At 13:21:46 on 26.03.11, lucky29sissy wrote:
I'm really scared of riding bareback on a trail with my horse, sissy, my friend keeps telling me it's because I don't trust my horse ( not true ) but how can I get to the point were I can ride strong and in-control bareback?? I will have to admit I afraid if I fall she would take off and I might not get her back ( at least not for a while ) and then if I fall that I may not want to ride bareback ever again:( any advice??

At 19:12:29 on 26.03.11, JessAndGrenville123 wrote:
I wouldn't hack out bareback without a neck strap because horses can get fiesty out on hacks and if you try to pull your horse up you will have less effect because you will just pull yourself up your horses neck so the neck strap would help, personally i would stick to riding bare back in the arena and enclose fields where you can safely 'go wild' bare back lol :) or at least practice all the gaits and jumping in an eclosed field (including gallop) just incase when you do go out your horse gallops off so you know what to do and your horse knows what to expect

At 08:58:02 on 27.03.11, Flicka wrote:
No, you're perfectly normal!!! And don't get pushed by your friend to do something you're not ready to do until you are, for your own safety and that of your horse. Jess is right, practice first in an enclosed space, preferably with a soft landing, until you are confident in all paces. I also agree that a neck strap is a good idea. And take the time you need to get competent and confident before you hit the trail. My friend has a horse that was trained by stunt riders and if you are in trouble or fall and make a certain noise he is trained to stop-I always think that's a fantastic idea and would love to know how they do it.

At 09:18:02 on 27.03.11, kibby wrote:
of course thats normal.. bareback is scary. My advice is do it as often as possible. take your bridle when you go catch him and ride him back to wear you saddle, even have a lesson bareback. My friend and i are quite cheeky with our old instructor and one day she decided to get us back she would make us ride with no stirrups we thought we'd be funny and ride without saddles (in a jumping lesson!) it was hard but fun and very good practise.. So if your thinking of riding in an enclosed area then whip the saddle off and have fun.. It will almost become second nature.. In no time at all you'll be doing this..

At 09:18:17 on 27.03.11, kibby wrote:
forgot the link. lol

At 14:28:03 on 27.03.11, lucky29sissy wrote:
Thank you all so much!!! I've never even thought about a neck strap before:) and thank you for your advice:) by the way love that video!!!

At 21:11:03 on 28.03.11, Cowboy wrote:
Me and my sister race all the time bareback. It's not a matter of trust, and don't let your friend tell you that. Your relationship with your horse doesn't come into. If you can find your balance point, and relax, you should be just fine.

At 07:25:05 on 29.03.11, CaraGenie wrote:
The thought of riding bareback out on a hack scares even me. And, I would never do it as it seems dangerous - mostly because of what you said yourself, if you fall and the horse takes off anything could happen. I ride bareback every so often (or at least I did before I got pregnant). Riding bareback is fun, and it allows you to find a deeper seat and have a closer contact with your horse - the main reason I do it. And it's not about having trust in your horse, it's trusting yourself. Another idea, if your friend had a good horse, have you thought about going bareback on the lead?

At 09:30:53 on 29.03.11, keepmumsane wrote:
bareback is scary .. it takes practice to stay on and why spoil your ride doing something that scares you? . Trust your own feelings and don't be pressured . It is great for developing your seat..but in a safe space

At 11:04:46 on 29.03.11, Part Arab wrote:
Well done you for recognising you're not ready to trail ride bareback! Don't listen to unhelpful comments about your relationship with your horse (ever) and train yourself to switch off when people who don't ride your horse analyse you. You do trust your horse and your horse trusts you to pick up on her anxiety about putting bareback and trail riding together. Imagine how scary it looks to her???? Your horse doesn't know what's expected of her because you haven't told her yet and you need to, consistently. Ignore your friend and introduce new things to Sissy at your own pace and in a fun way - horse riding is supposed to be fun after all :.) You will know when you and your horse are ready to hit the trail bareback and I doubt that it will take very long. Good luck and enjoy!