in your opinion do bareback pads help with any of that??? i feel like if it has some cushion it could make it at least a little more comfortable for the horse .

also thank you, i found that video that you linked extremely helpful :D

@@animangle Oh I'm definitely not an expert. It's a subject that interests since I really like to ride bareback but I have very little erm "natural padding", so I was a bit worried about hurting the horse's back, so I asked several people (including the vet) for advice. Most of them thought bareback should be ok for us for very short rides (I don't have much natural padding but Cometa does, lol, and she has very comfortable paces), but otherwise it would be better to use a pad. So they seem to think it helps. And it makes sense since the harmful thing is the point pressure from the seat bones, and if you put a bareback pad over your leg and press with your thumb on the other side, it doesn't feel like a sharp pressure point. But like I said I'm not an expert, so I would rather get someone knowledgeable to look at you and your horse (ideally while riding without a saddle) and then advise you. Have fun!

@@tfrtrouble thank you c:

I cover that a bit in this video, keep a tight core and a solid grip with your thighs, if the horse starts to go forward unexpectedly try not to let yourself fall backward but stay straight in your center point, it takes practice to build the right muscles and reflexes but just doing a lot of just sitting on your horse while they're grazing is a great way to build your confidence in bareback!

How long do you ride for when you ride bareback? I would think if you're getting blisters then you might be over doing it a little? Usually if you're in pain that means the horse is probably uncomfy too, riding bareback isn't super great for you or the horse when it comes to anatomy, that's why we use saddles to distribute our weight more evenly on the horses' back, I wouldn't suggest doing long trail rides bareback or anything, just short rides here and there or just sitting on them while they graze, even if they're not moving it's still great for bonding and keeping that core muscle memory!