Advice for bareback comfort??

How long did it take for you to jump bareback without holding on? That's my big goal for the end of summer. And how do you not kill youself doing that? It makes my crotch hurt just thinking about that.

not too long. I learned really young when I was in my 'I'm trying to basically kill myself' stage lol. If I can get my gelding going well enough I will have my friend video us jumping, he is still young though so I may see if I can use her Arabian mare to do it. Balance yourself on your horses neck and lean as far in as you can without laying fully on your horse if that makes any since at all. With my old mare, we were playing around jumping PVC pipe put on square bales of hay, when I got really good we were jumping 5 bales high. It is honestly easier than it looks.

I did forget to add, the Arabian mare is boney but it is just her, she is older and was treated so poorly before my friend got her that she is as healthy as she can be according to her vet. Just wanted to add this in case I do have to use her so everyone would know I am not and would not be harming or potentially harming this mare in any way. Yes I'd rather use my gelding because he is younger and more capable of higher jumps but I'm not going to go over anything too big, its been too long lol.

Keep riding bareback. Honestly it used to hurt a lot when I started riding bareback. Now I can ride any high withered TBs without feeling pain. (Though sharp bounces still nail me good). I've also been riding bareback for over 6 years now on a rather constant basis. I learned how to sit and make sure I moved with my horse, rolled my butt under me and keep myself still. It was all just a matter of practice and time.

Jumping doesn't hurt, barrel racing doesn't hurt....none of it really gets me anymore.

As a teen two or three of us would hold trotting races in the winter, bareback on TBs. What we learned to do was to really tilt the pelvis. Think sit on the back pockets. The spine has to be relaxed to act as a shock absorber.The faster the horse trots the easier it gets to sit.

When I ride bare back I either walk or canter
No trotting and its builds muscle and posture

Bareback pad helps quite a lot (I use this one: Comfort Plus Bareback Pad - Horse.com ).

I have a horse that's even worse than yours. Her walk and canter are fine but her back visibly moves a defined 7in up and down while she trots. With "shark" withers
And she it 17.2hh so getting on isn't so easy either.
I would try moving your hips more to go in time, flexing your stomache muscles at the trot will absorb shock, and you could get a leather strap to go around his neck that you could hold on to
Remember not to give up, it's good for your legs!

The only reason I use a bareback pad is to keep the hair off my jeans....

Lol, I sometimes use 3 pads..on the top is the fleece bottomed bareback pad, in the middle is a thick english fleece and on the bottom is a english trail pad with pockets for warm days to carry water or whatever I want. I used to use the stirrups, but don't need them anymore. When it is cold I will go totally bareback to keep warm..haha
I actually feel more secure without a saddle..believe it or not.