Bareback today :)

[Bay Mare]

Had a great lesson with Saff yesterday, a couple of minor strops but some excellent work out of her :) She's really coming into her own now bless her :)

Anyway ... I took her into the school today with the intention of doing some groundwork and in-hand work. I'd put my hat on because she can get a bit stressed and is very good with her front feet when she does. It's only a precaution, she's never done anything.

So as I'm walking to the school I think "I'd really like to try her bareback". Don't know what came over me, I must have been about 18 since I rode bareback :eek: The first problem was how to get on. I took her to the mounting block where she stood like a statue (much improved from when I got her when I often had to get on from the 'wrong side'). I leaned over her back and she stood so I jumped up and lay over her back and she stood. So I swung my leg over and she stood :D This is FANTASTIC progress as even when I did get her to stand at the block she would always walk off as soon as my bum hit the saddle.

I did about 5/10 minutes on her just at walk and trot and she was fabulous. She was a little unsure in trot at first but soon relaxed and I could really feel her back swinging. I didn't stay on too long because she still needs to strengthen up and I'm not exactly a twiglet!

I really enjoyed it, it reminded me of the days when I used to jump on (goodness knows how) and go out across the fields, round the roads etc with my bikini on :eek: Couldn't do that now, I'd scare the locals :D

[BackintheSaddle]

i too have memories of mucking about bareback in a bikini top and shorts. i seem to remember some sort of business of running and swinging up onto the back? How on earth did that work? If I tried that with my 30rd old self I'd fall flat on my back! I do occaionally scramble up onto Cal for a bareback ride, but I have to get on from the top rail on the fence :) He's a very good sport about the whole thing although look a bit embarrased.

[cazrider]

WONDERFUL Bay Mare:D It is a fab feeling. How much has Saffy improved? I can't see you having achieved that in the first few weeks of owning her. :D

[Bay Mare]

How much? Loads, more than I ever expected during our darkest hours!

It's nice to reminisce about what was, you can easily forget how far you've come. I was only moaning to my trainer the other week how I thought that we should be further on in our training. He reminded me just what she was like when I got her and how we had to overcome the problems before we could start the training. I should have kept those posts about her :(

In addition to the good behaviour she 'helped' the YO on Saturday when a horse barged out of the field and started legging it up the lane. Apparently Saff was very good and didn't try to follow and then actually herded the horse into the yard rather than up the lane to the dual carriageway :)

She's also retaining her position as bossy mare in the herd! We had a new mare go into the field, she's quite dominant and I thought that Saff would have a fight on her hands to retain her position. They weren't in the field together on Saturday but the poor thing hadn't made it out of the bottom two fields so even though the shooters were out yesterday she was stood at the gate when I put Saff out. I was a bit wary to be honest, two dominant mares together!

Anyway, Saff was great and waited until I was out of the way before she told the new mare who was boss even though the new mare was pushing her! I was stood by the gate by this time. They both did the usual sniffing, Saff arched her neck and let out this tremendous squeal. She then reared up and stomped her front feed one after another into the mud as she came down. She completely splattered me with mud! That's all it took. The new mare backed off and Saff took her up to the top of the field to be with the herd :) I love herd dynamics and am sorry that I'll miss the saga unfolding over the next few days as I'm in London :( It will be interesting to see what their relationship will be and if Saffy retains her 'title' once the new girl settles in!

I never really wanted a boss mare but she has taught me a lot :D

[Ginger Thing]

Sounds like you had fun :D

I used to ride bareback on a friend's horse (15.2 and round as a barrel!) but have never dared try it on our 2 because

a. its too far to fall
b. those withers :eek: :D

I love cantering without stirrups, that's the closest I'll get on our boys!

[Bay Mare]

have never dared try it on our 2 because

a. its too far to fall
b. those withers :eek: :D

LOL, I know what you mean!

Thankfully Saff is quite comfy though not as comfy as I thought she'd be. You do have to be careful where and how you sit :eek:

[Dummer&Drummer]

ooohhh well done you, i got my bare back pad at the weekend (put thread in general) i just could not resist a canter :eek: knew i would not be able to :rolleyes: so ended up cantering round and round as did not want to come back to trott lol

ri has agreed to let me do my winter lessons on it s:rolleyes: :)

[Skib]

That's lovely Bay mare - from another bare back addict. That you took it into your head to do it and it was as nice as you remembered.

[Bay Mare]

That's lovely Bay mare - from another bare back addict. That you took it into your head to do it and it was as nice as you remembered.

LOL, I know. I get these 'instincts' sometimes. Don't know where they come from or why I'm suddenly brave enough to try them but I'm glad that I did, I've been eyeing her back up for a while :) I didn't use a pad, though, so my jods (navy) were very white and hairy afterwards!

Q - why is it only the WHITE hairs that stick to clothes when she's now a kind of lightish steel grey colour? Mmmmmmm

[Imp]

Ohhh, well done!!! I'm envious :D I used to do bareback, no other way without a saddle :( but I'm too scared at the moment, might ask new RI if we can try though... we'll see.

What a breakthrough for you though!! :)

[NoviceNic]

Brilliant news Bay Mare. Dont you just wish you had a camera with you when you are feeling brave. The things we used to do when we were younger hey.:p Did you used to pole vault onto your ponies back as well to get on. No way could we do it now. :eek: :D ;)

[Bay Mare]

I wish I'd got cameras set up permanently in the school for those breakthrough (or even just good) moments!

In my lesson on Saturday the ONLY time that anyone wandered past was when she was stropping even though the strop made up less than 2% of the lesson. No-one was ever there when she was going around like a little dressage horse!

We didn't used to pole vault on but we did used to vault. I haven't got a clue how I ever got on ... they weren't ponies either, the horse that I rode the most was a 15.2hh! There weren't such things as mounting blocks in those days, poor horsies :(

[carrimclaren]

I noticed this thread yesterday and i'm sure it somehow implanted this faint notion in my head as last night after i'd lunged her over some jumps i had this stupid idea of getting up on libby bareback :rolleyes: I also haven't ridden bareback since i was 13 when like you i used to jump up on 15.2's and canter round the field whooping with delight at how dead cool i was :D

Well my moose wouldn't stand still so i ended up having to get on from the wrong side (which always confuses me) and as soon as i sat on you could see her turning her head as if to say what the hell do you think you're doing. We only had a little plod round the yard but she was well behaved and it was dead comfy :) I was quite proud really that i managed to get on as she's 16.1 and i'm only 5"6. Walked round with a stupid grin on my face after that. So well done bay mare for managing a trot round as well. That's my next goal ;)

[Bay Mare]

Well done carrimclaren :) I'm sure that you'll feel brave enough to trot next time out :D

Isn't it funny what makes us all grinny :) Do something good at work ... ok, whatever. Horsey stuff regresses me to a child!