What a contradiction-when is 'bareback' no longer 'bareback'?

Berlunz · 05-16-2008, 10:12 AM

Okay so I admit I am a sissy, I like a pad if I am riding saddle less. Reason being I cant stand the feeling of the salt and sweat and hair when I get off and I am done. If I am getting changed right off or doing laundry right off I live with it and go completely bare back. But most times, for the sake of being comfortable I like something between me and my horses back. I used to use just regular saddle blankets but they slid around too much and it was a pain to keep them in place. So now I have a pretty plain bareback pad. Its shaped like an english saddle and cinches on so it stays in place. But it has no stirrups, and no place to put stirrups. Its not super thick and comfy its just enough to keep me from getting the sweat on my pants. In the end I dont feel much of a different between going with just a pad and completely bareback. The pad is fairly thin so its like hugging someone with a sheet between you, you still get to hug them and it feels just about the same except for the cloth.

But my pad is getting old and I started looking for a new one. I am a lazy person so most times if I go out I just throw on whatever bridle I need to work with (english or western) and throw on the bareback pad (after grooming). Especially for western because the saddle is so big and heavy lol. But when I looked up bareback pad on ebay I got so much stuff I am beginning to wonder... is it really even bareback anymore? Basically I have found "bareback saddles" (thats their name... how contradictory is that?) that are basically everything but the tree. They have a pommel and cantle, stirrups, even saddle bags. If you are going out on a trail ride, just take a real saddle, its much safer than buying a piece of cloth stuffed up to look like one. To me, just having a pad on their back technically no longer makes it "bareback" because their back is no longer bare.. but in terms of riding its pretty much bareback just with something to keep the sweat at bay. But once you start throwing in stirrups, and cantles and pommels... is that really even "barebacK" anymore? Or should it just be called "Treeless saddle riding"?

Zelly · 05-16-2008, 10:16 AM

My riding instructor bought what's called a "soft" saddle. I don't consider it bareback at all. Anything more than a small bareback pad isn't bareback to me. =)

MoonlightsWildPassion · 05-16-2008, 10:18 AM

I have to use a barback pad and a saddle pad due to my mares shark withers and spiny back.

ejforrest · 05-16-2008, 10:24 AM

No stirrups, no saddle horn or something to hang on to would be to me, bareback.

Berlunz · 05-16-2008, 10:48 AM

I have no doubt some of these saddles would be comfy to ride in. So I am not saying "these saddles should not exist" or anything. Its just I think they need a name change! lol I have to agree once you have the stirrups, pommel etc its no longer bare back its just a treeless saddle.

Kicks · 05-16-2008, 10:55 AM

To me 'bareback' is when there is noting between you and the horse except your short (or long pants).

imjustjoking22 · 05-16-2008, 11:09 AM

I ride with a bareback pad when I am doing more than a walk to save myself from the withers.

I don't think it makes it not bareback. I think it would be kind of silly to make such strict "rules" as well.

Nothing wrong with preserving your jeans OR you crotch!!

MoonlightsWildPassion · 05-16-2008, 11:11 AM

lmao I agree Personally I really dont want to regret riding true bareback. Ill save myself the trouble and use the pads

Berlunz · 05-16-2008, 11:14 AM

yeah like I said, I am fine with the pads, I am a wussy about it because I happen to not like doing laundry on a daily basis just to have pants to wear because I rode bareback in them lol. Depending on the thickness of the pad its not really any different than a thick pair of jeans to me. But once you start getting into stirrups and stuff, things are no longer really all that much bareback.

Buckshot · 05-16-2008, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kicks

To me 'bareback' is when there is noting between you and the horse except your short (or long pants).

Ditto....

05-16-2008, 10:12 AM	#1
Berlunz Senior Member+ Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 2,020 Images: 33	What a contradiction-when is 'bareback' no longer 'bareback'? Okay so I admit I am a sissy, I like a pad if I am riding saddle less. Reason being I cant stand the feeling of the salt and sweat and hair when I get off and I am done. If I am getting changed right off or doing laundry right off I live with it and go completely bare back. But most times, for the sake of being comfortable I like something between me and my horses back. I used to use just regular saddle blankets but they slid around too much and it was a pain to keep them in place. So now I have a pretty plain bareback pad. Its shaped like an english saddle and cinches on so it stays in place. But it has no stirrups, and no place to put stirrups. Its not super thick and comfy its just enough to keep me from getting the sweat on my pants. In the end I dont feel much of a different between going with just a pad and completely bareback. The pad is fairly thin so its like hugging someone with a sheet between you, you still get to hug them and it feels just about the same except for the cloth. But my pad is getting old and I started looking for a new one. I am a lazy person so most times if I go out I just throw on whatever bridle I need to work with (english or western) and throw on the bareback pad (after grooming). Especially for western because the saddle is so big and heavy lol. But when I looked up bareback pad on ebay I got so much stuff I am beginning to wonder... is it really even bareback anymore? Basically I have found "bareback saddles" (thats their name... how contradictory is that?) that are basically everything but the tree. They have a pommel and cantle, stirrups, even saddle bags. If you are going out on a trail ride, just take a real saddle, its much safer than buying a piece of cloth stuffed up to look like one. To me, just having a pad on their back technically no longer makes it "bareback" because their back is no longer bare.. but in terms of riding its pretty much bareback just with something to keep the sweat at bay. But once you start throwing in stirrups, and cantles and pommels... is that really even "barebacK" anymore? Or should it just be called "Treeless saddle riding"? __________________ This is the internet, anything you say can and will be misconstrued and used against you in a quote! You have the right to argue back but its usually fruitless. My Grandfather has been "Going Green" for most of his life. He didnt use the modern phrase though, he just called it responsibility.

05-16-2008, 10:24 AM	#4
ejforrest Senior Member+ Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: U.P. Michigan Posts: 3,815 Images: 703	No stirrups, no saddle horn or something to hang on to would be to me, bareback. __________________ ejforrest-Life without horses? I dont think so! And God said to horse trust no man if you cannot see your own image in his eyes.

05-16-2008, 10:48 AM	#5
Berlunz Senior Member+ Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 2,020 Images: 33	I have no doubt some of these saddles would be comfy to ride in. So I am not saying "these saddles should not exist" or anything. Its just I think they need a name change! lol I have to agree once you have the stirrups, pommel etc its no longer bare back its just a treeless saddle. __________________ This is the internet, anything you say can and will be misconstrued and used against you in a quote! You have the right to argue back but its usually fruitless. My Grandfather has been "Going Green" for most of his life. He didnt use the modern phrase though, he just called it responsibility.

05-16-2008, 11:09 AM	#7
imjustjoking22 Senior Member+ Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Coastal California Posts: 7,579 Images: 74 Blog Entries: 1	I ride with a bareback pad when I am doing more than a walk to save myself from the withers. I don't think it makes it not bareback. I think it would be kind of silly to make such strict "rules" as well. Nothing wrong with preserving your jeans OR you crotch!! __________________ Palin/Cheney 2012: The Mayans Were On To Something.

05-16-2008, 11:14 AM	#9
Berlunz Senior Member+ Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 2,020 Images: 33	yeah like I said, I am fine with the pads, I am a wussy about it because I happen to not like doing laundry on a daily basis just to have pants to wear because I rode bareback in them lol. Depending on the thickness of the pad its not really any different than a thick pair of jeans to me. But once you start getting into stirrups and stuff, things are no longer really all that much bareback. __________________ This is the internet, anything you say can and will be misconstrued and used against you in a quote! You have the right to argue back but its usually fruitless. My Grandfather has been "Going Green" for most of his life. He didnt use the modern phrase though, he just called it responsibility.

05-16-2008, 10:16 AM	#2
Zelly Full Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Somewhere Under The Rainbow Posts: 183 Images: 2	My riding instructor bought what's called a "soft" saddle. I don't consider it bareback at all. Anything more than a small bareback pad isn't bareback to me. =)

05-16-2008, 10:55 AM	#6
Kicks Senior Member+ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Beautiful Black Hills of Dakota Posts: 3,138 Images: 31	To me 'bareback' is when there is noting between you and the horse except your short (or long pants).

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