- Bareback pad
- halter with lead rope
- mini backpack (popular with pre-teens) filled with snacks and a cell-phone (to call for help when I broke my skull)
- baggy jeans
- sneakers or hiking shoes
And it's not like I was just riding around the ring like this. I was riding out for 3-6 hour trail rides. The route from the barn to the park alone followed a mix of power-line trails, quiet country roads, and 50 mph windy back roads with little/no visibility. Once I got to the park, I was riding for miles through creeks, up and down hills, and on paved paths.
I could jump on from the ground without a mounting block. I could stay on through w/t/c, jumping, sliding down hills, spooking, riding on ice... pretty much everything. I can only wish I was still this good.