Research on bareback pads

[S1969]

@Chiarra_Dee

sorry, I just have a really hard time understanding things correctly.

That’s the purpose of this kind of assignment. Start with an area of interest, focus it to something more specific, identify a central question/thesis, and back it up (or try to) with research (published, independently conducted, or informal.) For a high school assignment (which I assume this is), informal research would probably be sufficient if it’s not for a science class.

@Simkie

Is is safer to ride a horse with a bareback pad vs bareback?
Is it more comfortable for the rider to ride a horse with a bareback pad vs bareback?
Is is more comfortable for the horse to be ridden with a bareback pad vs bareback?

Start by considering the three questions above - you should focus on only one of the three, formulate your own thesis (it is safer – or it is not safer)…and try to back it up (“because…x, y, z” and/or “it does not appear to be, given evidence a, b, c.”)

[Chiarra_Dee]

Yep! I do understand this more now thanks to all of the help! yeah I dont have science, this is more of a class called ILA not sure what ‘ILA’ stands for but i just kinda go with it! so thanks again! this is a lot more understandable now!!

[candyappy]

@Chiarra_Dee

I mean the bareback pads that can be used to make bareback riding more comfortable for both horse and rider. I guess that’s my way of putting it?

In my personal experience when I rode bareback:

It can increase the comfort of the rider if the horse happens to have any kind of backbone.
It can increase the comfort of the rider if the horse works up a sweat when being ridden bareback.
It can give added stability since you don’t slip as much from side to side as you would on a slick coated horse ( never use show sheen).

Unless you are a rider with natural good balance and a secure seat to begin with I believe that no pad would help the comfort level of the horse if the rider is clutching, bouncing or banging on the horses back during the ride.

Stirrups on a pad are an accident waiting to happen.

[Hippolyta]

Bareback pads can roll, ones with stirrups put a lot of pressure across the back/withers where they attach.

This post doesn’t qualify as a legitimate source

[Mango20]

@Chiarra_Dee

not sure what ‘ILA’ stands for

Around here, “ILA” means Integrated Language Arts, or a fancy name for what we used to call English class.

[Scribbler]

Ah! That’s great!

I teach a research paper to first year college students.

First step is coming up with a general idea and then refining it until you get a manageable size topic that has available sources. Some great ideas have no sources to use. It’s amazing all the things that haven’t been studied yet! Especially in horses!

Coming on here and chatting is a great first step to get some input and focus your topic.

OP you might find there just are no print sources out there about bareback pad safety. If your essay requires print sources, you might end up needing to slide over to a related topic like saddle fit that has more attention.

But if you do find anything on bareback pads it would be great if you came back and shared it with us!

[Bogie]

Another topic you could consider is should bareback pads have stirrups. I think in that case you could probably find a reasonable amount of information that suggests that:

1. Stirrups on bareback pads cause pressure on the horse’s back, because there is no weight-distributing mechanism like a saddle tree.
2. Because there is no structure to the pad, adding stirrups increases the likelihood that the pad will roll, making it more dangerous for the rider.

[Chiarra_Dee]

Hello again!, I have not finished the assignment yet! but I am almost done!! afterward I will come back and share what I have found with y’all. I have found it much easier to start a pros and cons list on the different types of bareback riding so I will share the done assignment soon!!! that you all so much for your help!! I also would like to ask if you guys would like credit? its not going world wide on the web but it is going to my teacher and I do need to put credit.

[PaddockWood]

If you’re not done yet I have thoughts on their purpose. Grew up riding bareback and going fast but you’re young and fearless. And if you do come off your bones are flexible. No pad used growing up.

50 years later I like a wool (think Toklat) pad with a girth cuz you got more grip. Alot more grip in my experience. I’ve even ridden w a Mattes over my Toklat for extry padding to be up off the back. My horses have liked bareback riding.

Purpose? Outside of fast and easy and fun is one particular usefulness. I like to feel how my horses feel under me with a saddle versus bareback. I read that Magali Delgado and Frederic Pignon have used bareback riding as a comparison to the saddle in helping them determine if there was a fit issue.
They talk about it in their book Gallop to Freedom.

I personally am firmly against stirrups w bareback pads. If you come off and you’re hung up in a stirrup that is bad news. You have less security on a bareback pad than a saddle so seems a recipe for disaster.

That’s my 2 cents. Looking forward to reading your paper and those of us who hated english classes and writing (later realize BIG mistake) will not be critical of whatever you write!