anyone who rides their cobs bitless??

D

DayleAshley

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Does anyone ride their cob bitless??? I'm thinking of switching my hw gypsy cob to bitless, he has a big fleshy mouth and feel he might be more comfy being ridden bitless. We only hack and want him to be as comfy as possible.
I also have a few questions..
*He's slightly ewe necked will that make a difference?
*does it effect insurance?
*how would I make the adjustment?
*Would I need to adjust my riding?
Sorry just I have very little experience of bitless! Thanks in advance! X
 
Yes I used to ride my welsh D in an English hackamore and felt he went better in this than a bit.

He took to it straight away but I did spend some time practicing with it in the school before braving it out on a hack. He was also ewe necked and the hackamore helped with keeping his head down and relaxed. He never really did relax with a bit and would have a very high head carriage if I used one.

Not sure about insurance, sorry.

Definitely worth giving it a go though!
 
Yes, I ride mine in a Micklem. Started off with a hackamore as it was a relatively cheap option to see if she would be okay and it was initially only in the short term.
When it became obvious it'd be long term (teeth issues), I changed to a Micklem because it appears to be more comfortable and it is the most versatile in it's settings.

I rode in the school first a couple of times, to ensure I had enough control before venturing out.
I have been to the beach, a fun ride and I hack on the least severe setting.
It suits us, which is a good job, otherwise she'd be unrideable. We have been bitless since she was 4 :)
 
I ride my Welsh cob in an Easytrek bitless bridle. He has a large fleshy tongue and small mouth and finds anything in his mouth uncomfortable. I just bit the bullet the first time and took him out hacking. He goes so much better and is so much happier being bitless.
 
When training for N H levels a decade ago I hacked my show HW cob out in a halter and 1 rein. I got some odd looks , but he went perfectly. But he was trained regularly , and when I was no longer so fired up for levels results , soon found he remembered his neck was stronger than my arm , so would steal grass etc , and there was little I could do about it!
I think it ll really help with your boys ewe neck, as they will lower their heads so easy without a bit .
A bitless bridle , as apposed to a halter, is fine insurance wise, to hack out with [ I believe - who knows -rules keep altering?]
As for training for it - try in a school first - check all the paces and how easy they conme down the paces - including a backup, because with a cob you ll need them mentally willing- cant fight one without a bit[ not that I m saying you should need to fight with a bit...]
 
We recently had a cob mare come back off loan, completely messed up; no steering or brakes whatsoever and would bolt for home at every opportunity.
She was impervious to the bit and would just tank with her head in the air and mouth wide open.

I don't 'do' nosebands or strong bits, if they don't go in a snaffle I reschool until they do!

So I put her in my Western sidepull (bitless) so all her ingrained evasions failed, and now she's fine both bitless and in the snaffle.
 
Me too. Goes nicely but needs snaffle for a day or two occasionally to stand her back up as she leans into it after a month or so.
 
I use a hackamore for Shy and he goes really well in it, as well as using a bit. Mostly used when he's teething (as in now), but tbh I prefer using it to his bit... the only thing I don't have is super good brakes, probably cos I am very gentle with it. maybe tighter and we would have, but we get on fine. :)
 
Well, I ride the coblet in a headcollar and leadrope, or leadrope round his neck....or just nothing....granted the 'nothing' is not on the roads, but in the field and school yes.

Makes no difference to his topline, he does move freer, but, I do feel that he works his best in a double bridle for 'proper' schooling, ie, lifting his shoulder and having him more uphill. I call it his 'showing mode' and his 'normal' mode.

No idea what it would do regarding insurance....but moot point for me really.

Not quite what you wanted though I'm guessing!
 
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Ive ridden my coblet (love it!) In my monty roberts dually halter-bit more control than a normal headcollar.

Like someone else said-do remember that bitless doesnt necessarily mean more mild! The Dr Cook style 'wraparound' or 'cross-under' are supposedly the kindest you can get-theres no way you could hurt him. See Ebay for cheap versions!

Use in à school first or your field before you let loose on the road. I cant see that theyd affect your insurance but always check with your own.

Let us know how you get on!
 
I ride my coloured cob in a Dr Cooks bridle too. We only hack and do fun rides but I've never had a problem with pulling her up or anything. She took to the bridle straight away - but had never been particularly happy with a bit which was my reason for trying the Dr Cooks bridle. My other cob who has always been ridden with a french link snaffle just didnt get on with the bitless bridle so i guess you just need to give it a try and see. If you know someone with a bitless bridle try and borrow it and see how you get on first.
 
just to add, I contacted my insurance company before riding on the roads bitless, and they said it was not a problem. I can't remember their exact words, but if you are worried, get in touch with the broker, by email, and keep their reply :)
 
Don't know about insurance, but I ride my section D mostly in an English Hackamore, though I do have a Dr Cook bitless which I haven't used that much - I'm not sure if I like it that much, mostly as I bought a synthetic one and he sweats under it, and I haven't got used to kind of steering with it. I've used a hackamore since the 70s on 3 different horses. On this current one (who was in an ordinary eggbutt snaffle and was fine in that) I just put the hackamore on and went out hacking in it - but having used one for years, I feel quite sure about them and didn't consider that there would be control issues. I tried him in a bit after riding bitless for a month or so, and he was really, really grumpy on that ride. I haven't ridden him in a bit since! With my last section D, who used to buck like crazy sometimes, the hackamore was the only thing I found could keep his head up enough to let me sit the bucks!

I am going to use the Dr Cook a bit more soon though - I haven't given it enough time. There was absolutely no problem with it, it just feels totally different from a hackamore.
 
Yes. For the grand total of two weeks, after wolf tooth removal. He didn't put a foot wrong for the first week (walk, trot, canter, open fields), then it slowly began to click that he didn't HAVE to listen. By the end of the two weeks, having been dragged across fields, through trees and bushes and taken whichever direction the little buggar decided he wanted to go, I couldn't wait to get a bit back in!!

For a fleshy mouth, have a look at Neue Schule bits. They're brilliant.
 
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