Saddled vs. Bareback; Which Is Better?

This may be something you haven’t thought of, perhaps you take it for granted always to ride with a saddle. I love to ride bareback. The feeling of freedom and connection with the horse is incredible.

Cons of Riding with a Saddle

Most people feel more secure when riding in a saddle, after all, you have footholds to keep you balanced and a nice handhold to grab onto if you lose balance. However, there are definite risks when riding with a saddle. Since your body is kind of attached to the saddle, you will fall with the saddle if it slips or the cinch breaks. This can be extremely dangerous, especially if you get dragged underneath the horse’s feet. There is also the risk of getting dragged by one stirrup.

Pros of Riding with a Saddle

I’m not trying to discourage you from riding with a saddle, just bringing up the risks. The benefits of riding saddled include a better handhold (if you’re riding western), easier balance, and usually a greater sense of security. This means that you have the freedom to focus on other things like collection, or control in general. This can be handy if the horse is green.

The Cons of Bareback riding

The biggest problem with bareback riding is staying on the horse, which can be very tricky if you are a beginner or have balance issues. Other than that, and perhaps the problem of a bony seat, there are no other issues that I can think of.

The Pros of Bareback Riding

I highly encourage you to try riding bareback if you have never done so, and if you have, do it more!! It has so many benefits. One of these is improved balance and posture. Having the saddle taken away means you have to rely on your thighs and other muscles to keep you on. This greatly improves balance and core strength. Posture will also improve faster with bareback riding because you have nothing extra for support, which means you’ll find your natural balance point.

Bareback riding is excellent for building a connection with your horse. I love it so much more than riding with a saddle. I am able to feel Dixie (you can read about her here) under me and read her much better. This means that I feel much safer because I can predict and prevent an accident before it happens. Bareback riding also happens to be cheaper, since there are no saddles, pads, girths, or breast straps needed. It’s also a lot easier, if you can be lazy sometimes like me, so throw a bridle on and you’re good to go!