How do you ride yours?

Mine really is cheating to call it a bareback pad because you feel nearly as secure as in a saddle although I don't use the stirrup attachments. I can't sit on Raf truly bareback, he's too narrow, too bony and too slippy. He also has to be really persuaded to even take a step bareback, whether that's because he doesn't like the sensation or whether he thinks I'm not secure enough I don't know but his head goes up, his ears swivel back and his eyes widen in consternation so I just stick to the pad and very nicely he goes in it too.

ETA it's actually more comfortable and secure in my bareback pad than it is in a saddle with no stirrups I think.
 
As Cortrasna says. And your legs hang a bit forward in the hollow behing the shoulder.
You are not too old Cortrasna. I saw a pic of you and you look years younger than me. If I do resume riding I guess I will want my annual bareback treat.May be just in walk.
 
That wouldn't make you legally not liable if you are on the road though as the highway code says you must have a bridle.....from my understanding

I don't believe it states bitted or a leather bridle though, from my understanding.

When I looked into it, I'm sure I found I could ride in my rope 'hackamore' bridle as it's manufactured as a hackamore (and therefore a bridle) and be no more liable if I was hacking in an 'ordinary' bridle. But I'd be liable still for hacking in my rope halter.

I'm insured to ride/hack/jump etc in a rope halter though - so you can get insurance specifically riding out in one, if one wanted.

I don't hack in my rope halter on or off road anymore because now he's fitter, I want to live another day :D
 
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The highway code Rule 52 says
before you take a horse on the road, you should-
  • Ensure all tack fits well and is in good condition
  • Never ride a horse without both a saddle and bridle.
Whether that's enforceable law or advisory I do not remember.
I do remember the 'splitting of hairs' in the products description though.
A hackamore be it leather or rope is a hackamore. My halter is the grey area, but it can be made into a hackamore.

It's like arguing barefoot is barefoot and unshod is different. But to me its just a different term for the same- however- to some insurance companies they insist on the farrier.

I expect her to school in the halter.
 
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The highway code Rule 52 says
before you take a horse on the road, you should-
  • Ensure all tack fits well and is in good condition
  • Never ride a horse without both a saddle and bridle.
Whether that's enforceable law or advisory I do not remember.
I do remember the 'splitting of hairs' in the products description though.
A hackamore be it leather or rope is a hackamore. My halter is the grey area, but it can be made into a hackamore.

It's like arguing barefoot is barefoot and unshod is different. But to me its just a different term for the same- however- to some insurance companies they insist on the farrier.

I expect her to school in the halter.
I'd better be extra careful to remember that, I'm sure it was passable when I looked into it before, but that was at least 10 years ago.

It is a bit hair splitting re what's OK and what's not, but there has to be a line somewhere so it's good to know where it is.
 
I'd better be extra careful to remember that, I'm sure it was passable when I looked into it before, but that was at least 10 years ago.

It is a bit hair splitting re what's OK and what's not, but there has to be a line somewhere so it's good to know where it is.
That's the 12th edition. That was the latest at the time.. Dated 2009.
 
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I had my first ride in our new Christ Lamfelle Iberico last week and I love it! It doesn’t interfere with being able to feel the horse’s back moving, but it gives me more security and grip than a slippery summer coat does. My horse moved very freely and happily in it. I don’t use the pad with stirrups because I’m worried about pressure points and I’m happy without them anyway.

My older horse is still keen to do some light hacking and have an occasional potter around the school. It’s not quite time to completely retire him, though he isn't up to doing very much. But he has changed shape and his saddle no longer fits him - and he would be difficult to fit with a conventional saddle. It would take time and money to find one, and he might be retired next week, next month, next year...

I rode him completely bareback for several months before we got our pad. However, he can still put in a little buck when he gets excited, eg cantering in company or riding certain routes where he sometimes used to gallop and jump. After a few hairy moments where I thought I might slide off I’ve decided I want a bit more security.

As for rising to the trot without stirrups/bareback – I don’t do that on my own horse because it makes him halt abruptly with his ears pinned. I think he doesn’t like the feeling of my weight distributed along my thighs, which he interprets as blocking. Whereas if I sit to his trot he moves forward happily. I appreciate it’s a great workout though so I see why people do it if their horse doesn’t mind.
 
Mine prefers my legs to just hang when I rise and not alert my foot.
Ride her again and you can clearly see her disgust if you flex any muscle.

Popped a little cross pole, emphasis here on the little. She did toss the head on landing so need to sort my position.
 
Cant trot bareback for the life of me! Feel like i am slopping all over the poor animal! Feel like his spine will cave in at any moment!

Yet i can canter and gallop bareback no problem and sit and keep my balance!!! Bloody night mare when i slow him and trot comes, horrendous!!! So i try not to do it just for a couple of paces so he doesnt go from walk to canter or canter to brakes on....

tried doing as youtube videos say... Just feel like i am breaking him!
 
Second ride in my new Iberico pad last night – still loving it :D. We went out for about 25 minutes, squeezed past a giant lorry on the narrow lane outside the farm, and had a trot and a hop-skip into canter through one of the fields. Although I still have to work a little harder than riding in a saddle, it’s lovely to ride D without feeling like I might slip sideways if he gets exuberant. D also seems happy and keen to move but then that’s him.

I agree that the trot is usually the hardest pace to sit, @Prjsmk . How hard depends on the horse! D has quite an elevated trot and I have to actively think about letting my back spring and letting my hips move with him. He also gets cross if I’m at all out of rhythm or balance. Seb takes long, low, smooth steps and only has a very gentle swing through his back. He’s actually easier to ride bareback than D, but he has a saddle so it only happens now and then.
 
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@Feawen my cob has two trots and nice trot, which i stll cant sit to bareback and then a really bouncy stupid fast trot he does when hes being a right div lol, luckily if i get unbalanced he does stop, which isnt always useful as he tends to slam him brakes on and almost fires me over his head haha
 
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I found the more forward mine is the smoother it is. She has little short legs and she doesn't seem to get time to bounce as she is concentrating on going forwards.
The slow jog trot which I thought was easier is more bouncy.

@Feawen I always wanted that model. I'm envious of your Iberico :D
This is ours, having tried pretty much everything on the market.
PicsArt_06-15-05.22.19.jpg
 
@newforest that looks very comfy! I'm glad you found something that works for you and your mare :).

The Iberico is gorgeous. A big purchase for me, but I think I will use it a lot, and it should last a long time. I would really like to try riding in the type of traditional Spanish style saddle it is based on, which I imagine would put me in a lovely position.
 
@newforest that looks very comfy! I'm glad you found something that works for you and your mare :).

The Iberico is gorgeous. A big purchase for me, but I think I will use it a lot, and it should last a long time. I would really like to try riding in the type of traditional Spanish style saddle it is based on, which I imagine would put me in a lovely position.
I love the Spanish and Portuguese style.
I did make my own pad based on that. But I might be able to adapt the above.
Thankfully her head is too small for baroque else she would have that on it.
 
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