Please give comment......can dressage be done on bare horseback riding??

Question

recently watching dressage,show jumping and riding pleasure on bareback competition. it was so amazing and surprise how they ride ,saw only females riders only and no males involved. all them 40 females rider and wear different skin tights costumes that attract mostl males audience......

why i cant see males with bareback ride and they compete in show jumping and trail with saddle on....

horseback riding been involved 90% females on now days around the world,do you agree?? this is the info been given during the ceremony before start competition.

Answer 1

Sure it can be done, but it requires that you be absolutely balanced with an excellent seat. Remember Native Americans rode, hunted, and waged war on horses riding bareback for thousands of years so, yes, it is possible to do most sports bareback. That being said, in competition you probably would not be allowed to ride without a saddle and why wouldn't you want the extra security a saddle provides? Certainly, going against the grain like that would be frowned upon. I'd say bareback is good for when you are practicing and is actually good at helping you develop a super balanced seat. But take a saddle with you into the competition ring.

Answer 2

It is true that the vast majority of riders in the world are women - though not as high as 90%.  However of the professional competitive riders 8 of the top 10 in the world are men.

Dressage bareback would be very difficult, I would imagine, and you would need to be a very good rider to achieve a good standard.  

I've certainly never heard of bareback competitions and to be honest I'd say it is obvious why you didn't see any men riding - bareback is not exactly comfortable for a women, let alone a man!

Answer 3

The man who trains my vet's horse for dressage competition frequently schools him bareback.  It's amazing to watch.  He just laughs about it and says he's too lazy to put a saddle on.  But I gotta say....an extended sitting trot, bareback.....it just don't look comfortable.