Parents or beginning riders, take heed: you may be tempted to save money by purchasing a bareback pad for horseback riding, instead of a regular saddle. The cost can be as low as $25 or so, while a decent saddle will cost hundreds of dollars. But the combination of a bareback pad and less than experienced rider can be a dangerous disaster.

The most common accidents are also the most serious. Bareback pads should NEVER, EVER be fitted with stirrups, but they often are. The stirrup gives a false sense of safety and security. But a bareback pad has no tree, the structure that keeps a saddle in place on a horse's back. If the slightest bit of imbalance occurs, the pad will slip sideways, resulting in not only a fall, but causing the rider to slide beneath the horse, which may be frightened by the misplaced rider. The rider can easily be stepped on, kicked, or even tangled in the pad and be dragged. No matter how tightly the girth is fastened, the force exerted by the rider's foot pushing on the stirrup will actually force the pad to slip sideways, resulting in a potentially far more serious fal than merely sliding off a bareback horse.

Bareback pads are not to be confused with treeless saddles, which are designed for greater security. Care should be taken in purchasing any saddle, treeless or treed, to ensure quality and correct fit for both horse and rider. Do consult a trusted and experienced expert before purchasing something so vital to your safety or that of a loved one.

Riding bareback can be a wonderful way to increase your skills and develop a better rapport with your horse or pony. Just remember safety first, and wear a properly fitted approved safety helmet, every ride, bareback or with a saddle.