My horse is about 3 and a half now, and shes never had a bit in her mouth, only a hackamore. My dad rips around on my sisters horse at a good 100km an hour bareback.

My question is based on the fact that we have people stop and tell us we're crazy and you can not ride bareback on a horse and a horse with no bit is just stupid.

Opinions?

Okay 100 is a bit fast..maybe 90...
Okay l got a few updates because l was a little suprised with what you all said.

Im totally in shocked l wasnt jumped all over there..l find alot of 'horse people' l run into arevery rude because we treat our horses so 'poorly'. When in reality, Our horses are some of the best looking, well trained, and in shape horses in the area.

l have no use for a bit, and l am well aware of the dangers of a hackamore, but l do not try to out muscle my horse, and on that...whoever wrote the first anwer, Im not some new kid aronud a horse, Im well aware it outweighs me by about 1000 pds and l keep my head up.

We do not lunge our horses before we ride because, l just think thats a waste of time, we walk them a bit once we're on themand then run a bit..but l also live in northren Canada so l can not run my horse for too long as its either too cold or too hot.
Anywyas it was nice to read all those , l fully expected to get my head ripped off for not being normal.
Also can someone explain to me when a horse is old enough to ride?Two worked for us..l dont understand the logic of not touching a horse until its 5...that seems well..stupid. Once they hit 2 they're about done growing...enough that riding them around isnt going to stunt anything.

l find the only thing that sucks about my young horse is she cannot walk in a straight line.
I've been around horses for the last 22 years of my life..l know what Im doing..and l am failing to see where l said l flat out run my horse the whole time I am on her.
Well Jeff Sadler, point out to me where l said bits are cruel...oh you can not..yeah.One of our horses uses a bit so l really do not have a problem with it, you've missed my point completly. Our hackamores are a litle modified as well, they do not cut off the breathing, they just put alittle pressure on the nose, its more like we're using glorified halters so you can stick to your methods and I will stick to mine.

Also what l failed to mention is that we do not keep our horses in a barn, they're run on the land we live on. So when l say l take my horse out and do not warm it up..its not like shes been standing in a stall all day, which may change some of your opinons. Its also not a little yard, its about a quarter.

Now my last comment is there are so many of you l wanna pickas the best answer, especially alot of the later comments and l appreciate so much that this site isnt full of snobby horse people!

Your dad is not superman, and even superman got screwed up by a horse.
HORSES WIN OVER ALL. NEVER FORGET.

It is unorthodox riding that is for sure.but if you're a super traditional idealistic horseman, l do not see what is wrong with that.

It shows a tendency not to dominate the animal, and to establish a bond with it rather than to oppress it. Though, l would say there is certainly an element of risk involved.

l jump on my horse & ride around in a halter all the time. He actually stops better without a bit in his mouth.

People who rely on a bit to stop a horse r doing something wrong. Horses respond to ur balance, the bit is an aid. Some people ride with no saddle or bridle. All balance & leg aids.

Now zipping around on a horse with no warm up & cool down might get a horse in the wrong frame of mind. Every time u hop on they might get all excited & anticipate just a wild ride. That might cause problems in the future.

l love to ride bareback and l like the hackamore and the tomb thumb bit.. your not crazy bareback is a good way to learn balance and become more ''intune'' with your horse and his movements

LOL! Yea u r crazy but of course u can ride bareback as fast as u want.
If this horse is enjoying it & not coming to any harm then of course.
As long as u know u r putting yourself in a good amount of danger & ur on a horse u know & trust then yea l do not see the problem.

There is fields near me & l go with my cousin grade B showjumper to the fields & jump the football goals(no nets though!)
People think l am nuts & that it is dangerous. But Red can jump 1.40 tracks no probs & the football goals r not even that!

If the horse is having fun running that fast and is not being forced to run that fast l do not see a problem with it. This better be on straight aways with no jumps. Yes you guys are crazy, but so am I.

You do not have to put a bit in ur horse is mouth. l sometimes ride my horse bareback in a halter. If ur horse is happy & works well in a hackamore, then l do not see what the problem is. However, a hackamore can be more severe than a bit so make sure that u r always gentle with ur hands & considerate of ur horse is head. A hackamore can restrict the breathing if it is used too harshly. Be particularly careful when jumping or doing fast work.
Riding bareback is very good for ur riding as long as u have a horse with a strong back. It helps u to develop good balance & feel for the horse. However, it does mean that ur weight is always on the horse is spine. Saddles have been specifically designed to put ur weight on the muscles & keep pressure away from the spine. If u always ride bareback l would suggest lunging the horse & working it in a long & low outline to build up the back muscles. If the horse is ridden very often, it would be better to use a saddle some of the time. Of course, it is also safer. If you're riding in a field or an enclosed arena, then fine, but if u r going on the roads remember that u r more likely to fall off when bareback & a loose horse is a danger to traffic, pedestrians & itself.
Well, enjoy ur riding & have a great time with ur horses. l hope I've helped.

Erm.. Bareback All The Type But Do not You Get Bored With Galloping Around All Day Long. It Could Injure The Horse In The Long Run When Its That Young.

l am not the most experienced person with riding but l do like to ride with a hackamore or halter because l depend on my relationship with my horse than a bit. Native Americans used to ride bareback and with halters - that is it. It all depends on your bond with this horse and the horses experience and exposure.

No, we r not crazy, we are horse lovers! Its a pation u can do anything with a horse with enough time and patience you can speed of at 100kmh with no tack at all not even a bridle, halter or anything as long as you trust the horse and knows when you say to slow it slows. ITS HORSEMANSHIP!!!! :)

BY THE WAY. You should listen to Sarah h..whoever she is she gives good advice. Hackamores can be harmful and you do need to be careful. Also..you should not just walk a little bit and then run. You need to warm your horse up properly. It is not good for them to just run all the time.

No you're not crazy. If ur horse is happy in the hackamore, & u have the skill to use it, thats fine. And riding bareback is great for ur balance!

Honestly, there r not any breeds that r fully grown at age 2. And even when they look like they've stopped growing, their bones r still maturing. On the other hand, many, many race horses start working at 2, & work much harder than yours does. Is a horse that starts working earlier more likely to have arthritis issues at a younger age? yes. But its ur horse, & what u do with it is ur business, besides, there r certainly worse things that could happen to a horse.

l do not have a problem with the way u ride ur horses. It sounds like u have them purely for the fun of it - people need to realize that not everyone is a ''serious'' rider, spending their life trying to achieve a perfect frame, or effortless impulsion, or whatever. Some people just want to ride! As long as its not hurting anyone - have fun!

l am NOT going to rip ur head off but l am going to tell u of the concequences of NOT warming up a horse properly, cooling down correctly & riding bareback on YOUNG horses can do.

Not warming up a horse can do several things. The horse is going to assume that when it has a rider on it is back that means RUN & when u need ur horse to be quiet right off the bat, it AIN'T gonna happen. You can have all the fire in the world under u but u should just use it when necessary. The MORE u do this the more the horse is going to anticipate this & will become more agitated & start rearing, bucking & other ways to show it.

Not properly cooling down can cause things such as founder & colic. Which means expensive vet bills & the possibility of actually killing ur horse if not treated.

Finally riding with a saddle protects ur horse as well as ur backside. A saddle tree is made to SPREAD out ur weight across a horse is back & a horse that young (2), continues growing UP until they r 4 then out, until they r 6. With this weight just at ONE point of a horse is back when riding bareback u stand the chance of making ur horse sway back & if u have to sell it, nobody wants a sway backed horse!

There really r no bad things about being ridden in a bosal hackamore. If ur horse works well in it, then more power to ya! I've had horses that work in just a bosal, a halter or just a rein around their necks (They also work in bits, just a choice at the time l hop on them.).

It is not crazy at all. It is fun, & l am sure the horses like hackamore better than a bridle because, they do not have some cold metal bit in their mouth. Your dad is not crazy either, u just have to make sure the horse is enjoying, & it seems like it if the horse lets him do that. l do not think it is crazy, nor abuse to the animal. The first riders (indians/aboriginals), did not use bits -- they used the mane, & took the horse for a full on gallop. That is how it originally was, & if it was not for that, we would not know everything we do about horses! So do not bother with the people who say u are!

You've had people stop you? Geez, what is it with all these anal horse people. can not go about their lives until they put someone & their riding down.

There is nothing wrong with riding bareback, hell, l prefer it. Any oppurtunity l can take advantage of, l do. As long as it is not for long periods of time, & u try to evenly distribute weight across the horses back. Someone already answered about the whole spine thing, so l wo not go into that.



And about the hackamore, a lot of us at my barn use Parelli techniques, so they're always in a hackamore or halter & twelve-foot. It is actually a really good technique because it gives the horse a more rounded training, plus it teaches the rider to have soft hands. Whenever l watch my trainer give a lesson, she stresses about the severity a hackamore could present, the pressure points, & all of that. That makes the rider aware of their hands.

As for the saddle breaking age, l think the standard is like. late two.


So. ride on! Your horse does not seem to be suffering so what is the harm?

All l am going to say is that RosieM has a good answer. She said everything l was going to say.

l will add that l also start at two but l do not flat out run them. Yes, they may be ABOUT done growing, but they r not COMPLETELY done growing. Their spine & joints (knees specifically) r still developing to the point that yes, LIGHT work for 15 minutes a couple times a week (what l generally do) would not hurt, but FLAT OUT RUNNING can do some serious damage.
And l suppose you're probably thinking ''what about racehorses?''..yeah well look how many young racehorses break down & become crippled by THREE. How many racehorses do u know of who still have a racing career past the age of 6? Gosh, l wonder why.

Another thing l am going to say is that l have no problem with bit-less bridles, but just beware that if, for whatever reason, the horse takes off on you, it can be a lot harder to get them under control.

You r not crazy just because u run around without a bit in ur horse is mouth. l do it all the time too. l have had a lot of horses bolt when l am riding bareback with a hackamore because l am too busy holding onto the mane instead of pulling on the reins. Also it is fun to do. As long as u warm up & cool down ur horse properly, it is ok to do that, although u should not do it all the time. :)

Also, about ur horse being too young to ride, l know lots of people who ride there horses when they r young. l ride english so l only start steadily riding a horse when it is four. A horse only truly stops growing by the time it is six. You should not put a big lug of a person on a horse before they r four though because that will increase the amount of a sway back that ur horse has when he gets older.

no your not crazy l love riding back in a halter or l will ocasinoly use a bit but if your young horse cant walk in a straight line you are to heavy for it you could break its back or injure it seriosly

You're not crazy. l prefer to ride bareback myself, when l am out in the flat field, but usually use a saddle due to convenience & the road ( l wo not ride bareback on the road, but l usually do hang my feet out of the stirrups, LOL.) l live in a very hilly area, so having a saddle on hills is always nice. Bareback is a more natural way to ride, & u have more contact with ur horse & there for r able to use body language in a more effective way.
As for hackamores- l have a good friend who has trained all of his horses so well that not a single one needs a bit. They trust him fully & always show their very best manners. Most of the time that l go for a quickie bareback ride l just use a halter with reins clipped to it. l think that is its somewhat rude to use a severe bit on a horse who will mind with a less harsh one. My mare fights curb bits, but does fine with a tom thumb. She prefers it. Many good WP horse neckrein, with no pressure on the bit.
I've never lunged before riding. For me & my horse, it would be a waste of time, because l walk for a while, too. l do take each leg & stretch it, though, & always make sure to cool her down well.
You & ur dad r able to ride the way u do because of ur inborn horse sense. You give the horse the most freedom possible & in return it gives u respect for that. The best tool in riding is trust, & starting them out young.
Two is a good age to start training a horse to be rode, but l would not put a full riding load on a horse until it was 4, with light riding done at 3. Of course, different regions have different attitiudes- where l live most horses live outside with the cows, & the ideal age for buying is 4, b/c it is still young, but usually trained.

l do not find it crazy at all. Lots of people ride their horses in a hackamore. l personally LOVE riding bareback on my horses. The people that are telling you that you are crazy are probably jealous that they can not do it. Have a fantastic day!

OK l was going to let this one pass until l read ur additional comments.

First ur horses r not some of the best trained if they r not trained for a bit. Even though a leverage hackamore can do a lot too. Nor r u a good rider if u r the type to think that bits r evil & cruel. It shows point blank that u do not know how to use a bit properly. Bits r a communication tool & when used correctly a well trained horse can be guided with the slightest pressure. My trained mares can be guided with the reins alone with no pressure at all on their bits. That said it does not mean there is a problem with riding in a hack if it works. But no they r not the best trained horses.

Second whether riding bareback is a good thing depends on the time u spend on the horse is back. Long rides r not good on the horse is back when riding bareback since the rider is weight is not spread out. Nor is jumping a good idea.

Third two is a good time to break for light riding. It is not a good time to start hard riding. Too much damage is done to legs & back. Usually the damage does not show up for years. l break at 2 for light riding but try to keep the rides under 5 miles until 3. l am very light so l can get by with the once a week 5 mile rides in their late twos.

girl u ride that horse with pride & keep our head up! Most ppl secretly wish they could do the same with their horse lol. l have an anglo-arab that was rescued as a baby from hurricane Katrina & most ppl ON HERE ONLY look down on him b/c he does not have perfect conformation but l can tell u right now, every show l go to he wins & l have ppl offering to buy him all the time. l too ride my horse bareback & in a dr. cooks bit less bridle ALL the time! l do not give a crap what the ppl on here thank about my horse..sure he does not have all that blue blood crap & he will never be a grand pre horse but that is what makes me love him more. Your so not crazy..take pride in ur mount..oh, & in REALITY, l bet ur horse is an eye catcher!

HORSES WIN OVER ALL DUGH

l think what you're doing is fine, & it sounds like you've been around them long enough! The riding age is controversial, but l like to start mt horses at 3 or 4 depending on their maturity. What u dad does is fine too, it sounds like he is just having fun. Who cares what other people think? As long as ur safe & u r watching ur horse is health, u should be fine. This applies to all horsemen/women.

No worries about the crazy thing, people call me crazy because l do Eventing. l think those people, r weird. Haha, l support all safely practiced riding!

Happy riding! xD
-Nov

l suppose all horse people are crazy. We enjoy hopping on 1000 pound animals, some with less concern for our well being than others, and riding them at various speeds. l am personally a HUGE bareback and hackamore enthusiast, after all, they are better if you use them right! If you're horses are safe while you do this, and you and you're father have a clue (Obviously you do!) then go for it and enjoy you're horsey life style!!

l wish more people thought like u & ur father. Horses like to run & play. If u tack up every time it gets boring. Enjoy the bareback & bit less rides. Just always use caution outside ur home pasture.
l start training from the time a foal hits the ground. l put little kids & blankets on their backs from the moment they learn to stand still. l do not ''ride'' myself till about 18 months, & then it is slow & easy. Most breeds do not reach full maturity til 4 or 5, so l do not want to stress bone or muscle. But every horse loves to run no matter the age. Just do not keep a full run up for extended periods. But u sound like u know that. Keep riding & enjoy.

Waiting until a horse is bones & joints r mature before asking the horse to bear ur weight is not about an arbitrary age, but about what is happening inside of his body. The bones r constantly remodeling based on the stress forces placed on them. The ends of the bones r still cartilaginous until they mature & ossify (turn to bone). Until they r ossified, they r extra vulnerable to the stress forces that affect how new bone is deposited during longitudinal growth. The vertebrae in the spine continue longitudinal growth after the bones in the legs r ossified. The other factor to consider is the mental maturity of a young horse.
So, while stupid may be riding a two year old before he is both physically & mentally ready, waiting until a horse is both physically & mentally mature enough isn't.
Horses that r started under saddle too early will manifest the damage later in life, & there will inevitably be damage.
The status of bone maturity can be seen on xray, so it is best to xray the joints before riding.