Tips when riding your horse bareback
In order to participate in the forums and post comments, you need to be registered on Horse Hero. Please make sure you are Registered and Login to get involved!
|
|
|
Horse Care
10 Feb 2010 05:00
|
* Never clench your calves to keep balance on your horse, you may only tense up and encourage your horse to go faster.
* If you need to, hold the mane, but don’t lean on your hands. The point of bareback riding is to improve your balance. If you’re leaning you’ll never learn.
* Make sure you’re looking ahead, and try to adapt as close to a normal seat as possible, heels down still applies !
* Trotting and cantering will be the true test of balance, make sure you relax into each gait gently, give yourself time to adjust.
* Take time to feel the horse move underneath you. Practise your aids and see just how long it takes your horse to respond.
|
joallan
01 Aug 2010 11:06
|
I make sure I sit in balance, it is easy to feel "as one" without the saddle getting in the way. My boy is still young, so if any dangers approach, I have my reins held 2/3 of the way down the crest of the neck, grasping the mane for extra safety. I can keep a light contact this way, and control if we take off, in either direction, though so far he has been well behaved.
I only ride bareback with hat and bridle, and on the estate where there is little or no traffic.
I am not brave enough to attempt trot or canter, but that is cos I'm a bit past it!
|
Horse Hero Guru
01 Aug 2010 20:33
|
Riding bareback is an excellent exercise for the rider and, for those of us of a ‘certain’ age, something we spent hours doing when we were younger – it is so much easier to ride your horse in from the field in his headcollar than to actually walk beside him.
My main tips would be to make sure your horse is the right weight – if he is too fat you tend to slide off on corners as your legs are stretched too far, and if he is to thin those bony withers hurt!!!
The other tip is to allow your horse to be a little dirty when you are going to be bareback and definitely to avoid using any coat gloss – that extra shine also means there is less friction to keep you in place.
|
|
|
|