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Post by SuzieP on Nov 8, 2010 6:37:31 GMT -1
Does anyone else school their horses bareback?
I suppose the schooling is more for my benefit than Bea's. I want to improve my balance, lengthen my leg and learn to understand his movement better.
I did two sessions this weekend, half an hour each, using a bareback pad to cushion his back (and my seat bones) a bit. Just in walk and trot - nothing fancy yet. I was trying to move with Bea's movement and not bounce around.
I blummin hurt today! LOL - using muscles I didn't know I had. The most interesting hurty bit is my tummy muscles round my waist. Not sure how that happened! LOL
One very interesting outcome was how responsive Bea was to my seat. Heather Moffatt speaks of advancing a hip to turn a horse, and this brought the most dramatic response from Bea to even the slightest advance. That and walk to halt - the second I stopped going with his movement, he stopped.
This is probably all elementary stuff to some, but for me it's quite a revelation.
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Post by harveydales on Nov 8, 2010 6:45:30 GMT -1
I find the most important muscles for riding are your tummy muscles so I'm not suprised that's where you are aching. I don't school bareback but I do try and "think" about my position and my bad habits when I ride. For me the best way is to have a rider I truely admire in my mind's eye and superimpose the picture onto me while I ride. It really does work for me and boy do I know it the next day! Trouble is I'm lazy and don't keep it up plus I have no real goals for me and Harvey now.
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Post by valerie n scout on Nov 8, 2010 7:41:45 GMT -1
no I need Stirrups or Id definately fall off !  x |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2010 10:13:10 GMT -1
no surprise your stomach is sore, riding bareback makes you sit up tall and use your stomach muscles so you don't bounce. I haven't schooled bareback but I have done some trail riding bareback. Hope it goes well!  |
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Post by knight on Nov 14, 2010 16:39:34 GMT -1
I'v always ridden Knight alot bareback, so good for both of us to get our balance when he was just starting his ridden carreer and now mostly cause with it getting dark so soon I'm wanti to ride & not go back to the house for the saddle. We usually do 1/2 hour a day, all gaits though his canter is a bit exciting for me. Very good for my balance, as Knight's canter has a great rocking motion, with a nice upward surge to start each stride. Knight is like Bea, extremely responsive to seat & weight aids bareback so helps me get my aids down to I can transfer this lightness to under saddle. We have started doing lateral work bareback, seems much easier for him to understand and when he realizes what's wanted he sure enjoys lateral work, maybe a bit too much enjoyment sometimes!
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Post by SuzieP on Nov 14, 2010 17:39:57 GMT -1
That's really interesting Nancy. Bea's lateral work is so much better when I ride him bareback and I'm a bit unsure why. I definitely get a better response to the aids then when I'm riding with a saddle.
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Post by Rowndan on Nov 14, 2010 19:18:06 GMT -1
I love riding bareback, paticually in canter. Have always ridden bareback from a young age, as my first pony didnt have a saddle  Have fun sue x |
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Post by marlon2010 on Jan 20, 2011 21:09:24 GMT -1
Hey
That's on my plan of action for Marlon....he has recently moved yards so I''m going to wait a little while until he has settled in.....we are currently working on balance by getting him to stand square when he halts (groundwork) and lean back on his hocks to shift his balance....any tips for absorbing the trot for when I get on? Good tip re pad to save spines and bottoms!
Liz and Marlon
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Post by SuzieP on Jan 20, 2011 21:46:23 GMT -1
I find that I absorb the movement better when I'm warmed up and properly relaxing into the movement. So I do a fair bit at walk to start with, concentrating on letting my legs hang down and moving with Bea's movement. We do transitions, circles and some lateral work and I get him going off my leg almost on a thought.
Then I start trot, asking him to go slow at first - this gets me used to his movement. We then build it up doing lots of change of speed within the pace (trot). He loves doing this and again it gets to just a thought getting a response. I then move onto circles and lateral work in trot. As long as I'm relaxed and moving with Bea, I don't bounce.
I concentrate on thinking of my back as a flexible springy shock absorber that moves in response to Bea's movement on all planes whilst my upper body (shoulders through to hands) remains still.
I've been ill since just after Christmas so I've not had chance to ride recently, but when I get back on and have got myself a bit fitter again, I'm going to work towards cantering. Bea has a BIG movement at canter (as Nancy describes Knight's canter), so I think this will be a challenge, but I'm sure we'll get there.
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Post by SuzieP on Jan 25, 2011 12:30:44 GMT -1
LOL - how will you get onto Legs? He's taller than the Dales ponies isnt he?
Thanks for those pointers re the "seat", Heather. I've been given a book called "Pilates for Dressage Riders" for my birthday and will be working on finding the neutral pelvis position and core strength and so on. Your description is helpful.
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Post by katiekynoch on Jan 26, 2011 7:34:33 GMT -1
This is a really interesting and inspiring thread and I am keen to give it a try with Robin. I've ridden him bareback (no pad) very briefly (across the field and only in walk) but didn't feel very secure so a bareback pad (preferably with a 'panic' handle!) sounds promising. Any recommendations for a suitable pad/girth arrangement for a barrel without withers would be gratefully received . . .  |
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Post by NFK Dumpling on Jan 26, 2011 13:21:10 GMT -1
no I need Stirrups or Id definately fall off ! x me too! |
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Post by SuzieP on Jan 26, 2011 16:07:21 GMT -1
This is a really interesting and inspiring thread and I am keen to give it a try with Robin. I've ridden him bareback (no pad) very briefly (across the field and only in walk) but didn't feel very secure so a bareback pad (preferably with a 'panic' handle!) sounds promising. Any recommendations for a suitable pad/girth arrangement for a barrel without withers would be gratefully received . . . This is the pad I use: www.barebackpad.co.uk/It has a grab handle, but for me it's in the wrong position, so maybe a neck strap would do the job until you feel more secure. It is a bit tight across Bea's withers and the pad doesn't have much shaping, so I think it would be absolutely fine for a "barrel". I work for a max of 30 minutes with Bea on this pad. I think this is fine, but wouldn't (for example) do a two hour hack on it for fear of hurting his back with my seatbones. Tests have shown seatbones to cause a lot of pressure and I'd hate to hurt Bea's back doing something which is supposed to be good for us! Heather Moffatt is working on a new bareback pad to add to her saddle range. I think it'll be wonderful, but not cheap. It will offer more protection from pressure though, so I'm looking forward to seeing the finished article and will maybe save up for one because I do love riding bareback and Bea seems to enjoy it as well. |
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Post by benjismum on Jan 26, 2011 18:22:38 GMT -1
oooh I haven't ridden bareback for years - just the thought brings on the quivers!!
You've brought back some memories - I used to do a bit of dressage in my younger days and did a lot of work without stirrups and a bit of bareback too - I can just imagine how your tummy feels now. Keep repeating 'no gain without pain' ;D
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Post by marlon2010 on Jan 29, 2011 20:31:49 GMT -1
I rode bare back today - v slippy but you soon work your balance out!
Check this website out.....http://www.charliesproducts.co.uk/shop/product.php?xProd=6&xSec=8
it's a bareback pad - basically a bit of foam for £60......think I'll just be cutting a bit of foam out and sitting on that!
Liz and Marlon
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