Riding bareback is not for the faint of heart and was something I only did on a rare occasions up until a few years ago. I suppose it helped that my mare Diva has a back like a couch (it must be her Percheron roots), but I started working on my bareback seat with her and never looked back, even purchasing a treeless saddles for longer more intensive riding. There are many differing opinions when it comes to the pros and cons of going saddle-less. I can understand the concern that, especially for someone with a bit of a bony tush like myself, I might be created some fairly annoying pressure points with my sit bones on Diva's back. Fortunately a good quality bare back pad is generally an easy fix on this front, giving a little cushion to the seat bone blows and helping you to maintain a fair bit more balance in the process.
You might ask why I bring this up...
Well, heading up to the Gateway 2 Ranch is a bit different than heading to any particular ranch. Starting the horses up for the season means riding with a bareback pad over obstacles with a halter and lead rope. Definitely my kind of riding!
So it's bareback riding on Diva to regain my seat, balance and courage for the fun times ahead. I must be getting in better shape because last time I was only sore for 2 days!
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