Bitless bridles

[Battle.axe]

Please can anyone recommend a bitless bridle please. My mare has a melanoma in her mouth. It has recently started to cause problems with her being bitted. The vet has advised it’s in a difficult place to remove it and it’s likely to come back. My mare is 16and I’ve had her from a 4yo. She has been ridden in a parelli halter over the years from time to time. I have been riding in her in it more recently and she is pretty good, but I don’t like riding with a rope. We do lots of hacking and long distance hacking but I have never really cantered/galloped her in it out hacking. She can be quirky and likes to bronc and buck at times!! So I need something that will allow me to bring her head up if she is having a ditzy day. She is a sensitive mare with a sensitive mouth and has only ever been ridden in a loose ring snaffle. Too much pressure on this and she can react. She is not hard to pull up or a horse to take the bit but I do need to get the head up when she starts bucking. I’ve tried an easy trak bitless. She really doesn’t like the head hugging idea. She threatens to rear. And us constantly coming back at me with her head. I’m thinking of a side pull? Sorry for the long post but if anyone can help I’d be most grateful. She is an AQH xAppaloosa.

 

[fredflop]

Light rider

 

[Otherwise]

How much contact do you usually ride with? I ride one horse in a hackamore as he has melanomas on the corners of his lips but he's ridden almost western style with neck reining and minimal contact. I like the idea behind the transcend bridle but haven't actually used one or seen it in person.

 

[Battle.axe]

How much contact do you usually ride with? I ride one horse in a hackamore as he has melanomas on the corners of his lips but he's ridden almost western style with neck reining and minimal contact. I like the idea behind the transcend bridle but haven't actually used one or seen it in person.

I usually ride one handed I only pick up 2 reins when doing faster worker. She is very responsive to voice commands so I rarely take any contact.

 

[Red-1]

I have had great success with a hackamore too. Becuase they have a very definate action you can really pick them up and drop them again, whereas some of the supposedly less severe ones need a bit more use to get the desired effect if things go wrong and are therefore not as kind as you would think.

A friend has liked the Transcend bitless bridle. Not used one myself, but as I understand it there are 2 reins. One more like a halter and one with a bit more bite!

The double bridle of the bitless world.

https://www.transcendbitlessbridle.com/

 

[joosie]

Most types of bitless bridle work on nose and/or poll pressure and are designed to encourage a lower, more relaxed head carriage. So I'm not sure you will find one that will "help" you lift the horse's head when it's bucking (I definitely wouldn't recommend a mechanical hackamore if that's a common occurrence!).
Rather than looking for a bridle that will help you when she bucks I'd just focus on finding one that she is comfortable and goes well in.
My mare didn't like the head-hugging types either so I ended up trying her in different types of sidepull. She ended up in a scawbrig and has always been so happy in it. I ride her like you ride yours by the sounds of it.
I have never used a Transcend but have heard and read many good things about them so that is worth looking into.

 

[Inda]

I have a transcend, I have the double but suspect it will just be the side cue reins that I'll use. Fab quality

 

[Battle.axe]

I have had great success with a hackamore too. Becuase they have a very definate action you can really pick them up and drop them again, whereas some of the supposedly less severe ones need a bit more use to get the desired effect if things go wrong and are therefore not as kind as you would think.

A friend has liked the Transcend bitless bridle. Not used one myself, but as I understand it there are 2 reins. One more like a halter and one with a bit more bite!

The double bridle of the bitless world.

https://www.transcendbitlessbridle.com/

I’ve heard from different people the hackamore is quite severe? I’ve never u

Most types of bitless bridle work on nose and/or poll pressure and are designed to encourage a lower, more relaxed head carriage. So I'm not sure you will find one that will "help" you lift the horse's head when it's bucking (I definitely wouldn't recommend a mechanical hackamore if that's a common occurrence!).
Rather than looking for a bridle that will help you when she bucks I'd just focus on finding one that she is comfortable and goes well in.
My mare didn't like the head-hugging types either so I ended up trying her in different types of sidepull. She ended up in a scawbrig and has always been so happy in it. I ride her like you ride yours by the sounds of it.
I have never used a Transcend but have heard and read many good things about them so that is worth looking into.

she has always liked to throw a buck in every so often (with excitement) but she can rodeo given the opportunity to get her head down 🙈 hence needing to be able to pull her head up to limit the buck! I think I’m just going to have to try different things. What bitless bridle do you think would be similar to the parelli?

 

[Nudibranch]

Have a look at the s hackamore. I quite like them.

 

[Red-1]

I’ve heard from different people the hackamore is quite severe? I’ve never u

?

Yes, because it has a long lever so the chain behind the chin can tighten up quite quickly and firmly. In the wrong hands this can become a weapon. In experienced hands this can become precise, and therefore there is no need to tighten the rein much at all, and it can be released quickly. The release in a hackamore is very quick (as long as the hands are too).

Many of the bitless bridles I have seen take too long to out pressure on, but more importantly too long to take it off again. The horse gets pressure unrelated to its behaviours so training is a slow business.

 

[Fransurrey]

If you're not sure what you need, then try a Matrix. It comes with various fittings so you can try sidepull, hackamore, bosal, cross under and so on. I have a Transcend sidecue for my Exmoor and it's fab quality.

 

[Otherwise]

I usually ride one handed I only pick up 2 reins when doing faster worker. She is very responsive to voice commands so I rarely take any contact.

In which case a hackamore might work quite well for you. A bit is only as harsh as the hands on the end of the reins, if you aren't riding with a heavy contact the quick action and release a hackamore has would be kinder than something that closes round the head and stays tight.

 

[claret09]

orbitless bridle

 

[FFAQ]

I've had a dr cooks, a parelli-type halter with rings attached for reins, a headcollar and the simple side-cue transcend. Of all those, my horses seem to like the transcend the best, but they were both bitless from the very start, are quite light in the hand and are very quiet to ride!

 

[rabatsa]

We used a skawbrig bridle on one of ours with a melanoma in its mouth. Worked a treat but she was a nice pony anyway.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I bought Tammy a double Transcend bridle and it's lovely. She has a missing upper molar and can be sensitive in the contact. However, I haven't tried it ridden yet as in the meantime I happened on a comfort bridle/kk ultra snaffle combo that she likes.

I'm keeping the Transcend though, in case anything ever needs it. It has the advantage of looking like a normal bridle at first glance, if that's important to you. There is a simple side cue version of the Transcend too, without the 'curb' rein.

 

[pansymouse]

I use an English hackamore but I am very light in the hands - it can be harsh if you don't have a light touch.

My mare hates the crossover head hug type bridles - I tried in one once and all she would do is walk backward to try and get away from it. She likes a sidepull but is too strong to ride on open ground |(which I nearly always do ) in one.

 

[joosie]

I don't know about the OP but I'm seriously tempted to get one for my girl now

 

[Battle.axe]

I use an English hackamore but I am very light in the hands - it can be harsh if you don't have a light touch.

My mare hates the crossover head hug type bridles - I tried in one once and all she would do is walk backward to try and get away from it. She likes a sidepull but is too strong to ride on open ground |(which I nearly always do ) in one.

I think my only reservation is yes I’m light in my hands but will I automatically go to grab at it if she goes to buck 🤔. When I think about it it’s quite likely in which case I’ll get a very bad reaction from my Mare and the last thing I want to do is cause her any discomfort.

 

[Blazingsaddles]

The tightening of crossovers/unders/head huggers depends on your hand action. As with bits you should push the horse into a contact. If you are concerned about bucking,get a neck strap or grab the pommel.

 

[Battle.axe]

The tightening of crossovers/unders/head huggers depends on your hand action. As with bits you should push the horse into a contact. If you are concerned about bucking,get a neck strap or grab the pommel.

Unfortunately it’s not that simple. As previously stated she can go into rodeo and hand stand bucking if she gets over excited hence needing to pull her head up!

 

[shanwan]

Unfortunately it’s not that simple. As previously stated she can go into rodeo and hand stand bucking if she gets over excited hence needing to pull her head up!

Its been a while since this thread, but may I ask what you went with?