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Originally Posted by tiffanyodonnell Finally, someone who understands, prettydecoy ! My sister in law thinks I am crazy, my partner thinks I'm going to get killed, and my friends think I just haven't found the right saddle. The only time I like a saddle is when I am packing and ponying.
It's probably because I am not a very good rider. I have never had lessons of any kind, just a backyard horse bum. But I have been able to stick on so far, even when they spook, buck, crowhop, prance or bolt. I am the one in our family who rides out all the issues in our horses, and I do it bareback.
I really like the sounds of the Bareteck. I like how the English version has longer sides to protect your legs from hair and sweat, but I am not sure about the "thigh blocks for proper leg position." My legs may not like the "proper leg position." What do you think, PD? You have the western version.
I am disturbed by the comments about how a saddle is better for your horse. When I got April, a 13 yo breeding stock paint, she could not be tied, bridled or saddled, hated men's voices, and she reared, crowhopped and jigged all over the place. She has a cold back and needs a long warm up. A saddle seems to make her more uncomfortable and tense, although she now saddles and bridles beautifully. But you can tell when she is uncomfortable because she rides with her ears back and gives me he "mare glare." She is not shy about telling me how she feels! She is an expert at guiding my scratches to the perfect spot by moving into position around my hand. Our chiro says she is one of the best communicators she has ever worked on!
I don't want to hurt her back. Is bareback truly bad for a horse? I understand that horses are very stoic because they are prey animals and need to hide any weakness. But like I said, my mare is very clear in her communication about what she likes and doesn't like. Ugh. This bothers me. |
Lack of training is certainly not why I use a bareback pad. I took lessons with a professional for ten straight years. Realizing that my ultimate goal was not to show, but to simply enjoy my horse, and an injury to my leg which made riding in stirrups painful, are the main reasons why I switched to riding bareback. Sore seat bones from long bareback rides is what caused me to buy a bareback pad... I imagined if I was sore, then my horse had to be too!
I've heard good and bad reviews in regards to the blocks on the English version of the Baretek, since it only comes in one size and may not be the correct size for your body. I would suggest trying one out before buying. Also keep in mind that the English version does not have rear D rings. The western Baretek reaches to my knees, by the way.
My observation is that many horses are stoic due to years of selective breeding for the traits that go along with a stoic personality, so many of them will put up with a lot of discomfort before they complain. However, I figure my horse will let me know if he isn't comfortable. If you research the history of the saddle, the tree was not designed for horse comfort or protection of the spine. The tree, and stirrups, were designed for war. It created a stable platform for fighting from horseback, by digging into the horse's back. The gullet and panels were added to protect the horse from the tree, reduce fatigue, and distribute weight more evenly (in theory).
Horses change so much in their lifetime. I got so frustrated with constantly changing saddle because of my horse's body shape changing, that I switched to treeless. Treeless do require fitting to the horse as well, and are not a one-size-fit-all. It worked for my horse until his shoulders filled out completely, then I needed a wider pommel, which I just could not keep off his withers. At first I used an insert pad but he did let me know when things weren't working anymore. He never once complained with the Baretek bareback pad... it worked for him, and for me!
I also want to add, I cannot find scientific proof anywhere of physical damage caused by riding bareback. I would like to see skeletons with proof of damage. I'd also like to see what the torque of mounting a treed saddle from the ground using the stirrup does, damage wise. Shrug.
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The Baretek is very secure, especially if you add a breastplate. Of course I wouldn't pull myself up on my horse using the Baretek, but I've never had side to side slippage problems with the Baretek pad itself. The wrong pad under it might cause the pad to slip if the horse has a physical imbalance, such as asymmetrical muscling.... does that make sense? I can't rootch the Baretek to one side or the other like I can by leaning in one stirrup on a treed saddle. I have had it slide back on a very high withered horse, but again the correct underpad fixed that issue.
