Riding bareback

If a horse is saddle broke should you be able to get on his back without a saddle without him acting up? I think first time I attempted to with mine he wanted to move as I tried to get on

Yes. All of my horses I have trained were ridden bareback after A week or so of riding. My newest I have ridden about 5 times, last time I rode him I went to take his saddle off and take him back to the pasture, I decided to jump up on him bareback. I take a handful of mane and jump around like an idiot to make sure they won't freak out. Pat them on the back and butt, then I swing on. Hasn't phased any of the horses I have ridden.

I think it depends on the horse.

Wih my mare, she was trained to a saddle before bareback... the first time I ever got on her bareback, she bucked when I jumped on. For the first year, riding her bareback, I had to be really quick to get on because she's throw a buck and even now, years later, I have to be really fast because she will spin around and try to move off before I'm ready.

With my gelding, I started him bareback and he's fine to ride bareback or with a saddle... same with my stallion. It just depends on the horse, I say.

Bareback without a bridle even?

I second the "depends on the horse" post. I can saddle my horse, hop on, and have few issues unless she's being moody (then maybe a small tantrum. Mares.. :P). However, I found out the hard way that she was apparently never taught to tolerate someone getting on bareback. I got her when she was 7. She's almost 9 and it still takes me a bareback pad (used to be bareback pad with a saddle pad too) and a mounting block to tentatively get on.

Once I'm on, we're completely fine, but the getting on required a lot of patience. I had a friend last summer try to just hop on her bareback. Terrible idea. He nearly got kicked in the stomach.

Be wary if you're unaware of the horse's exact level of training.

:)

It can be done, but the furthest I've ever gotten is that I can loop a rope around my gelding's neck and ride him bareback with just a neck-rope as long as I don't go faster than a trot... lol.

Almost Any horse can be taught to be ridden in a halter but it takes much longer to teach them how to be ridden with nothing there.

As for bareback go slow and make sure your horse will tolerate bouncing getting up.most horses cope well.
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Put a halter and lead rope under the bridle and have someone hold him for you to get on and than have that someone lead you around until your horse gets used to the new feeling. If the horse still misbehaves he has some holes in the training. Go back to basics and make him mind. Work on respect exercises.

I had gotten my mare when she was an 8 year old and was always ridden Western. I used to do a lot of hand grazing with her and on one occasion I thought, "What a great idea to hop on her bareback while she grazed". Turned out to be a very bad idea. As soon as I got on her she bucked and to the dirt I went!! I dislocated a shoulder and came very close to hitting a tree. Some months later I tried again with a friend holding her while I used a step ladder with one foot on the ladder she laid her ears back. So much for wanting to ride her bareback. She is a wonderful saddle only horse.

Depends on the horse and its foundation and training. I have one who acts like a moron until you put that saddle on and then she is a totally different horse, and perfect. I have tried to get on her bareback and she was a moron. I think, with her, that saddle is the ultimate 'get serious and be good' cue.

My others have learned out of my laziness mostly. Why walk them back to the field or out of the field when I can riiiiiide them in and out of the field and that's a lot less effort on my part. Sometimes i'll jump on em bareback while they are eating "distracted" if I don't know how a new horse will respond, then they are distracted, lless likely to move, and get the feel of you bareback up there.