feel my balance improving, and my horse and I both seemed more relaxed. These are just a few of the great benefits to be gained from bareback rides. When you don't have the saddle, you rely only on yourself for balance. I was pleasantly surprised to find out just how broad a horse's back really is without a saddle on it though, and I loved the feeling of having my feet free to swing in the breeze, instead of restrained in the stirrups. Your horse will be more relaxed because they won't have a 50+ pound saddle cinched around their belly in addition to your own weight, and you'll be more comfortable and relaxed because you'll be able to feel every movement your horse even thinks about making.

So, do you think you're ready to give bareback riding a shot? There are some very important things to take into consideration before you hop on. First of all, try to have an experienced rider with you the first time you ride your horse bareback. Not only will it improve on your safety and confidence, but you can have them give you a boost up if you need it!

Like any other ride, make sure you stretch before you go bareback. You'll find that you use your leg muscles for balance a lot more when riding sans saddle, and you want to be limber after your ride, not sore, so you can do it all over again! Also, think safety first, and wear a helmet,

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