bareback cantering!!!

[lamprellsarah]

i felt confident and balanced enough in trot so...
i had my first canter, it was good nice and slow took a bit to get my balance, but once i did it weren't too bad, but i still felt i was thumping on her back something that doesn't happen with out stirrups with a saddle, or with stirrups!!
is there somehthing i can do??? will i just get used to it?? and get better in tune??? i haven't got the pommel to help me pull myself into the seat!!
help!!!

[lamprellsarah]

me and chancer barbeack again, lol

[Dice]

well you said that wanted a reply to your post here - well you've now got one even if it's completely useless to you as I've yet to do it myself! :p

So ummmm..... nice pics! :D

[snuggly_elf]

hey there lampy! I love cantering bare back. I find it much easier to sit into the horse without the saddle there. But then again usually I'm bare back when we're doing gymkanna games so there is no thought for safety, just the cup that has to be won! I think thats what does it cos you don't get tense if your not thinking about it!
I did ride for 1/2 hour bare back with the horse in only a head coller. I refused to canter cos Hamish is really difficult to stop, even with a bridle on!

[Mehitabel]

think about holding everything from your ribcage upwards still, and actively moving your lower back and hips with the horse. and i find a fat handful of mane helps as well.

[Elfin]

I have never ridden bareback, so can't help! Just going to coment on the pictures! they are gorge! Chancer is a babe!:)

[Hunt~Jump21]

If you have a relatively smooth horse, I find that cantering tends to be easier to sit to bareback than trot! Anyway, think about sitting up tall, looking up at where you're going (not down at the horse as this will throw your balance off), relaxing your thigh and allowing your weight to hang in your heels. Concentrate on keeping an even rhythem with your horse not allowing him to speed up too much or go too slow, counting out loud with your horse's canter stride "1,2,3...1,2,3" can sometimes even help.

And as mentioned above, part of riding bareback is finding a way to move with your horse - as you would post up and down in trot, in canter you need to relax your hips and allow them to move back and forth in motion with your horse. Oh yeah and although this is pretty obvious, avoid using your reins (i.e. horse's mouth) for balance at all times, instead try putting a neck strap on your horse for something to grab during those difficult transitions or shaky moments! (an old stirrup leather works really well as a neck strap if you don't have an old martingale strap or breastplate lying around) - Hope this helps -

[myEllie]

Bareback is great fun, but watch out for those transitions; they can be hell.

[Wanna Ride More]

Hi! I saw the pics of your horse and they are sooooooooo nice! I WISH I had my own horse! Well any way that is beside the point. I once cantered on a beaurtiful brown horse named Nakita! (I am not so good with all the colours so I use the basics!)
Anyway, this was the first time I had ever riden (Don't laugh) and I was riding her around bare back and sorta had my signals mixed up so instead of the walk signal the canter signal came out of my mouth so I am sitting on this horse for the first time in my life and all of the sudden I am not so sitting straight any more but nearly upside down and still holding on until I started thinking straight and thought about it (while still nearly under this horse at full speed) oh yeah the signal for stop is ummm... of yeah WHOA. Well I got of that horse, said thanx for the ride, gave it a kiss and ran at top speed out of that place. Did I mention I am going to horse camp this year? Watch out horses Here I come!!!!!!!!!!!! lol

[liberty911]

Lamp! You look wonderfully comfy on your faithful steed LOL! Looks fun I think I would like to do some barback riding this spring righ now I have to put some many layers on it would take me a half hour to get ON the poor horse I have very little mobility in all my FLEECE LOL!

[lamprellsarah]

awww thanx, me and chancer are getting a big head!!
good luck liberty!!!
wanna ride more, good luck at horse camp!! i am sure it will be fab!!
hunt jumps thats really helpful i will try that!!
my ellie, my transitions are not too bad actually surprisingly!!!but she does go from trot to standing without telling me!!
Thanx elfin!!! :) :D :)

[Nickie]

I had a go at bareback once - but had waterproof trousers on - so not only did it take me 1/2 hour to actually mount up - but it also took me less than 2 seconds to slide off the other side too!

Can do loads without stirrups in walk and trot - but tried canter and nearly fell off - I know what you mean about the transitions - ouch! :rolleyes:

[Elfin]

I would love to have a go, it looks so fun! :)

[snuggly_elf]

Originally posted by Elfin
I would love to have a go, it looks so fun! :)

now that your learning to jump you should do that bare back!:D

[Elfin]

:eek: oo er! maybe not!:)

[lamprellsarah]

oh go on elfin!!! i will get there soon, lets just conker jumping without stirrups first! :) :D :)

[Elfin]

I think I'll have to conquer jumping first! lol ;)

[lamprellsarah]

hmmm!! yeah that would be good!!! :) :D
don't want a fall before you have started!!!

oh also when you get on bareback try to touch your left hand with your right foot, you are nearly guaranteed to fall off!! :) :D ;) lol

[Elfin]

coo! oo er!

[tillynz]

lol, I love to ride bareback, it is so much fun!

[Dressage_Luvr]

hi,

at our lessons we sumtimes cool down bareback.
i have fallen once walking colling down bareback! i was just riding around with a saddle pad on since the horse i was on has a very spiny bak, and was doing around the world, whcich usually isnt that bigga deal, and i got side ways almost done, and went plop, landed on te ground, and jus started laughing!

it was funny!
i like doing no stirrups, in walk trot canter, jump, its so fun, except postin! well i gtg!

[ilovebacara]

he he!! i cantered bacara barback today with fallin off!! i can do the cantering bit it just when she comes back down to trot i go flying!! :D i no it sounds dumb but relax and for the first few times you do it once you have come back down to trot leans forward and just grab as much neck as you can!! it saves fallin off!! :D

[Dice]

Originally posted by ilovebacara
and just grab as much neck as you can!! it saves fallin off!! :D

Your method of prevention is nice and technical I see! ;) :D

[Elfin]

very!:D

[ilovebacara]

very technical!! :D it works tho!! :)

[Dice]

Originally posted by ilovebacara
it works tho!! :)

Well we can't really fault it then can we!

[Elfin]

nope!:D

[Gemma R]

My friend and I (in our younger days) used to ride our pnies bare back a LOT. We used to do everything with them walk, trot, canter, gallop and some small xc jumps!!!!!!!

You just have to relax into it and go with the flow. I used to love it.

Although I must admit to not being brave enough to have ridden Libby bare back yet!!!! Although give me time I am sure I will!!

[happyhorse]

i love riding bareback, i actully find that its easier to do sitting trot without the saddle!!!