Bitless people

Bettyboo222

Bettyboo222

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 April 2010
Messages
3,099
Location
In front of my computer
Visit site
I don't want to start off an argument I am just curious, those of you who are bitless please could you explain to me the different actions off the bridles and how your horses reacted to them. I have just been researching and the crossover confuses me as it seems to just 'hug' all the head and I am confused as to how you would send sutle messages through it.
 
Dr Cooks. When you pull the right rein, the strap that it is attached to pushes the left side of the head around and therefore turns the head in the direction you want to go. When you pull both reins, both straps tighten, giving both poll and nose pressure as well as hugging the head and encourage the horse to slow down. My horse reacts very well to her Dr Cooks bridle.
 
It depends on how you define an outline.

If you ride from behind and gain collection through work and training the horse - then yes.

If you ride to gain collection from hauling on the mouth to gain an outline - then no.

I find riding bitless forces me to engage my seat more and use weight aids rather than relying on the mouth.

Cross overs tend to offer more precision than hackamores or nose-pulls. But again - it depends on whether the horse can understand aids more subtle than pull and kick....
 
I use a hackamore and I find that my pony comes much rounder and together more in his hackamore over any bit I use. Not really sure exactly what it is about it he likes, but he just works amazingly better...shame we can't ride a dressage test in one...might actually get some decent marks :D
 
I had to start schooling my 5 y.o in a hackamore as she had teeth issues and she goes in a brilliant outline. Now her teeth are ok I've put her in a bit and she hates it. Unfortunately I would like to do a bit of dressage with her before she competes at endurance so I need to use a bit.
 
Have recently started riding in just a rope halter. Samba hated the hackamore, I only tried it as my ex racer was in a Dr Cooks and loved it. However she works lovely in the halter really tempted to get a cheap version of the Cooks and if she gets on with it go and buy the real thing (again). I agree with the above its makes my seat better and I lift my hand off her bloody neck!!!
 
I too ride my boy in a rope halter and he works in a lovely outline in it. He HATES having a bit in his mouth for more than around half hour so one day decided to ride him in his halter and he was so much happier.
 
Bettyboo222 said:
I don't want to start off an argument I am just curious, those of you who are bitless please could you explain to me the different actions off the bridles and how your horses reacted to them. I have just been researching and the crossover confuses me as it seems to just 'hug' all the head and I am confused as to how you would send sutle messages through it.
Click to expand...

As with any tack we use, either a bit, a halter or bitless bridle, they all use pressure as signals for the horse to respond too.

With a bit, the pressure is on the parts of the mouth, sometimes other places too, and we have to teach the horse to respond to this pressure.

With a bitless, such as a halter or sidepull, the pressure is mostly on the front and sides of the nose. So by teaching the horse to come off this pressure, same as what you teach with the bit, the horse learns the commands for stop, turn and softness.

Other bridles, such as the Dr cooks, use pressure around the whole head, this is meant to be a very mild bridle, because the pressure is distributed around the nose, jaw, cheeks and pole. Sometimes it can take a few attempts for the horse to understand the steering aids in this bridle, because its a bit different than a bit and a lot of bitless bridles. As someone else stated, it pushes the head rather than pulls it. I find some horses dont like the dr cooks because they can feel a bit overwelmed by the bridle tightening around the head, some horses dont have a problem with it. I dont much like a bridle that tightens, mostly because the horse shouldnt need it too, and sometimes the horse can learn to lean into it. I dont think its the most subtle bridle you can use. Id rather a sidepull.

Other bridles such as the light rider use pressure behind the jaw and nose, similar to a scrawbrig.

All these bridles use pressure on different parts of the horses head, same way as a bit is used by pressure on the mouth. If a horse is taught well to yeild to pressure, a horse can be taught to be as good, if not better, in a bitless, than in a bit.
 
Yes, I believe you can. The bridle is subtle, I wrote as I did to explain how it works. I don't haul on the reins to turn and stop. Most riding is done from the seat, whether bitted of bitless.
 
9tails said:
Most riding is done from the seat, whether bitted of bitless.
Click to expand...

Totally agree. However you need to add 'should be' instead of the 'is' . Unfortunately most riding i see is done from the hand :rolleyes: Theres a whole legion of instructors out there that have forgotten the seat exists unfortunately.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top