This month we are going to take a break from my monthly training themes and weekly videos to focus on a few untruths in both horse training and riding.
This month I am dedicating each week to the many myths, misconceptions & fallacies surrounding horse training & riding.
For today’s video I will be focusing on the myths and misconceptions surrounding bareback, bareback pads and saddles.
For my research, I searched the top videos on this subject, reviewed them and decided if they made sense, both logically and scientifically. I also have a lifetime of experience riding in all disciples, with and without saddles and here are my results.
I am going to discuss the following and the pros and cons of each:
1. Riding bareback
2. Riding in a bareback pad
3. Riding in a saddle
Most of you know I teach riding, at all levels, and disciplines, bareback and I teach it only in a well-constructed bareback pad.
Riding truly bareback, without a pad, is bad for your horse and I’m going to discuss the reasons why.
Riding bareback is not good for your horse nor should it be about having fun at their expense. You might be wondering what I mean by “their expense?” I’ll explain.
A horse can feel your sit, tail, and pubic bone when you ride bareback. When we sit on them, we are digging our bones into their tendons or spine too. Like an ill-fitting tree on a saddle, this type of pressure is what causes pain and hurts our horses backs.
Most horses are high withered, have bony spines, and weak toplines too making them very painful to ride to begin with. While the horses that are more round, well-muscled and wide are more comfortable, we can slide or bounce off them just as easily due to our lack of balance as a rider.
Another negative about riding bareback is the amount of rubbing and sliding we do. We slide because of two reasons, the horse’s hair is smooth and they are imbalanced, naturally asymmetrical thus causing us to lose our balance.
Sliding causes great discomfort, annoyance, and pain too. When we slide, we brace and squeeze to stay on and to keep from hitting our privates against their withers. Our brace creates tension and opposition to our horse’s movement.
No wonder they buck, pin their ears, swish their tails, hollow out their backs and brace against us. These are all the reasons why I do not recommend riding bareback.
Because riding bareback causes the rider instability, and tension, it is almost impossible for you to learn how to ride well and with a truly independent and balanced position this way.
That is why I ride, and teach riding, only in a well-made bareback pad. It is the best way to teach and find a true independent and balanced seat.
A well-made bareback pad not only protects your horse’s back from pain, it supports your balance by providing texture between your body and the pad, offering you a natural grip that keeps you from sliding.
In all the years and thousands of horses I have rode, I have never had a sore back from using a well-made pad. While your horse can still feel your bones pressure through the pad, a well-made pad will offer enough padding and support to keep you from causing pain.
Here is a list of the many great benefits a well-made pad offers:
- Allows you to connect to your horse’s movement naturally;
- Allows you to feel your horse’s movement more easily;
- Teaches you how to ride with a truly independent and balanced seat;
- Teaches you correct rider position and leg position and length;
- Security so you do not slide, slip, or use your legs to grip;
- Padding between your sit bones and the horse’s spine;
- More comfortable for the horse and keeps you from sliding and rubbing the hair the wrong way;
- Don’t have to worry about your saddle not fitting and causing your horse pain;
- Keeps you clean;
I’ll discuss the pro’s and cons of riding in a saddle next week.
I hope that helps! Please purchase the pads from my website so I can receive my commission. I work hard for it! Thank you! www.taoofhorse....
I teach you all about this and so much more in my new Beginner Rider Course soon. Please click here for details and to join www.taoofhorse....
If you would like to learn how to develop your horse, from ground to riding, start to finish, you can learn how and so much more in my universally proven MasteryMembership Riding Foundation Program.
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