Bet you've never seen this at a HJ show (photos)..is it even legal in the US?

[IfWishesWereHorses]

photos on the blog:

http://the-blog-iwwh.blogspot.com/

Its not illegal as such, and so shes done it at the last 3 big shows. So...tell me, what does your rulebook say???

For the record, this class that the photos were taken in, is a Young Rider jumper class, at around 1.35m (4ft 6 approx)...

[CrzyCorgi]

Actually I do remember someone post pics or a video of a Puissance class being done bareback! I believe the height was like 7'!! ( I could be wrong on that, but I know it was huge!!! :eek:)

[IfWishesWereHorses]

Yeah Ive seen those too...but this rider rides this horse in all his classes bareback (up to GP level). Can't say Im in approval of the reasons why, and well, she is consistantly jumping clears, but still.

I would imagine someone somewhere will bring in a rule to say it cant be done in future !

Curious to know if there is actually any rule that says you have to wear a saddle lol..

[Alterageous]

anyone who is willing to wear white breeches to ride bareback...well.

Anyone know why she does this?

[angrychinchillas]

Seems to me her position is nice, and she's not interfering with the horse. If it works for her, cool.

The only reference I could find to her reasons was on her site: "Vicki had her quietest show of the season with only Witheze in the truck . . . Witheze placed in both the GP and the Derby and had a memorable YR round. Due to a loose bolt found in the pommel of his saddle Vicki decided to compete Witheze in the YR bareback and he jumped beautifully causing a stunned crowd to watch in silence."

From November 29-30, on the News page (her website: http://www.showtymhorses.co.nz)

Very cool, though.

[War Admiral]

Nice Googling, chinchilla!! :yes:

AFAIK it would be allowed in the jumpers here but not the hunters ("unconventional tack"... or lack thereof!).

[HARROLDhasmyheart]

Oy vey. Well, at least we know she's been practicing her no stirrup (or no saddle...) work!

And would lack of tack technically be considered unconventional? I mean if something's not there, can you really qualify it? Hahaha. I'm not actually concerned, just something to think about :)

[Andrew]

ummmmmm can anyone say PHOTOSHOP????

[IfWishesWereHorses]

Haha, no I can promise you the only photoshopping that was done, was to crop the photos and reduce the file size!

The ironic thing is that she rides WAY more secure without a saddle ;-)

[ImJumpin]

The ironic thing is that she rides WAY more secure without a saddle ;-)

I think you'd have to or you'd be on the ground ;)

[galwaybay]

She rides w/ tack = as most of her photos on website shows but apparently did ride in some jump-off w/o tack - one of the other posts here mentioned she problems w/ her tack. Just goes to show what riding w/o stirrups can do for you -

[dags]

What a beautiful web site she has.

And she's obviously quite accomplished, with the most legitimate reason ever to pull her tack.

I, quite frankly, am impressed- by her. And astounded by the haughty tone of some of these responses. So she chooses to keep doing it, and you want a rule to mandate saddles?

I think if you are that fearful of a bareback competitor at the Young Rider level you have other problems to contend with. I'd be thrilled to see my competition step up to the gate sans saddle.

[gottagrey]

I think the bareback routine was an anomoly as all of her photos on her website show her riding w/ tack. That being said - she's obviously one heck of a rider (she must have gone to the Mark Todd school of riding w/ no stirrups or something!) When I was a kid we never ever rode w/a saddle - bareback every day - we didn't jump (western then) except over small stuff on the trail or over ditches; but we did run around alot - I wish I could ride like that now:lol:

I know of a girl who used to Team Pen bareback - she was pretty amazing too

[ef80]

Nice Googling, chinchilla!! :yes:

AFAIK it would be allowed in the jumpers here but not the hunters ("unconventional tack"... or lack thereof!).

You're welcome to use unconventional tack, you just might get dinged for it. :) I forget who the rider was, but someone posted video from Tucson a year or two ago when a person took a sale-horse around a course bridleless. Was a pretty nice round. Made me miss drill-team. Bareback and bridleless is the way to go :)

[peco]

i think it is amazing that she does so well bareback ...but i can see how shows would have problems and impose rules to ban it. So she does it well and others try and are injured i could see how that would be an insurance nightmare. Insurance for horse shows can be outrageous and they are always looking for ways around claims. i am just saying it may not be total envy as one person suggested that would be cause for a ban!

[LittleGray]

You're welcome to use unconventional tack, you just might get dinged for it. :) I forget who the rider was, but someone posted video from Tucson a year or two ago when a person took a sale-horse around a course bridleless. Was a pretty nice round. Made me miss drill-team. Bareback and bridleless is the way to go :)

This must be the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjrsmkcDekE what a lovely horse!

And I wish I looked at good as the saddle-less rider over jumps that big WITH a saddle!

[dags]

i think it is amazing that she does so well bareback ...but i can see how shows would have problems and impose rules to ban it. So she does it well and others try and are injured i could see how that would be an insurance nightmare. Insurance for horse shows can be outrageous and they are always looking for ways around claims. i am just saying it may not be total envy as one person suggested that would be cause for a ban!

You are right.

I hate what insurance policies have done to the world.

[Denzel]

Holy man! I wish I could get over a FEW fences of that size (hell, even one would have me doing a happy dance!) with tack, let alone compete at that level BAREBACK! Kudos to her, she looks like on hell of a rider!

Same goes for the bridle-less video. I had seen that when it first came about and I am still impressed!

[springdaisy]

I've considered actually checking the rules at local shows about bareback! A mare that I ride-and adore-was abused at her former home. (We think it must have been accidental abuse, because she isn't head shy, or anything that you would expect. However, the woman who owned her previously obviously didn't know much about horses, when we came to see the mare, the woman threw a saddle that obviously did not fit the horse onto her back, and pulled the girth as tight as she possibly could. The saddle was also way too far back, not even close to her withers. We have had her back checked, and luckily, we bought her before she could be come unsound. She is the sweetest mare) Well, long story short, she hates saddles with a passion. I ride her bareback very often, as it is a hassle to saddle her. If there is someone with me, I'll saddle her, but when it's going to be dark soon, or I'm alone, it's too much trouble. I've wanted to show her, but I'm not sure how a saddle and a new place would go over. I'd love to go to at least the first show bareback! In my opinion, if it helps the horse, why not?

[springdaisy]

Oh, and I do jumping. Mostly around 3'6", a little higher.

[TheHunterKid90]

this makes me feel a little better about my issue too!
haha, I feel like I am a much better partner for my horse when I ride bareback.....I stay out of his way, I have a better position, and I don't fiddle and screw him up so much!
I've jumped schooled 4'3" without tack and it feels effortless.
Major kudos to this girl! :)

[Mythology]

I remember back when I was a kid, I won't say the year ;), my trainer rode in a special class, a bareback grand prix. This was at a big circuit show on the west coast at night under lights. Well a couple competitiors thought it would be funny to show sheen some of the riders horses (a big practical joking crew, I think one had her truck completely buried in the muck pile the next morning in retroubution). But the riders all stayed on and delivered some amazing clear rounds with a fast jump offs to boot!
I always ride better bareback and I would have ridden in the jr. jumpers bareback if my trainer would have let me;)
Now I'm no longer in the show ring, but I still start most of my babies bareback.
Kudos to Vicki for doing her own thing!

[Mollitor]

wow.
awesome!

[Jumper6252]

I can barely jump a cross rail bareback on my horse! Way to bouncy and wayyyyy to big of withers :)

[Romany]

Looks like she's just an average kiwi, with plenty of guts and talent - and some nice horses!

Why ever would it not be legal? Yes, I know, I know, liability, insurance, all that sort of boring stuff, but honestly, from the minute you step near, never mind ON, a horse, you're entering into a worldful of danger, n'est pas?!

If I could ride like that with a saddle, never mind bareback, I'd be happy enough.

[CenterStage123]

My horse goes so mich better without tack. She may have started a trend:)

[2 tbs]

You are right.

I hate what insurance policies have done to the world.

Ah. Don't blame the insurance policies! Blame the people who look for holes in them and take advantage thereby forcing the insurance companies to pretty much cover everything from every angle causing ridiculous limitations :winkgrin:

However. I can see someone saying it's an unfair advantage because they didn't know they could ride bareback and their horse goes better bareback or something like that.

I say kudos to her though! I used to ride bareback and do all kinds of crazy stuff but now I get on bareback once or twice a year and stick to walk/trot stuff - no jumping (my horse has a huge jump that loses me when I'm in the tack-without it...oh I don't even want to think about it!).;)

[Zarista131]

I know Vicki Wilson Personally and would just like 2 say she is a great rider and would never do anything tat would harm her horses! And these pictures are NOT photo shopped she is tat good of rider, there is no rule saying u can not jump bareback she asked officails before doin this. The reason she jumped bareback is because thers was a problem with the horses back which was the owners fault and vicki is NOT the owner the horse was uncomfortable with the saddle on but was absolutely fine without it and why let such a good horse waste they have now retired the horse from competitive show jumping as the injury got worse. I would just lik to say vicki is a amazing rider and is very careful with her horses and to jump at tat level and height bareback is a great acheivement and im not going say it was the smartest idea she nearly gave her mum a heart attack when she was going round but she did a great job and went clear so people should be more appreciating of 21year old rider doing so well.:)

[HorsRdr477]

Who are you and why are you here? This thread was from so long ago:rolleyes:

[Pam]

Haha, no I can promise you the only photoshopping that was done, was to crop the photos and reduce the file size!

The ironic thing is that she rides WAY more secure without a saddle ;-)

One of my best dressage test practice rides was bareback at home... :)

[mortebella]

I definitely notice my horse rides a lot more happy bareback, including over fences as high as I care to go at the moment. Is it a cop-out that I just can't seem to handle tack? :confused: My solution du jour is getting an old-school Crosby Prix de Nations. I can't wait to try it out!

[Phaxxton]

However. I can see someone saying it's an unfair advantage because they didn't know they could ride bareback and their horse goes better bareback or something like that.



Ignorance of the rules does not = unfairness. If someone doesn't know what is or is not permitted, that is their problem. ;)

[superpony123]

is the page messed up or something? all i see is pictures of a very torn up horses leg... i dont see anyone jumping anything bareback

[carrie_girl]

is the page messed up or something? all i see is pictures of a very torn up horses leg... i dont see anyone jumping anything bareback

You have to go way back to early Jan. This is an old thread.

[witheze]

The bareback horse belongs to me......yes Vicki has done wonders with him and she is a wonderful rider.....but for financial reasons I have to sell him.....he is being marketed in the States as well as here in N.Z . Will explore the classifieds on this site :)