Will riding bareback damage my horses back??

Question

Will riding bareback damage my horses back??

Answer 1

riding bareback can hurt your horse if you bounce around or are constantly off center. A saddle balances you and spreads your weight over the horses back. An off balanced riding impedes the horses balance. It's like sayy you were trying to run while carrying a kid on each hip. One is a baby and the other is a four year-old. It's not that you can't carry them both but its a lot more uncomfortable then having one kid on the center of your back like a piggy back ride or one baby on each side. I hope that makes sense... anyways it also depends on the horse--some are more sensitive to that sort of thing  than others. It also depends on what your doing. If your bouncing at a full speed canter for an hour or jumping bareback your more likely to smacking down hard on your horses back, making it worse. Bareback is a great way to improve a riders seat but should be done occasionally, instead of on a regular basis. Also consider a nice bareback pad. It minimizes the amount you slide round, and adds a little padding for your horse (the suede seat ones are the best)

Answer 2

It shouldn't hurt the horse - we do a lot of schooling with our cob bareback and usually ride up to the field bareback. We have also just lightly backed our youngster bareback.

A 'rounder' type horse such as a cob will be more comfortable for the person to ride while a tb type with promenant withers will be uncomfortable for the rider it shouldn't cause any discomfort for the horse.

Answer 3

no, in some ways it's actually better. the horse might enjoy being ridden more without the weight of the saddle.

Answer 4

no it will not. :)

riding bareback is better than saddle because it is less weight for the horse, but if you do shows and everything i would suggest riding sadle so the horse will get use to it.

Also dont use a saddle if you are going into water.

Answer 5

No anymore than a saddle, blanket, and rider does.

Answer 6

Lady Godiva's horse wasn't hurt by it.

Answer 7

Nope, go for it.

Answer 8

no but most horses will hurt your butt

Answer 9

I have been riding for 31yrs. I ride 95% of the time  bareback. In WY & NV in the moutians!!! I have never had a horse go lame because I have been riding bareback!!!! I have gone on a 6 hour ride on my bareback pad. I have gone on camping with your horses, packing & rode in my bareback pad for days at a time. & Never had my horse go sore!!!!  You can check your horses back when your done riding to see if it sore. Run your fingers down the spine, if the horse moves or flinches then it is sore. If not then its not sore. It may happen......

Answer 10

no if  your horse isnt in paine

Answer 11

If this were true then Native Americans crippled a lot of horses.

I see the "logic" confused the trolls and their "thumbs down"...so sad. Boo Hoo

Answer 12

No, riding bareback won't hurt your horse or damage it. If you have a healthy horse it wont be a problem.

Answer 13

It could if you are bouncing when your horse is trotting or cantering,paseing,and maby even galloping but i was pasing one day and i was going to rid bare back and someone said that i shouldnt do that becouse i cant sit in my saddle and it will brake my horses back if i bounce on it bare back

Answer 14

No. I've been riding bareback 3-6 times a week for 32 years.  If you're on for a long time (2+ hours) I think your seat bones might create some pressure points, if you're not moving around a lot, and if you don't have an abundance of natural padding in that area.  But trotting and cantering moves the rider around enough that I don't believe pressure points can develop.  I've gone on 4+ hour rides bareback with no problems. A saddle with a large surface area ( Western or endurance) is better in the longterm, for a horse's back (especially if your weight is high), but riding bareback is a nice change for your horses and great for your seat.  And fun.  Don't worry, go for it, and enjoy.

Answer 15

Generally speaking no. Just watch if you are riding an older horse or a horse with a sway back, it can be uncomfortable to them .Also if you do not have a good seat[bounce alot] I would avoid bareback until you can sit trot properly.

Answer 16

no not at all I do it all the time.

Answer 17

Well depending on if you are bouncing around and how far back you sit can lead to back pain or even lameness. If you have a good seat and sit in the proper spot and don't bounce there should me no problem riding bareback.

Answer 18

no u Will bounce a lot

Answer 19

My ride bareback all the time.

Answer 20

some riders bounce alot when riding bareback. and it can cause some horses to get sore or go lame. so yes if you bounce around alot and slam on its back. but no if you move with the horse, not bounce, or have a horse with a strong back.

Answer 21

If you have a good seat and good balance, then no, it is just fine for your horse.  If you are bouncing all around, and if your horse is bony, then that might do some damage or at least cause pain if you're not using a bareback pad.  I suggest always using a bareback pad for extended rides, to save your bum and the horse's back and kidneys.  (Use a breastcollar with the pad, and cut off the stirrups if it has any.)  If your seat bones feel bony to you when you sit on a hard chair, imagine how they feel on your horse's back after an hour of trotting and cantering!

Answer 22

nope!! totally safe!!

Answer 23

I've heard stories from some that felt it had, but I have never seen it.  I have ridden bareback on extensive rides without seeing any sign of damage to the horses....and others I've ridden with on those long rides have never experienced damage that I am aware of.

Saddle trees are designed to spread the weight of a rider over a greater surface area, which is a good thing....but they also add more weight, which has to be taken into account.

My answer to your question is that I don't believe that it does based on my experience, which spans years of riding bareback on many different horses, none of whom ever showed any damage from it.

Answer 24

LMAO....some of these answers are whack..... Riding bareback will not hurt your horse.  In fact if makes you learn to have better balance and your horse won't get any saddle sores.  Just gets your pants all wet from sweat.....but it washes out.  When I was younger we all rode bareback..never once did it hurt a horses back.

Answer 25

i dont think it would i ride bareback all the time it could depending on the bred and stuff if he has aboney back it could hurt your butt

Answer 26

no. its actually easier on the horse and does less damage to the horse to be ridden bareback

Answer 27

Haha, no. The only thing that gets harmed when you are riding a horse bareback is your groin area. Less so if you are the female persuasion.

Saddles are there for the comfort of the rider, not the horse.

Answer 28

noit will not but it, as someone else said already,it will hurt your groin and you might have to practice balancing on the horse's back so you move with the horse and dont fall off--also they make neat bareback pads that have stirrups for balance support

Answer 29

No. Like someone else has already said you should try not to bounce around, but aside from that it isn't any worse than riding with a saddle.

Answer 30

Only if your seat is not secure.  If you slide and bounce around, or are off-center, you can certainly cause your horse a lot of pain and discomfort and possibly even some more lasting injuries.  Many riders who should not be riding bareback because they lack a centered, stable seat ride bareback anyway, and cause their horses discomfort.  A more sensitive horse will not tolerate an unskilled rider bareback.  This is why many horses will pin their ears when a rider gets on without a saddle.

Answer 31

No, riding bareback will not damage your horse's back. Have fun!