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[RC] [RC] Bare-Backing It - Ridecamp Guest

Please Reply to: Nicole z_arabs@xxxxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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I still ride bareback on a regular basis, although I do use a 
bareback pad.  It's how I start youngsters and I do a lot of 
trail riding that way as well.  The only reason I have not tried
to compete bareback is that I can't figure out how to reliably
mount from the ground.  On a short enough horse (sub 14.2 or so), 
I can get on in a very ungraceful fashion from the ground, but
I really doubt I could do it much after the lunch hold or so.  And
I can't do it at all if the horse is any taller than that.

I also haven't found a good way to hook my saddle bags (for 
water if nothing else) to my bareback pad.  I can rig it for a
breastcollar for hills and I even have stirrups I can put on it
(I don't use the stirrups when riding youngsters, only "broke"
horses -- for reasons like the time I forgot I was using the pad
and leaned WAY over the side putting all my weight in one stirrup
to reach something and nearly slid underneath the horse, who 
just stood there while I grappled my way back up onto her back).

Oh, and while I've owned quite a few different bareback pads over
the years, the one I have now is the best I've tried.  It's a 
Coolback "English" style pad.  I love it.

For the question about a narrow horse: well, I have nice wide-
backed Arabs, so I'm not a good person to ask.  Although I do have
one older mare that has tremendous withers (for any breed) and
I used to ride her EVERYWHERE bareback.  Anyway, while I haven't
done it in years, I do remember using a big fluffy fleece western
pad under the bareback pad on some horses.  Makes it like riding
a padded sofa. :)

~Nicole

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Just because someone tells you that your horse isn't "fit" for
endurance...doesn't mean it isn't, it just means your horse isn't fit to be
"their" endurance horse! Go for it, you never know what you'll accomplish
with that "saddle horse" or "trail horse" of YOURS! 
~  Darlene Anderson - DPD Endurance

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