On hearing the words “Bareback riding” some people immediately associate it with Native American Indians, galloping on the prairies. For others it is an essential element of Natural horsemanship. Yet others have it as a childhood memory of Bareback riding seen in villages.
Bareback riding can give you a unique feeling of horse movements, which you cannot obtain in any other way. The understanding of the horse’s biomechanics is important, if you want to develop riding with finesse. It also develops balance and perfects the feeling of sync between horse and rider. And last but not least is the pleasure it gives.
When a rider decides to ride bareback at Adgor riding stable, in the beginning his horse is led by the instructor, as it is done with beginning riders. The goal is to obtain maximum safety during the process of attaining balance without the help of a saddle. When the student is stable enough he can control the horse independently applying the same aids as used when riding in a saddle, so as to make the communication with the horse as effective as possible.
Bareback riding lessons usually take place on the arena, but when the rider obtains a steady balance and confidence with his aids, he can enjoy the pleasure of Bareback riding on some of the interesting trail routes around the riding stable.
Usually in the beginning the lessons are limited to half an hour, because the muscles of the legs are much more fatigued than during riding in the saddle.