bareback

American  

[bair-bak] / ˈbɛərˌbæk /

Or barebacked

adverb

1. with the back of a horse, burro, etc., bare; without a saddle.

   to ride bareback; a bareback rider.

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bareback British  

/ ˈbɛəˌbæk /

adjective

1. (of horse-riding) without a saddle

2. slang (of sex) without a condom

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verb

1. (intr) to practise unprotected sex

Etymology

Origin of bareback

First recorded in 1555–65; bare ¹ + back ¹

Example Sentences

“Bella and Gigi riding their horses bareback around the farm and training in the jumping arena in such close proximity from New York and their very busy careers,” she shared.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 21, 2026

"She would be jumping off waterfalls, jumping off planes, riding horses bareback, swinging on chandeliers, jumping 30ft from the roof of a castle - all stunts she did herself," Roy Wadia says.

From BBC • Feb. 17, 2024

Riding her pinto horse, Beauty, bareback provided her a temporary sense of escape.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2023

“We grew up in the middle of nowhere, really, bareback on horses. I just remember falling off them all the time and getting back on all the time.”

From Reuters • Mar. 6, 2023

She’d never ridden a bull before, but she’d practiced bareback pegasus riding at Camp Half-Blood, and she remembered what to do.

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan