Advice about going bitless please?

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BobbyMondeo

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I am very very tempted to go bitless!
I rode my horse in his head collar today he has a small cut just above his mouth and i dont want to risk using a bit.

He was brilliant! So happy, worked in a lovely contact and was so much more relaxed.
What would be the best bridle to try out? As i have no idea about bitless

Thank in advance
 
Scawbrig or Dr Cook are the popular ones at the moment, this webite will give you a free trial?? http://www.bitlesshorse.co.uk. It depends what you want traditionally people use a hackamore, this is the one alot of SJ's use. if you google loads of choices come up. I have taught people successfully in the scawbrig and have used a hackamore on many occasions in the past. have fun.
 
Yeah see i dont know a lot about it, ive only thought about it today after he was so happy in just his head collar. what are the differences?
which would give the most refined aids to the horse?
 
I genrally just ride in a halter, but i would also sometimes use a scrawbrig, and only really one of our horse's goes well in a dr cooks.

I like a simple piece of kit, thats why i use a halter, but the main thing is to teach your horse to be really light to the aids. See how well you can back up from the ground, bend the neck, things like that, then when you ride, make sure your horse responds really light for halt, reverse and turns.

I also like to teach the one rein stop, because if your horse FORGETS that he has to come off nose pressure and he runs off with you, if he isnt sensitive enough he might be harder to stop. If you can teach him to disengage his hindquarters and bend him to a stop, anytime he ignores u or forgets, he will be easy to stop this way. It does need taught well from walk up to canter, dont just try it for the first time in canter in case you unbalance him. If done right, as soon as u pick up one rein, he should come back to a walk and bend, not canter a circle. Hope this helps.
 
I have been riding my cob in a Libbys bitless bridle and she has been fine in it, in fact its probably better as in a bit she can be quite heavy in the hand and lean on you but is very light in the bitless. She is pretty steady, not so sure I would want to ride a lively forward going horse in one though. She does find it easier to picnic as we go too!!
 
Does help a little yes

I have been looking on google, trying to get information but its all so confusing, i dont want to buy one and it not suit him. very difficult to decide
 
BobbyMondeo said:
Yeah see i dont know a lot about it, ive only thought about it today after he was so happy in just his head collar. what are the differences?
which would give the most refined aids to the horse?
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I prefer a sidepull to most others, as it only works off nose pressure. It doesnt tighten.
The dr cooks tightens around the whole head, and the scrawbrig tightens around the nose and jaw.

If ur horse is taught to respond well and light to nose pressure, you shouldnt need any bridle that tightens.

I like this site because it has a few different ones to look at.
http://www.bitlessandbarefoot.com/bitless-shop.php
 
I ride Malaga in a rope hackamore(basically a rope halter with a 22' leadrope tied for two reins and a lead rope)
However,as said,its not about the bridle its about your relationship and the training
MalagaatJames016-2.jpg
 
No great advice here but I've always liked riding in them when I've tried (hackamore and more Dr Cook style). Makes you (well, me at any rate) really conscious of how little you need your hands and not had a problem with breaks either, even when riding Western at which I've almost no experience :-)
 
I changed about 8 weeks ago and my mare has responded brilliantly. I firstly bought a cheap webbing side pull one as heard that dr cooks etc didn't suit a lot of horses as they tightened all around the head and it didn't seem to make sense to me. I first rode with the bitless but the bit in and reins knotted on th neck so I had a back up plan but quickly found it she was much better with out - lighter, more balanced, lessnstressed and resistant and it has made me a much better rider and rely much less on my hands and more on my seat.

After being sure that it was worth the expense I have bought the micklem multi bridle so have the same bridle with both options (as I still do dressage and have to use bit :-( )
 
I just ride in a well fitted leather headcollar. We go racing in stubble fields and are the only ones able to stop :D

The only time a bit would be more effective is the very rare occasion when he decides he is NOT going in the direction indicated and has to be hauled round :rolleyes: and a full check bit would force his better.
 
Sorry if this is a hijack but I think it would be relevant to the OP, can anyone post pictures of them schooling/jumping bitless? I used to hack a rather opinionated mare bitless and she went far better and was far more willing to 'discuss' the options than in a bit when she would often plant.
 
Tiny Fluffy Coblet said:
Sorry if this is a hijack but I think it would be relevant to the OP, can anyone post pictures of them schooling/jumping bitless? I used to hack a rather opinionated mare bitless and she went far better and was far more willing to 'discuss' the options than in a bit when she would often plant.
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Yeah it would be relevant, thanks =)

I rode him in the head collar again this morning and he was great, turned on a sixpence, stopped so easily (after throwing his head round a bit about the fact he actually had to stop) and was generally a pleasure to ride :D SO HAPPY
 
Toby's first ever trip XC. Headcollar was useful so I didn't sock him in the mouth as he gave everything 3ft clearance!

tobysXC019edit.jpg


tobysXC023edit.jpg


And Pips first trip to the beach
pipsandkalliatbeachapril2011036edit.jpg


pipsandkalliatbeachapril2011031edit.jpg
 
Thanks this has made me more confident to go out on a hack tomorrow:D ill go in company so will have a bum to stop behind if needs be lol :D dont think ill need it mind, he was brilliant in the school!
 
I ride only in a headcollar unless for a lesson cos instructor frowns otherwise :o

I don't even notice now. I only remember when someone comments.
 
And i'm off the opinion that if he decides he doesn't want to stop then pulling on his mouth with a piece of metal until I hurt him probably isn't going to help.
 
Kallibear said:
And i'm off the opinion that if he decides he doesn't want to stop then pulling on his mouth with a piece of metal until I hurt him probably isn't going to help.
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I agree, and i dont have to pull on his mouth to stop him anyway and he actually stops better without it. I think he is more focussed on my aids rather than a big bit of metal in his mouth
 
Mine can and do wear a bit (very expensive NS one!) but they just don't need it. A bit can give you more refinement and communication which, whilst useful for dressage, isn't really needed for hacking etc (although I will argue that you can achieve the same with a good bitless).

So really it's about control. Define 'control'. To me just another word for hurting their mouths enough that they pay attention and do as they are asked. I've used that occasionally (Common Riding mainly) but it's not really effective for mine, as the pain makes them worse (they're not paying attention because they're too stressed or excited so adding to it doesn't really help). I've never had a situation where i've wished I had a bit.

HOWEVER, having said that mine are both gentle, sensitive horses and there are some thickskinned rhinohorses I to wouldn't want to try it without some serious schooling first!
 
shysmum said:
http://www.cobswallop.com/home/bare...ining-explained/links/feeding/bitless-bridles

I found this while researching going bitless, and altho it's a marketing video for Dr Cook, it has made me think. I have drawn my own conclusion i guess, from something I've suspected for a while.

Anyways, I have just ordered an easytrek bitless bridle, and will report back !

http://www.easytreksaddles.co.uk/page_2193695.html

We are now going to be shoeless, treeless and bitless :eek:
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I have an Easytrek for few months now and I love it (well Bilto loves it!)
Don't be surprised when you receive it if it doesn't exactly match the picture...mine is thicker than on the pict and the rings are slightly different :-)
I ordered a Cob size (Bilto is a pony with a big head!) but the browband was too small so I took it off (didn't replace it) and noseband didn't have enough holes so I had to make some more.
Once this done it was perfect! (and still is)
I only hack with my pony and don't do anything else so it suits us :-)
We are barefoot (for nearly 5 years), bitless for same amount of time (he had a halter before the Easytrek but eventually broke!) but not treeless as a bit too expensive at the moment!
Let us know what you think of your bitless bridle!
 
bridle should arrive in a few days time, so will try it out and let you know. I'm still having to ride bareback, as waiting for my barefoot saddle - rang the supplier today, and it could be 4 weeks to get it thru them. Not happy. I keep falling off (very sharp youngster ;)) So I'm trying to order the damned thing from Germany direct now.

ps a bit worried now, cos I've ordered a cob size for my 14.3 hh - think I should have gone full size ? He is a full in a bitted bridle...
 
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I discussed the bridle with a lovely guy at Easytrek, and agreed I should go for the full sized, as Shy takes a full bitted. Bless him, he was just about to post the cob one too ! Talk about me being a pain in the ass, starting to wish I'd never started on all this, hahaha!! :D
 
Haha bless you at least you will get a bridle thats the right size for his head!! =) id probably need a pony size...stupid tiny arabsize head-ed horse....he is 15.3hh
 
Thought i would post this video showing softness bitless. This is how soft any horse should go, bitted or bitless and shows that dressage is easy bitless.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vsou0PWZRMo&feature=related

Also thought i would post a video for jumping bitless too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP2qhbFZ11Y&feature=related

There are lots of vides of people riding bitless, and anything is possible with it, not just hacking out.

Ps, thought this was good, one horse bitless, the other bridleless.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1U_y79gEP0&NR=1
 
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