Well I was wondering because my cousin rode her horse for 12 years bareback and now the horse has really bad back problems to where you can't ride him anymore
2007-07-11 07:21:41 · 12 answers · asked by Huh 4 in Pets ➔ Horses
After many years of rideing the same horse bare back the horse will get "sling back" in another words their backs will arch inwards. It can be very painful for the horse and it can cause serious back problems.
2007-07-11 07:27:24 · answer #1 · answered by Wheelie 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I have been riding bareback for now 13 years and I have never seen any horse get sway back or back problems from riding this way. my instructor had me ride all her horses, from 2 to 22. The 22 year old arabian still thinks she is 6. The only thing she can't do as well is rear, course that is only because of her age. All her horses are happy and healthy.
2007-07-11 07:47:00 · answer #2 · answered by fancigal 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I wouldn't think that bareback riding can cause back pain - unless the rider is riding incorrectly ----- maybe squeezing too tight, pinching with the knees, and bouncing too hard on him.
Riding bareback is more natural than putting a big ole' chunk of leather on the horse- really. So I would think with correct riding, a bareback horse shouldn't develop back issues.
It could be that the horse is just older, and a lot of times, problems in other areas will create back pain --- for example, if his feet are sore, he might be moving differently to compensate for that pain, which is straining his back.
2007-07-11 10:10:30 · answer #3 · answered by AmandaL 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
No, it shouldn't. I rode a mare of mine for 27yrs bareback. I always ride on a bareback pad. I think her riding bareback has nothing to do with the horses back problems.
2007-07-11 07:41:19 · answer #4 · answered by ClanSinclair 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Yes and no. If you ride a lot, then the horse needs a pad for protection. I would think that the horses back problems are probably more from too heavy a rider for the horse. Even a horse with a saddle develops "swayback" after time.
2007-07-11 07:29:43 · answer #5 · answered by randy 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I would suspect your cousin also started riding her horse too young. Am I right? A horse hsould not bear true weight until it is at least 3. You can start a colt at two, but the backbone is not strong enough for real weight then.
I've seen swaybacked horses so bad their backbone had a "U" shape - the shape of a person's butt. That's bad.
A saddle distributes the weight more evenly over a horses' back. Riding bareback occasionally will not hurt the horse permanently, but a long bareback ride can be uncomfortable for the horse.
2007-07-11 07:30:40 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
Yeah I've heard that too, I don't think its a big deal if you just hop on bareback once in awhile but horses that are ridden that way a lot can have problems.
2007-07-11 13:21:26 · answer #7 · answered by RooneyFan89 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Imnot a 100% sure, but I don't think so. Back before they had saddles, that is all people could do, and the horse wqould be perfectly fine throughout it's whole life.
2007-07-11 07:28:27 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I doubt it. Its easier to ride bareback
2007-07-11 07:29:12 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it shouldn't. if it's an older horse then it might just be from age that he has back problems.
2007-07-11 07:28:06 · answer #10 · answered by rinestonehorsegirl 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋