A couple of questions for those who ride bitless.....

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el_Snowflakes

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why did you decide to do so?.........

and did you experience any problems if/when you changed back to riding with a bit?

just curious :D
thanks :D:D
 
I used to ride bitless. I had a headshaker who had had problems with his teeth. Thought it was related to pollen etc, but realised he only did it tacked up and all year round. Evidently linked to discomfort. He was ridden in a normal snaffle.

Changed to bitless and the difference was amazing! No more headshaking, he was forward going and interested, a totally different animal :) He took to the bitless straight away. He had been having on-going dentist treatment which obviously had an impact on his comfort when bitted. He has been ridden bitted on occasion since, and could switch between bitted and bitless with no problems. Always went better bitless though.
 
My TB mare gets ridden in a dually headcollar (Insurance is aware of this). She came to me in poor condition and with a number of "issues" which have been solved. Recently though she was getting to be quite a handful to ride, she would jog relentlessly, snatch at the reins, throw her head aound and was generally a pain in the neck to ride. Her teeth were one of her "issues" so they are done every 6 months, she has what is known as "wavy teeth", a condition not helped by neglect. Her bits were changed in the effort to find something more comfortable for her, each time it worked for awhile and then we were back to square one! When the kids rode her she had a headcollar on under her bridle with the reins attached to that, leaving an adult in charge of her bridle if extra help was needed in the way of brakes etc. She went so much better with no pressure on the bit that eventually I decided to try her without one. As I already had a dually I thought I would give it a try. Never looked back since, she is far more responsive, have full control whilst cantering (more so than with a bit in her mouth!) in fact she is a complete dream to ride now I only wish I'd tried it ages ago!
 
I ride bitless due to teeth problems.
She is practically unrideable in a bit as the pain causes her to shove her head in the air and run round with her mouth open :(
 
Small but very fleshy mouth and pink skin. I do pop a bit in every so often as she tends to lean forward into the bitless after a while and the snaffle for a day or so just stands her back up. We did have one we thought was unbacked despite buying through ring as fit for novice. Watching it looked angry about bridle rather than riding so tried bitless and lovely all round pony appeared! Dentist couldn't find anything.
 
I hack bitless and school in a snaffle! Have to admit I put a gag in for the beach as the hackamore isn't quite enough once she gets going!!!
 
I hack bitless and school in a snaffle. My mare had always been ridden bitless when I bought her so I just decieded to carry on as she is fab bitless....I did decide to bit her for flatwork so I can do low level dressae, small shows etc. x
 
My boy came to me in a western curb, supposedly able to neck rein. He actually had little respect for the bit - he'd but his chin on his chest and keep running, he'd throw his head, ignore the neck rein and suddenly turn for home- we had some high old times. I switched to a snaffle which improved things somewhat, then took a leap of faith and tried a Dr Cook. Different horse - suddenly I had perfect brakes and a sensitive neck reiner/body weight responsive horse. I can ride him in a string halter. I use an english hackamore now, just because it has "shanks" and kind of matches his western saddle - but it's fingertip control and a loose rein.

He's a criollo and was a cattle horse in Uraguy - and he would have been ridden by gauchos in a pretty fierce curb. They hold them pretty tight and ride feet forward and the result can be horses who tend to hold their heads high and hollow their backs - as did my boy. You could almost hear him sigh with relief when I put that Dr Cook on him!
 
My boy had major teeth problems and couldnt cope with a bit. We went bitless for a few years while we got everything sorted out and then gradually reintroduced a bit.

He is now fine in either and I ride bitted or bitless as the mood takes me :D
 
I ride bitless because Mollie's a head-shaker and can't cope with a brow band. Ordinary bridle without a brow band slips down the neck, but the Dr Cook (copy) bridle doesn't.

She's quite happy with her bitless, and since she's stopped head-shaking, so am I! :)
 
I rode my old mare bitless. She had a low palate and large tongue and found having a bit in very uncomfortable. I rode her in a hackamore from backing until I lost her last year and never had a problem - but I did train her exactly what it meant from the ground before getting on (as I'm currently doing with my youngster with his bit).
 
I used to ride bitless to be kinder, but pony soon got wise and after a particular occasion where I didn't bother to shut the field gate and he tanked off with me, straight through open gate and onto road - I didn't use it again after that! I've no idea why I thought it would help, he was so strong in a bit.
 
I decided to try a hackamore on my mare as she was getting more and more difficult to ride in a bit and it was affecting my hands..

I've always had really soft hands but since my 6 year old has started jumping shes been slowly getting stronger and stronger. I took her hunting last season 4 times and after she was a night mare. She'd leap into canter and then bomb off full speed heading for the sand school fence (she has balls of steel since we hunted - i however do not.) I tried to get through the issue of the strongness with her and it didn't work and my hands were getting heavier and more set each time i rode..

So about 4 weeks ago i popped her in a hackamore and the difference is amazing!! She loves it, she's much more relaxed in how she goes. Her head carriage has dropped and she now has a consistent outline in walk and trot and nearly always in canter. She no longer bombs off in canter and i can slow it right down - which is ideal. I have now cracked the canter and am working on more exciting stuff such as half pass and flying changes - just to chop and change it a bit. I never dreamed i'd be able to school her like this HOWEVER i've not jumped her in this and i am not sure how she'd go - i wanted to get the schooling perfect before jumping her - as i know she's more than capable of jumping.

I am planning to ride her in this for 6 months (at least) and then try out a happy mouth (or very soft snaffle) as i'd like to try dressage at some point. So shall see how she goes then :) I do however LOVE the new found attitude Gem has towards work - she is enjoying it and really starting to flick her toes out.

:-)

**ETS; My hands are now back to normal and i am much more relaxed in my body when schooling her.
 
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