Is a saddle mandatory? Can you do endurance bareback?
I guess it was a stupid question? sorry, im just starting to look into doing some low-level endurance, and would love to do it bareback, so I was wondering if a saddle is required…
Nope not a stupid question. I don’t believe that you are required to have a saddle but having ridden LD’s and also enjoying riding bareback, I can’t imagine how it would work well for you or the horse.
No saddle required. 25-50 miles is a long way to go bareback, but people have done it. Always check with the ride manager, they are allowed to have special requirements for their rides.
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Before you enter a competition be sure to do a few 25 mile long trail rides bareback at the working trot.
If you can handle that, more power too you.
But remember that a properly fitted saddle will allow you to save your horses back by posting and doing two point, and be a help stabilizing you up and down hills.
Anyhow go do a ten mile working trot bareback and let us know how it goes!
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As other said, no saddle required! Definitely practice, and be aware that at every vet check they check your horses back for soreness, body for any rubbing, etc. I do love that endurance doesn’t have any tack rules, except be safe!
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I am the only thinking about how awful it would feel to have your seat soaked with horse sweat for 25+ miles ? 
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thank you so much everyone.
Ive done 12 miles (not in a competition) and been pretty comfy for me and my horse, pretty smooth horse. I probably would not do over 25 that way though.
What is your favorite endurance saddle? Im thinking my dressage saddle would be good. Lightweight, and comfy. fitted to the horse
I have another question.
Do they take your horse’s temperature for the “vet check”? if so, (being a huge germ-a-phobe) are you allowed to bring your own thermometer? I like the flexible plastic ones, and (no offense) I wouldnt want to share with all the horses on the ride… Im not weird… really… lol
Not any that I’ve been to- Unless your horse was in trouble (metabolically speaking) I don’t see why they would. And, I would def get over the germ-a-phobe thing There’s a whole lot sharing going on- buckets, water troughs, sponges, scrapers, feed, hay. Believe me if you’re on trail and the only water available is placed troughs, all of the horses are going to be drinking out of the same one.
For a saddle (and I’m not being a wise ass here) the best one is the saddle that’s comfortable for you and your horse. Doesn’t matter one iota if it’s a dressage saddle, a reining saddle…
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I don’t think sharing thermometers up the butthole is going to spread much, and I am sure they would santize between uses.
I have started trail riding in my older model Passier Optimum dressage saddle. Compared to newer saddles it is quite low profile and I wasn’t sure how it would be for hills.
Recently we went down some trails that were as steep as I would ever care to ride for a sustained trail (might go steeper to scramble down a bank) and we were fine, I didn’t fall off over her head.
If you have a newer dressage saddle, well you might as well be in a jousting saddle or an Aussie saddle with “pulleys” because those things have insane thigh blocks that would be perfect for riding in rough country as long as they didn’t push your leg back too far.
Thanks for the info everyone. This has helped me decide if “Endurance” would be a fun thing to do.
For someone like me, the above quote is a “deal breaker” - I dont think im getting over the germ-a-phobe thing anytime soon, and especially sharing buckets is a big no-no for me… And, I even have my Vet use my thermometer…
I guess that is one thing Im weird about (im sure there are more though ). We all have something, right?
Happy Trails Everyone! 
Well, you could pack your own thermometer.
I’m planning to go horse camping in a place where you let the horses drink out of the lake. So all the horses share the lake! No running water. Honestly horses have pretty good immune systems and strong stomach acid which is why they can eat poop and be fine.
After I saw my mare chowing down on another horses poop at pasture (plenty of fresh grass) where she also shared a trough with a dozen other horses, being too fussy about that kind of thing seemed pointless.
I would encourage you to work on that one… I’m a firm believer that my immune system is just like anything else in my body - if it isn’t strengthened by use, it will wither and become less effective.
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Yes, it’s really unfortunate if a borderline phobia stops you from doing a fun activity that interests you, or even taking the horses off the property. Yes, personal buckets in a barn isnt a bad idea. But buckets won’t spread anything more than nose to nose contact in turnout. And if the horses vaccines are up to date you really don’t have to worry.
Refusing to do off property activities because your horse might need to share a water bucket or trough is IMHO starting to let obsessive ideation get in the way of having fun with your horse.
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My aunt is a germaphobe. She now gets every illness that comes down the pike. IMO her overuse of bleach and hand sanitizers has taken away from any immune system she had. If she HAS to use a public rest room she wipes down all the handrails, the door handles, the toilet seat plus anything else anybody might have touched and her hands or purse might touch. I would pee myself in the time it takes her to get ready to use the toilet and of course she has to use the handicapped on because she needs the hand rails so there are more areas to wipe down.
As with many phobias it has gotten worse with age. She will no longer take communion even in her hands because the priest may not have washed his hands after he used the restroom before communion.
She rarely goes in public anymore due to her germ phobias. She has added some food phobias and medical treatment phobias as well.
I understand ignoring certain phobias such as being afraid of snakes, mice, spiders etc…It is generally pretty easy to not have them impact your daily life. But when a phobia gets to the point of interferring with daily living or prevent you from doing things you enjoy it may be time to seek some help.
There is a point to being smart about protecting your horse such as I decided to skip a couple of horse shows this winter when there was a few semi-local instances of the neuo EHV in the area. Not worth the risk.
I don’t let my horse sniff strange horses on trail rides since I don’t know their shot history or if they have ever had a coggins. At sanctioned shows/events I figure the horse has a coggins so has at least seen a vet in the last 12 months so is more likely to have had some vaccines.
The Coggins test is for Equine Infectious Anemia which is spread by mosquitoes. There is no vaccine against EIA. Carrier horses are identified and euthanized.
Nose sniffing will not spread EIA. It may spread flu, rhino, strangles, and other respiratory infections. You can vaccinate for these.
I limit nose sniffing on the trail because it leads to squeal bite and strike and I want my horse to not be overly invested in socializing under saddle.
Your best bet for health is to make sure your vaccines are uptodate and not worry about other folks. This after all is the premise behind the battery of vaccines humans get before travelling in the tropics.
Thanks everyone for your concern
But, you guys act like I never leave my farm. I’m not sure where you get that idea.
Im always on the go. But, I simply can’t put my horse in a competition situation where it’s required to share viruses, bacteria (via drinking water), and poopy thermometers. No thanks
My vaccines are UTD. I think the only vaccine that is considered 100% is rabies. The rest are mearly preventative.
I do off site trail riding all the time, And never have to share a bucket.
I’m not signing up for Strangles or any other infections. Bottom line. I have 5 horses at home, and I’m just not in the mood for that.
My horses (who I trail ride with) are very healthy, and will continue to be.
Also, I work full time in IT, at a company with 55,000 employees, so I think I will be okay given the amount of germs Im in contact with on a daily basis. And yes, I’m washing my hands constantly
Well, that’s all good then. But if you genuinely wanted to do endurance, it’s sad that’s a deal breaker.
Just in case another reader sees this thread, let me clarify a few things:
- In Endurance there is NO temperatures taken (of horse or rider) as part of the ride.
- There is NO sharing of buckets (feed or water) as part of the ride at the camp.
- And NO self respecting endurance rider would bring a sick horse to a ride expecting it to go 25 to 100 miles in one day.
If water troughs are set out along a dry trail, then horses do/can share that water source. If that is an overriding concern to the rider not to share, then they can take the opportunity to put their own water (filled buckets) along the trail earlier themselves. All riders are expected to bring their own water to the ride. Troughs set out are usually a courtesy to give riders access to sponging/bathing water for their horses, not generally for drinking water.
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