Bitless bridles and also fitness - your help and advice please?

[Matafleur]

I'm hoping someone can help me out here as I have no experience of bitless bridles at all, including hackamores.

A bit of background, I have a now 6 yr old KWPN that was competing Pre Novice last season and that I had hoped to have a crack at Novice on midway through this season. She had a small lump in the corner of her mouth just where the bit sits that the vet thought was probably a sarcoid. We had it treated with the Liverpool injection at the end of the season and she has now had 2 months off living out 24/7.

I had hoped that the mouth would have healed by now and we would be able to crack on but it is not healing as quickly as I'd hoped and she still would not be able to take a bit. She is well in all other respects and I would like to try and start her fitness work now even if I am unable to school.

So my questions are:

1. How effective are bitless bridles and which are the best? I'm worried that I won't have any control!

2. Am I going to have to spend a fortune on a bitless bridle that might not work and that I'll probably never use again?

3. Are they any non-bit requiring alternatives to fittening? I'm thinking lunging, but would prefer not to do too much, swimming, riding & leading (but I don't have access to another horse and not sure if mine would appreciate it!).

Any advice much appreciated as I am dying to crack on now that the weather is a bit better.

Thank you

 

[littleblackpony]

Hi!

My horse had an operation in October to remove a bone chip from her jaw. She has been ridden in an english hackamore ever since. It took a while for us both to get use to it but now she is working "normally" in it - happily doing halfpasses, flying changes etc. My girlie is a very naughty little person but I do have control - albeit not as much as in my double! It took a couple of weeks to establish proper brakes and steering but I still feel vagely in control even at the start!
For non riding.. I have attached side reins to a lunge cavesson - this has worked really really well and I'm sure has helped the understanding of working in a hackamore.
At least if you bought a hackamore as opposed to a bitless bridle it is about ??£25.
I will defo use the hackamore even when she is back in a bit again - next week! It has done wonders for her way of going - really relaxed! I haven't hacked in it as she is a lively little girl to hack and I am safest in a double bridle!

Hope this helps!

 

[Matafleur]

Thank you, it's reassuring that you felt you still had control! I have tried her very briefly in a hackamore last year when she had a slightly cut mouth. I think I had it too loose as I was worried about fitting it wrongly. We just wandered round the school which was fine but I doubt I actually had any steering or brakes!

She is generally very polite but she can have some sharp baby moments and I'm not feeling too brave after she has had a couple of months off! How tight should I have the hackamore? I think I need to take her to an instructor to have it fitted properly, I possibly had it a bit high before as well.

Thanks

 

[vhf]

Hi,
I had a similar dilemma - peculiar blind wolf tooth. Not a youngster, but also prone to lively moments, so... Anyway, I got a Libbys scrawbrig off Ebay (funny colour so in the "discount bin" effectively, on the grounds if it didn't work I'd not lost much. Turned out she loved it and I still use it now, just sometimes add a bit so she doesn't forget for schooling/competing. AND it machine washes and comes up like new!!

 

[Matafleur]

Thanks, I've been looking at the Dr Cooks copies on Ebay and thinking of trying one of those. If I could even get my walk work done then hopefully her mouth will have healed by the time I want to do anything exciting!

 

[littleblackpony]

If you have a feel for where the bone ends and cartilage starts on the nose the hackamore should sit on the bone not the cartilage. Sort of a bit lower than a cavasson but higher than a drop noseband.

As for tightness - So the shanks can't get pulled much further back than 45 degrees - much like a curb chain. But as loose/tight as you feel is comfortable and gives you control!

Thats how I did it anyway ... I fitted it myself but then got it checked and it was ok. But it might not be the correct way!
You can sort of feel if it is tight enough by if you have any control- after all it is meant to be severe!

 

[MrsMozart]

When you first ride in the hackamore, do it in a school and test your brakes very, very, very gently!

Tried Dizzy in one. The rider touched the reins and Dizz nearly sat on her ar$e . Not all horses get on with the hackamore. Dizz really didn't like it, though I'm going to try her in a Micklem, to see what she thinks to it.

 

[Randonneuse]

Thanks, I've been looking at the Dr Cooks copies on Ebay and thinking of trying one of those. If I could even get my walk work done then hopefully her mouth will have healed by the time I want to do anything exciting!

I bought a Easy Trek Bitless Bridle from Ebay few months ago and really happy with it (before that I used to ride my pony in an American Halter but when it broke I decided to get a "proper" bitless bridle!)

 

[TarrSteps]

When you first ride in the hackamore, do it in a school and test your brakes very, very, very gently!

Tried Dizzy in one. The rider touched the reins and Dizz nearly sat on her ar$e . Not all horses get on with the hackamore. Dizz really didn't like it, though I'm going to try her in a Micklem, to see what she thinks to it.

Was that a German/jumping/shanked hackamore, though? That's very different to a straightpull/English hackamore/bitless, which works on direct pressure.

Shanked bits are shanked bits, whether or not they actually have something in the horse's mouth and the leverage, by definition, makes them "strong". I've always found them pretty useless for schooling, as you can't use an opening or indirect rein aid in them, although some horses jump very well in them.

I like a direct pull hackamore for young horses (it's many trainers' standard practice to start western horses in a sidepull). The "cross under" ones - Dr Cooks, Nutural etc. feel a bit odd to me for schooling, although I've seen horses go well in them and they definitely give you a little more control than a straight pull.

Does anyone rent them? I have no idea but give bit banks it might be worth a search . . .

 

[Matafleur]

The hackamore I tried her in last year was an english one and I don't think I had any brakes but I did have it fitted quite loose. She did stop when I pulled but it was more like she just petered to a stop than was actually responding to the hackamore!

I don't think I'll be much good at schooling in a hackamore but if I can get a few weeks of hacking out in walk and trot done then that would be a bonus. Can't say I'm looking foward to it but going to give it a go in the school next weekend *gulp*

 

[MrsMozart]

Was that a German/jumping/shanked hackamore, though? That's very different to a straightpull/English hackamore/bitless, which works on direct pressure.

Shanked bits are shanked bits, whether or not they actually have something in the horse's mouth and the leverage, by definition, makes them "strong". I've always found them pretty useless for schooling, as you can't use an opening or indirect rein aid in them, although some horses jump very well in them.

I like a direct pull hackamore for young horses (it's many trainers' standard practice to start western horses in a sidepull). The "cross under" ones - Dr Cooks, Nutural etc. feel a bit odd to me for schooling, although I've seen horses go well in them and they definitely give you a little more control than a straight pull.

Does anyone rent them? I have no idea but give bit banks it might be worth a search . . .

Good point! I'd completely forgotten about the different types. The one we tried was, I think, a shanked one, which would account for her reaction (can't ride her in a Pelham either as it has the same effect on her, i.e. she sits down).

 

[TarrSteps]

Shanked hackamore are A LOT of bit and completely different in action from the bitless bridles, et al. They're not suitable for a young/unschooled horse - even people who make Western horses, where the style is totally different and the goal is to have every horse working in a shanked bit, don't school young horses in them.

Re fitting, if you're using a straight pull it has to be snug in order to work properly, and positioned correctly. It doesn't have a lot of "stopping power", no. I was telling someone the other day about being "taken home" hacking in one - the horse didn't run off at all, he just went a little bit faster and a little bit faster . . . and there wasn't much I could do about it! To go out hacking etc I'd probably go for a proper bitless bridle. I love schooling in it though, and it's surprising (and a bit depressing) how many times a difficult horse's resistance or "attitude" suddenly disappears in one.

 

[MrsMozart]

Is the Micklem one of the good bitless bridles?

Actually, it's the only one I know of...

OP - which ones are you considering?

 

[mystiandsunny]

I have a Nurtural bitless bridle which is a Dr Cook copy with extra help (rubber pimples inside noseband to help it stay in place and provide a bit more pressure there). It gives me about the same amount of control as a snaffle.

 

[kerilli]

i have an English hackamore, German hackamore, and a Nurtural (x-over under chin) leather bitless. haven't got a Micklem yet but keep meaning to add 1 to the collection.
I would always put a neckstrap on with a hackamore, if you are being tanked with a bit (the 'being taken home' story of TS's rings a bell with me!) you can use the neckstrap to tell the horse you really do want to slow down, actually...
different horses, different things. some almost ignore the English hackamore, others will rear in one (one of the ponies at the riding school where i learnt to ride was always ridden in 1, couldn't take a bit, but would rear if a child was even slightly ham-handed). tbh it really is a question of trial and error, but i'd always try one in the arena first, and prob have a headcollar and reins under the hackamore the first time i hacked out too... that's a very obvious non-damaging pull if you really need it.
could loan you my stuff if you wanted to try out first, if none of your horsey mates have any bitless.

 

[OneInAMillion]

I bought a Easy Trek Bitless Bridle from Ebay few months ago and really happy with it (before that I used to ride my pony in an American Halter but when it broke I decided to get a "proper" bitless bridle!)

We have the easy trek too. It really is an exact replica of Dr Cook at a fraction of the price

 

[Matafleur]

Well I have just bought one of the EasyTrek Dr Cook copies from Ebay, they are a cross under bridle, so we'll see how we go in that. All my roadwork starts up a very long steep hill so that should put a stop to any possible silliness but will be taking a friend along just in case!

If that doesn't work I'll have another go with the English hackamore and fit it more tightly. It's a real pain and the sooner her mouth heals the better, I just don't want to rush it and have it split because it's still a bit swollen.

Thanks for all the advice, I'll update if I survive the next couple of weeks!