Bitless bridles

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poiuytrewq

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Not something I’ve ever done so have no clue about.
My mare had teeth issues and although should be all fixed now she gets regular facial swellings and so i’m never 100% certain, she never showed any sign of mouth discomfort prior to the extensive work she had done so it’s always in the back of my mind.
She’s generally not strong and doesn’t need a strong bit or nose band. I ride her in a loose cavesson and currently a bombers bit. I’d like to give a bitless bridle a try just to see if she is better/happier.
I don’t want to spend £££ as she only had a new HJ bridle not so long ago but have no idea where to start really.
I hate the look of a hackamore and would rather a classic look.
The only thing she is likely to whip round and try to run of something scares her, that’s her go to panic. So I’m needing something that does say no if I’m on a road and she tried to shoot for home.
Only mentioning that as I’d feel happy to ride in the in a head collar otherwise she is that good. If there wasn’t a chance of her doing that I’d give any old thing a go!
Can anyone recommend please?
Nb- we are under the care of a very good dental vet who is due asap after Christmas for a 6 month check so that’s covered.

Thanks and Happy New Year 🥳
 
Have a look at the Matrix (Plus, I think the model is). It gives you lots of options to play around with and won't break the bank. Can do sidepull, cross-over, bosal...etc. I used to have one for my Exmoor and it was superb, even when he was strong.

P.s. if you want posh, Transcend do beautiful leather sidepulls. I have one of those, too!
 
You'll need to be very careful with the fitting since they act on facial pressure so you'll have to avoid areas that swell or putting pressure over areas where she's had dental problems. I'm not an expert so can't recommend a style.

Would a soft bit like nathe be an option?
 
Nari said:
You'll need to be very careful with the fitting since they act on facial pressure so you'll have to avoid areas that swell or putting pressure over areas where she's had dental problems. I'm not an expert so can't recommend a style.

Would a soft bit like nathe be an option?
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Or even a leather bit

Otherwise an orbit less attachment type thing that goes on the bridle you already have might be worth looking into and less pricey than a whole new bridle
 
Nari said:
You'll need to be very careful with the fitting since they act on facial pressure so you'll have to avoid areas that swell or putting pressure over areas where she's had dental problems. I'm not an expert so can't recommend a style.

Would a soft bit like nathe be an option?
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Thats very true, I'd not thought of that. Maybe not such a great idea.

Not tried a nathe or leather bit.

I'm not sure I can attach anything to my current bridle sadle as its a monocrown (which may make absolutely no difference!)

Will have a look at all suggestins thank you and maybe wait til we get the next dental sorted to be sure all is ok.
 
What I'd say is ask yourself just WHY you are seeking to go bitless?? Coz frankly, I'd say if it ain't broke, why try to fix it.

OK so I put my little coblet (profile pic) into a Orbitless bitless bridle just coming out of covid time. She's a sweetheart, and I just cracked on with it with her. I'd ridden her up on our local common (wide open space) in all paces, and she was absolutely fine, I had perfect control at all times, and we were both happy - or so I thought.

Then on a few canters (and in trot as well) she started tanking, as in hollowing-out her back, poking her nose up and forwards, and just tanking. It was getting really unpleasant, and at that stage I thought OK let's get the physio in and check that all is well. Physio found considerable pain & discomfort around her poll, withers, & sacro-iliac. So we thought OK, what has been the most recent change, and that turned out to be the bitless bridle.

So I put her back in her French-link jointed snaffle, which is what she'd been ridden in since I had her as a just-backed 4yo. She was fine, no issues, and haven't been ever since the change back.

What I would suggest, if you ARE thinking about bitless, is to research the various types of bitless bridle and how they work. They are all different. I would recommend you particularly avoid the long-shank hackamores as they really are horribly severe.

But this is why I say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. My pony actually PREFERS a bitted bridle. She has "chosen". Other horses may be happier bitless. You never know.

Anyway good luck with whatever you decide.
 
Don't discount a hackamore. I need to ride the microcob bitless for medical reasons and although I started in a borrowed bosal (attached to her existing bridle) when I had to return it i popped her in a hackamore bought from local tack store. She made it very clear that was her preference.

I forget its on her most days but unless we meet cows she's a rock
 
I used a Dr Cook type crossunder for Old Dobbin, for around ten years. He was happy, I had brakes, it worked well for him. I'd be happy to pass it on if you want it. It's a full size English leather. Think the brand is Wonder Horse or something.
 
Hermosa goes in a bosal (hackamore if you are going to be pedantic....vaquero people care deeply about using the right words) and has done since she was backed. Learning to ride in one is a commitment. It's cool, but a totally different way of riding compared to English riding. Since we don't have a trainer, we are still muddling along at something far below competence.

I'd love to transition her into a two-rein....basically the western equivalent of a double bridle with a bit and a thinner bosal, but it will cost me my firstborn child, a rib, and maybe a leg, so I think she might be a hackamore horse for some time yet.
 
Highmileagereindeer said:
I used a Dr Cook type crossunder for Old Dobbin, for around ten years. He was happy, I had brakes, it worked well for him. I'd be happy to pass it on if you want it. It's a full size English leather. Think the brand is Wonder Horse or something.
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The Austrians I used to know swore by Dr Cooks, they lent me one which my newly broken IDX accepted quite happily. Unfortunately they needed it back and at the time I couldn't afford a brand new one. Definitely worth a try imo if you can find a secondhand one.
 
I've ridden in various bitless options, currently in a bosal. But bosals are not cheap and are probably not going to suit as a short term option.
A side pull would transfer more clearly to a horse that’s used to a bit. You can get side pull attachments that fit on a regular bridle. I think plas equestrian do them. My least favourite over the years have been the cross unders as they seemed to confuse the horse I rode due to the pressure acting on the opposite side.
Do look carefully at the fit on the face. Hope you find one your horse likes.
 
What about training her to a neck strap/rope? For emergency stops or a please listen? If head collar fits and works normally
 
I'd see what you can borrow first - the horse will likely tell you what it prefers. I've had one who thought that the whole idea of bitless was ridiculous....
My current mare loves her Transcend but I'm not just quite brave enough to hack in it. She has a short shank hackamore for that. She doesn't like it as much but for my peace of mind we use it! One day I will be brave enough to go out in the Transcend! Years ago I tried her in a Scrawbrig which I think has a similar action to the Dr Cook's/ crossunder designs and she absolutely hated it.
 
A bit acts only on the bit seat and at most on the two teeth in each jaw on either side. How good are those teeth? If solid and she’s happy, I’d stick with it.

A bitless bridle affects the whole jaw more, but the gums less, especially if still riding in a standard European way. Western training with something like a bosal is designed to work off rein pressure and position and has much less impact in a trained horse - but that’s a training system that you would need to put in place first.

With a tooth compromised horse who was otherwise happy with a bit, I’d be tempted to head on the direction of very light contact in the style she knows, with perhaps a rubber or plastic covered bit to maximise comfort.
 
If the bit is acting on the teeth then something is very wrong in it's fit and/or use! And bits can also act on the tongue, palate, and, via te rest of the bridle, the poll.
 
Nari said:
If the bit is acting on the teeth then something is very wrong in it's fit and/or use! And bits can also act on the tongue, palate, and, via te rest of the bridle, the poll.
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Of course it does - if you have a steady contact with head appropriately positioned then it sits on the gum yes. But what about when you put it in and it’s loose, or you have a long rein? Or they put their head up? Then it depends on how thick the bit is, the space for it etc and it can absolutely touch the teeth behind (and in front on the way in and out of the horse’s mouth when bridling).

I talked about teeth only because the discussion here is about a horse with compromised teeth - not specifically about any other part of their anatomy.
 
Interesting observation this weekend on my horse who is late starting and have had some groundwork done. She showed at the weekend she really wasn't comfortable with nose pressure (lunge line on each side of a Cavesson). When clipped back onto but she was way happier but plays with the bit like a baby. So it will be finding the right but or going bridle less at some point for me
 
I used a Dr Cook's bridle on my cob mare. She had an odd shaped jaw so never really took to any of the bits I tried. She went brilliantly in the Dr Cook's. We jumped and did fun rides and always had brakes.
I lost the horse a few years ago so it's probably time I got rid of her stuff, if anyone is interested.
 
The Ballerina Mare has melanomas in her lips, so I've been trying bitless while she's still comfortable in her snaffle, so that if she can't have a bit anymore, we're prepared. My first attempt was as follows: her longeing cavesson has attachments for a bit, so I put one set of reins on the side rings of the cavesson (effectively using it like a sidepull), and one set on the snaffle. That meant I could try out the sidepull arrangement while knowing I had the other reins as backup, if I really did have an acute brakes failure. That worked, so I tried an Orbitless-style and whatever else I could borrow from others on the yard. I've ended up getting her a Gentil from Naturally Classical (basically a very fancy sidepull), which wasn't the cheapest option, but which fits beautifully. I was saying the other day that I would not be confident hacking out in it yet, but then, we had a bucking-rocket-horse incident in the outdoor school and I discovered that my brakes were completely intact. When schooling, it feels pretty normal. I have to be more thoughtful about addressing her shoulders than with the snaffle, but it seems more precise than the cavesson with reins. I'll report back when we start hacking in it!
 
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