First bareback ride!

Heh heh, I'm so proud of Jynx! Today she experienced her first bareback ride and did quite well! She was a little confused and threw in a few little crowhops - apparantly my legs feel SO much more different to her without stirrups! (She only crowhopped when I applied my leg to ask her to stay on the circle). By the end, she was walking around like a pro.

I know some people have opinions on riding youngsters bareback, and for the most part I agree with you, which is why she's staying to strictly walking right now. It's just to dang COLD for saddles! I've switched her to a hackamore as well for now because we can't keep the dang bits warm and touching cold metal in -40 just isn't an option I just wanted her to get used to me bareback so we can still do some work on aids like turning and leg pressure even when it's to cold for the saddle! I rode her on Saturday with the saddle and I had to stop after 10 minutes - my legs were so numb I almost buckled when I hit the ground!

We're supposed to see some nicer weather this coming weekend, thank god. It was into the mid -30's today with a wind chill warning in effect. Stop riding? Are you crazy!? LOL

Anyway, here are some pics!


Looking all cute and coy in the pasture


Me next?!


*giggles* I don't think she was as happy once I got on without a saddle, but she settled down nicely!


No, my neck isn't injured, I'm tryin to keep WARM!


Pretty little sweetheart!


She was really relaxing and not phased by me anymore at this point


Other way!

Hahaha, and just as an idea of how cold it is - my poor Arab mares eyelashes froze!


I WANT TO GO IN THE HOUSE. NOW.


Frosty whiskers!

MacabreMikolaj do you share a head stall with EveningShadows?? Both of you posted with the same headstall??

Haha, well no, not really. It's the same headstall but it's mine - it was the first time trying it out on Eve today. Next time we're going to be dismantling the other short-shanked hack and attaching it to a proper headstall for Eve.

That's fine. I just was checking out the 2 posts and recoginized the headstall. See I am paying attention

Yay!
Lol, wayyyy to cold to ride, me and my bro were locked out of the house and well I had to resort into other ways ! I WAS/ AM FREEZING.

At least you guy's didnt ride long ;)

That's so cute! I'm glad she behaved and that you guys got to have a fun ride in the snow. I wish it snowed here.

Haha, the headstall was my Christmas present two years ago from Shay-la I like to embarrass my horses with the color I never wear!

Thanks guys! It was definitely fun, though a bit awkward - I was proud of her regardless, though I'll be happier when it warms up a bit and I can use my saddle again! Supposed to be some nicer weather coming mid-week, thank god!

TwisterRush - How on EARTH did you guys get locked out of the house?! Oh man, I can't even imagine how much that must have sucked! I would have been barricading the horses in the shelter and huddling with them for warmth!

LOL, stupid me forgot my house key
My dad wasnt home, so we were outside for an hour, sitting in the diesel until we figured how to get into the house LOL, The diesel was warmer than sitting outside
I really was NOT happy with myself lol.

Congrats on the first bareback ride...I've usually trained mine bareback first...Lol! Yeah, I'm backwards...but there are actually fewer pressure points bareback (IF you're a balanced rider) than with a saddle, so really, I don't think there is a difference either way. An unbalanced rider will unbalance and create different pressure points on a horse with or without a saddle... I just like a horse to know what's going on on top of him from the get go...bareback definitely shows him that! There's no surprises for him! Then it's really easy to transfer to saddle after a ride or two of bareback.