Adults who ride ponies bareback

[Emmabbrides]

Adults riding ponies are often concerned about the size and type of saddle they should purchase. If you are not riding for competition, or to show your pony why not just ride bareback? The intimate contact with your pony will allow you to feel the interplay of the pony's muscles against your thighs and under your seat, so you can learn to interpret how you can move your body to make it easier for the pony to carry your weight. Also, the pony will learn to understand commands from the pressure of your thighs and balance shifts of your seat so you will be using your reins a lot less. Would love to hear from other adult riders who like to ride bareback, and exchange ideas on subjects such as posting the trot bareback, and what they enjoy about riding bareback.

The pressure points from seatbones can cause damage bareback. I rode bareback for 20 minutes recently and could see where my seatbones had been. I am however fortunate to fit comfortably in a 14" pony saddle and do also ride bareback with a bareback and sheepskin. I just wouldn't go on long rides or do harder work bareback without the support of a tree to keep weight off spines and withers.

But bareback without pads etc can damage the back and you are assuming that people are balanced enough to do so. Most are not and can end up leaning on the reins/mouth to balance themselves which then also causes harm.
Nothing against bareback riding per se with a well fitting pad underneath but saddles and trees were invented for a reason.
Horses can still feel rider weight through a saddle if it is well fitted and my horse does all lateral work and downwards transitions through my seat rather than my legs/hands. How do you think horses do dressage movements? It is through the shifting weight of the rider combined with then slight rein/leg aids.

I ride my pony 14hh newforest bareback. I'm balanced on him and can jump and canter no problem. It depends on the balance of the rider, the size and build of the pony and the weight and height of the rider though doesn't it. Mind you same goes for with a saddle.

Yep totally agree. Unfortunately I've seen many unbalanced riders going around bareback whilst hanging onto the reins in the misguided belief that they are being kinder to their horse by not using a saddle.
As with everything to do with horses so much depends on the ability of the rider so is individual for every rider.

Sorry to answer the second part of your question OP. I ride barback out of laziness, as it's easier than getting a saddle out of the tack room. Also in winter it's lovely and warm

Not a horse person here. What is a tree?

Assuming you don't mean a tall, leafy thing...

The base upon which a saddle is built. To give the saddle its shape and raise it clear of the withers and spine. Also to distribute the rider's weight evenly across the saddle.

I just had a lovely short ride on my pony on the mountain bareback this afternoon, only half an hour but it’s easy just to chuck a bridle on and go. Feels lovely and connected to your horse.

Saddle up for longer rides though.

Thank you @twistyizzy

I ride in treeless saddles after struggling to fine suitable saddles for my ponies. They are great.

I ride bareback for several reasons. During warm hot summers in California, I wear shorts when I ride. Saddles, blankets, and stirrups would all abrade my bare legs. Also, during warm weather all the items that go with saddles would add to the heat and weight the pony would need to bear. I also train ponies that friends have bought for their kids and ride the ponies to make sure they are kid safe. Of course, the duration of the rides should be kept to a shorter time so that the ponies are not over stressed. I do not like to use bareback pads so the communication with the pony is enhanced when there is no pad between the rider and pony, and I have had the pads slip sideways off center enough to cause the rider to fall off the pony.