The Ultimate Guide To Horse
Training
Riding
Bareback and Bridleless
Eric Bravo
Horse Training Videos
Natural
horsemanship is about thinking like a horse, and a good way to get in
tune with your horse is to ride bareback and bridleless. The purpose of
doing this isn't to be like Stacy
Westfall,
although that's certainly a goal some of us may aspire to. The real purpose is to enhance our riding skills and improve the communication we have with our horse while in the saddle.
So natural horsemanship doesn't mean throwing out your bit, bridle, and saddle. It means thinking like a horse and commnicating to him in his own language that he understands, naturally. By riding bareback, this forces the rider to adopt this point of view, whether they are consciously using "natural horsemanship" or not.
One of the biggest challenges with riding bareback is maintaining your seat. Without a saddle there, you really have to work on your balance. Squeezing the horse with your legs to stay on is not something you want to do-focus on maintaining balance. Horses don't like it when you squeeze, and you can even reduce the risk of getting bucked off or enduring other naughty behavior by avoiding squeezing horses with your legs when you ride.
While one of the biggest challenges riding bareback is maintaining your seat, you'll find that after you master riding bareback, having a good seat in the saddle is going to be easy. Horse training is often about training the human side of the equation, and not always about training the horse.
Your bareback and bridleless work should incorporate all aspects of horse training used when doing groundwork or while riding in the saddle. So we want to be able to do the following basic moves with our horse while bareback:
At first, you can do these exercises with a bridle and even a bit on, but no saddle. Then when your horse training has progressed to the point that the horse performs each of these commands automatically, you can dispense with the bridle. Do what's comfortable for you and at a safety level suitable for you and your horse (depending on his disposition).
Flexing might seem kind of odd when riding bareback and bridleless, but if your horse will turn his head on command without a bridle, how well do you think he is going to perform when there is a bridle on? Training bareback and bridleless contributes to the relationship you have with your horse. If done gently, you will build communication and establish the mutual trust which is the ultimate goal of natural horsemanship.
As we'll see below in the sample clips from Eric Bravo's natural horsemanship riding bareback and bridleless training video, it helps to have a riding crop or stick when training your horse bareback and bridleless. This is simply a tool to use to give cues to your horse.
In this sample clip, you can watch Eric demonstrate some of the techniques used for riding bareback and bridleless. The full 30 minute DVD can be purchased by clicking here.
Here is the sample horse training video clip:
You may also be interested in our horse training video software, which lets you view Eric’s horse training videos right on your computer, and its Mac and PC compatible.
For more information about horse training videos software, click here
although that's certainly a goal some of us may aspire to. The real purpose is to enhance our riding skills and improve the communication we have with our horse while in the saddle.
So natural horsemanship doesn't mean throwing out your bit, bridle, and saddle. It means thinking like a horse and commnicating to him in his own language that he understands, naturally. By riding bareback, this forces the rider to adopt this point of view, whether they are consciously using "natural horsemanship" or not.
One of the biggest challenges with riding bareback is maintaining your seat. Without a saddle there, you really have to work on your balance. Squeezing the horse with your legs to stay on is not something you want to do-focus on maintaining balance. Horses don't like it when you squeeze, and you can even reduce the risk of getting bucked off or enduring other naughty behavior by avoiding squeezing horses with your legs when you ride.
While one of the biggest challenges riding bareback is maintaining your seat, you'll find that after you master riding bareback, having a good seat in the saddle is going to be easy. Horse training is often about training the human side of the equation, and not always about training the horse.
Your bareback and bridleless work should incorporate all aspects of horse training used when doing groundwork or while riding in the saddle. So we want to be able to do the following basic moves with our horse while bareback:
- Ask the horse to walk out (calmly)
- Ask the horse to stop
- Have the horse turn left and right while walking or from a standstill (move the forehand)
- Have the horse move the hindquarter
- Flexing
- Move at different gaits, speed up and slow down when we ask
At first, you can do these exercises with a bridle and even a bit on, but no saddle. Then when your horse training has progressed to the point that the horse performs each of these commands automatically, you can dispense with the bridle. Do what's comfortable for you and at a safety level suitable for you and your horse (depending on his disposition).
Flexing might seem kind of odd when riding bareback and bridleless, but if your horse will turn his head on command without a bridle, how well do you think he is going to perform when there is a bridle on? Training bareback and bridleless contributes to the relationship you have with your horse. If done gently, you will build communication and establish the mutual trust which is the ultimate goal of natural horsemanship.
As we'll see below in the sample clips from Eric Bravo's natural horsemanship riding bareback and bridleless training video, it helps to have a riding crop or stick when training your horse bareback and bridleless. This is simply a tool to use to give cues to your horse.
In this sample clip, you can watch Eric demonstrate some of the techniques used for riding bareback and bridleless. The full 30 minute DVD can be purchased by clicking here.
Here is the sample horse training video clip:
You may also be interested in our horse training video software, which lets you view Eric’s horse training videos right on your computer, and its Mac and PC compatible.
For more information about horse training videos software, click here