Bareback Ride and Mud Puddles

I seem to have this inner dare streak.  I looked at the riding ring on Monday, riddled with puddles, and I thought that I should ride bareback.  You know, because while falling would be great, falling into a mud puddle would be much better!

I pulled my bareback pad and fleece saddle pad off the rack and dusted them off.  I only ride Harley bareback with a pad.  I will occasionally go for a walk without his pad, but one time I tried some trot work and I did not like the results.  Although he went well and it was fun to sit the trot directly on his back muscles, he had a small edema over his spine.  Unacceptable!  Let's also say that riding a horse that is less than table-backed is not exactly comfortable.  ;)

If I had $275 laying around, I would love to buy a

Bum Buddy by Skito.  

I especially like that the pad uses a regular dressage girth and the open-cell memory foam is so comfy.

So back to our ride...
...After a short walk/trot warm up, I asked him to canter.  This always brings me back to my childhood.  There were a few periods in my youth when my family could not afford riding lessons and I was not old enough to afford them myself.  Somehow, I still found ways to ride, even if it was the neighborhood pasture puffs with a lead line knotted to the halter.  Even though that was half a lifetime ago, when my horse starts to canter, my body remembers how to stay with him.  He leans into a turn to avoid a puddle and I lean with him, Harley-cycle style.  I let equitation and bending fly out the window as we accelerate down the long side.  I am Alec and Harley is the Black Stallion!

Since cantering is an easier motion, I am surprised that I like trotting bareback.  I find myself sitting in an interesting way.  I kind of sit on my thighs, but with long legs.  My calves hang free unless I need to ask for impulsion and my thighs move with the two sides of my horse.  I barely sit on my seat bones.  By some definitions the rider's upper leg is considered part of the seat, so I guess I am still there.  I really liked how my horse was carrying himself.  I could feel his rib cage expand as he raised his back and he had a pleasant tempo.

Lateral work is a fun way to test my bareback balance and aids.  You simply cannot muscle a horse to move sideways without stirrups or a saddle tree.  Harley followed my weight and leg nudges into a leg yield.  He really listens for sideways, so I am convinced that he likes lateral work.  Then we tried shoulder-in.  He was gliding down the long side very nicely with a soft bend.  I love how his trot improves with a little sideways work.

Then we dabbled with half pass.  The puddles became challenging obstacles to navigate around (Because my former trail horse now finds himself too much of a prince to get his toes wet unless absolutely necessary!), but we managed to thread the needle and get a couple nice tries.  Half pass is interesting.  I found myself really letting my inside leg hang away from him and my outside knee was bent with little nudges from my heel.  I did feel myself on the inside seat bone, but if I went too far one way or the other the movement dissolved.  I had to be careful to also keep contact on the outside seat bone, so that he could engage his outside hind.  It was a tenuous balance, which I had a greater appreciation for because I was giving it a go sans-saddle.

Sooooo...
...I did not eat mud, but those puddles were still a close reminder to keep my abs engaged and move with my horse.  I considered not belly-flopping into one of them a secret victory.

Oh no!  Not your precious toes!