Pages

Saturday, October 18, 2025

Bareback on Tweed: Day One



I love to ride bareback. In my experience, it gives you a whole new level of connection with your horse. You can feel every twitch in their back, which tells you about their stress or relaxation. You can feel their heartbeat, fast or measured. And you can let your legs hang over their body and feel where your center is—and theirs. It takes away the middle man, the saddle, a physical, and even spiritual, barrier between you. It’s just a totally different level of closeness. 

Bonus: I think bareback improves saddle riding. 

Today was my first day riding Tumbleweed bareback. Well, “riding” would be an overly generous description. Let’s just say we’re starting very, very slow. 

First, we were working at home and, for Tweed, Home is where the naughty is. Fifty shades of Naughty, to be exact. 






I wouldn’t want to ride that bareback! (Or in saddle!)  The struggle was real! He was struggling with everything to do with working at home and not being with his buddies in pasture. Each buck, kick, rear, was a major middle finger to work

At those times you wish you could say, Chill out dude. Just do a little bit of work and you get your freedom back!

But no. They have to do it the hard way. Every. Time. 😆 

It is amazing how crazy they can look, then five minutes later be right in your pocket. Once he got it all out, and became a solid citizen, we did some beautiful pole work and then headed to the mounting block for his first “bareback ride.”

He came right over to the sweet spot, first ask, and up I went. (Sorry no photos). 

Some horses will scoot or bolt when they first feel a rider without a saddle. Tweed stood still, but his ears were alert and his back muscles were all twitching under me like I was some kind of huge, annoying fly on his back. 


I thought to myself, yeah, I’ll just sit here and pet on him for awhile, get my own balance, and let him get okay with me. 

After a short while, the muscles in his back relaxed and he took a deep breath, so we walked out and over the poles and then back. I slid off, jumped off, (he seemed a bit confused, but he needs to get used to me “coming off” just in case he scoots too fast and I come off unplanned). 

Back to the mounting block. Again he lined up perfect on the first ask, which is a good thing because he’s a big horse and I need all the help I can get mounting up with no stirrups. 

The second time up, there was less twitching, and I was able to move around and get a feel for him.  

He’s so different than Cowboy or Leah. My legs don’t hang as long on him. He’s a big boy.  

I did the same stuff, petting him and letting him relax, then we did a little work with vertical flexion, and I got some softness from him and more big licks and chews and a relaxed head. 

I jumped down again and called it good. 

He seemed happy with it all. I was happy it went so well for our first time. Everyone was happy. 

I plan to do this all week, adding little bit by little bit. The ultimate goal is to ride him bareback in the snow, because when it’s cold out, I need all the warmth I can get. 


12 comments:

  1. It sounds like a good session. Working him at home is a whole new learning curve for him.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yep, it sure is, and it’s probably one of the “holes” that needs filling.

      Delete
  2. Silly boy! Ending happy is good for all concerned.

    I have ridden Koda bareback a few times with no pad, but never in the snow. With or without a saddle. We seem to frequently be icy, too cold or have no snow. Wishing you a good Winter to enjoy your riding plans and cozy indoor patio.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. And I’m sorry your comment went to spam. I have no idea why that sometimes happens. 😞 I found it.

      I am with you about the ice. When it’s icy, all we do is hunker down and survive. No riding will go on at all. Last year we got very little ice, but our norm is more like yours. There can be weeks go by before it finally melts.

      Delete
  3. Oh I love those bad boy photos- great captures! I have several of Beamer doing that levitation move (second photo). Have you measured his height this year?
    I love bareback riding, it's how I learned and some of my best most connected rides were bareback. Have you ever watched the Indian Relay races? They are featured at several rodeos including the Calgary Stampede. How those jockeys can run and leap onto those thoroughbreds and race full speed around the track bareback , jump off while the horse is still in motion and leap onto the next horse boggles my mind. What athletes!
    When I was starting colts, the first few rides were always bareback, including laying across their backs (see my early Josie posts). It was so helpful to have Shayla doing that for me- young, lightweight and athletic! But even with Rally, she got used to me draping all over her before I ever got on her.
    I like your one step at a time approach.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow! Yes, I have seen those races and it’s amazing. I didn’t know that you started horses bareback. That’s very impressive. It is great information for us and them. There is no way I could have felt the tension in his back through my pad and saddle.

      When I was training Leah she got really stuck at opening and closing gates. I started to train her on that bareback and when I’d feel her back tense up or her heart beat through her chest, I’d adjust and give her time to think and settle. We ended up having almost immediate success after that.

      I haven’t measured his height recently, but I did last spring and got 15-1. He’s broad, too. Just a totally different feeling on him than the others.

      Oh, Beamer. He gave his son the moves! I captured those on video, but then screenshot them at his most dramatic moments. He settled pretty quickly. 😆 but that would be boring to share.

      Delete
  4. Oh sassy boy! I chuckled at the giant fly photo. I'm sure we "bug" them on occasion, lol.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It’s a good visual reminder. 😆 Feeling him twitch under me, I think it’s appropriate.

      Delete
  5. I wrote a comment but it disappeared....
    I took several of those airs above the ground photos of Beamer that look exactly like your second photo! What a sassy boy.
    Have you measured his height this year?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I found your comment! Thanks for letting me know. If that happens again, do the same. Blogger sends them to the spam folder.

      Delete
  6. I started Skeeter bareback, just to get the feel for her, and so she could get used to carrying my weight. It's still my preferred way to ride, but not for any reason other than I'm lazy and sometimes I don't want to throw the saddle. And, like you, riding in the snow bareback is the best way to keep warm. I just put on my slicker, which reaches to my feet when mounted, and it keeps all of the heat in.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have to admit, laziness is part of the reason for me, too. I trained my older grandkids bareback at all gaits, and once they got it, they also preferred bareback, especially galloping bareback. Yesterday, I put my grandson on Foxy bareback and walked him around. He wasn’t too sure about it, but it’s the best way for them to learn and get balanced in their core. That’s interesting that you also started Skeeter bareback. I’m behind the eight ball on this!

      Delete

Please feel welcome to join our discussion by telling us about your own thoughts and experiences.