I don’t know, that post title sounds kind of dirty when I really think about it.
Anyway: it is too.flipping.cold. to deal with saddles. So the new routine is to pull blanket, fling on quarter sheet and bridle, and head to the arena.
This has many benefits: it keeps me warmer, it works on my balance & muscling, and it helps with the long slow work that we’re doing right now. (Much less temptation to canter!)
Tuesday night, we did about 35 minutes of w/t work like that. I was surprised both by how well I sat the trot and by how he loosened up into the trot quite nicely, even with me sitting – usually he stiffens and fusses for quite a while, but he really was stretching long and low by lap 2.
This is not to say that I trotted for more than a few laps at a time bareback. I’m not that strong yet. But we’ll get there.
If I ever get to the barn again while there’s daylight (spoiler alert: not for at least then next 10 days, ugh), I’ll hack him out bareback too.
What do you think, can I get through December without using a saddle once?
beljoeor.com 
I am gonna pass on the bareback december 😛
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I like my saddle, but more power to you!
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ooh exciting! you can do it 🙂
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Go girl!!
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of course you can! I tend to need January or Feb with no saddle instead – although this year i am riding a sweet dude with a prominent backbone instead of the well upholstered Canadian girls…
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I could ride Q bareback, but I've got to add a bareback pad to Griffin! His withers are just too prominent and I favor my lady parts too much to slam into those withers too much lol!
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