Bitless - recommendations for quality and outcome

[Bonnie Allie]

I want to give Bitless a go but have no knowledge of such. Schoolmaster horse who has always been a bit sensitive and opinionated if as a rider I’m not bringing my best to every interaction.

Recently started jumping in a hackamore and she seemed more relaxed.

I know nothing about Bitless but some of the ones I’ve seen don’t really seem to have welfare at the top of the list. The info on the various brands is waaaaaay too fluffity wuffity for me. I need proper data to make a decision to trial one. How does it work? Pressure points? Fitting? What do I need to alter in my riding?

I’m also a first grade English leather girl only. No s*** leather or mass produced crap shall enter my tack room or come near my horses. Not price sensitive, must be well made from quality leather with quality fittings.

Recommendations please or if I’m just being a goose changing up something for no reason, tell me.

 

[Boulty]

If you’re wanting English leather & traditional look https://www.transcendbitlessbridle....fCHjn83vQXBI_biBMA_aem_I2vYSpyO7owHQSb4W-p0nA might be worth looking into?

Unsure if the brakes would be equivalent to a hackamore on something that takes a hold though. (Horse I used to ride bitless sometimes was softer and had better steering in something similar but not quite the same as this but I had better brakes in hackamore and erm superior brakes & steering to either in a bit tbh which isn’t something you’re supposed to admit when experimenting with these things I don’t think!)

Or something similar to the orbitless (company that made that one has folded I think). Have a few friends happy with that one (but one does struggle when horse pulls for snacks on it in so far as it’s difficult to stop the diving)

 

[DabDab]

Hackamore is quite a strong action, but it is also quite direct and intuitive (for a bitless), so a lot of horses respond quite well to it. Pressure points are around noseband (more on top than bottom), and poll. Works well for jumping and hacking, but not the best for developing bend and flexion.

Sidepull is a fairly gentle action, pressure points around the top half of the noseband. Good for working on bend, flexion and lightness if you are able to ride mainly from the seat.

Orbitless is similar to a hackamore in terms of pressure points and action, generally gentler but if used strongly then can but more force into those points than hackamore. A bit better for schooling than the hackamore, but I prefer the the hackamore as an all-round bit...personal preference possibly as I like mooching around with very little contact most of the time.

Cross-under or wrap around type bridles (Dr cook, micklem in crossover mode etc) put pressure on the whole face, theoretically allowing quite gentle communication. Mostly the pressure seems to land on the poll though. I don't care for them personally - I think the communication is vague and a lot of horses don't take well to them. One of my current horses doesn't much like poll pressure, and yet I happily ride her in a hackamore or sidepull (or bit, she's a flexible lady), but the cross under sent her WILD just being led into the school. I gave it away after that, had had it for years but got very little use out of it. Some people swear by them though.

Bosal type has pressure almost exclusively on the nose. Turning pressure is almost exclusively indirect (acting on the opposite side of the face to where you want to turn). Mainly used for horses ridden in a western style. Quite a different set of communication cues to dressage-style schooling.

And that's the limit of my experience. Personally I like hackamores and sidepulls. Both can be bought as just a noseband and put on existing bridle to keep the quality you want.

 

[fredflop]

I’ve got an lg Zaum and a light rider.

 

[Gloi]

I've not had a lot of success I'm afraid. With my last pony, a sensible, well behaved lad normally, I used a Dr Cook for a while. Ridden by himself I had no real problems though the feeling when riding was a bit 'vague' shall we say. Problem came in company, in a bit he was fine but when we got in a situation where he wanted to go faster he quickly discovered that if he tucked his nose between his front legs I had zero control. Gave up after that out of self preservation and went back to bit.
Current pony I tried a sidepull type. In the school he was fine but he is rather greedy and started diving for grass in it out hacking. Even when tight it was a bit of a battle and slid up his face. We have a lot of gates to open and I'm afraid I'd have needed a muzzle with it to avoid battles opening gates surrounded by lush vegetation. Back to the bit where he's far better mannered and less of a greedy thug.

 

[daffy44]

I'm afraid I'm very low tech, I just put some reins on a headcollar and the horses love it, so easy.

 

[UKa]

I have a nice sidepull from Practical Horse Company. Very well made. Doubles as a halter should this be required. I did not need to do anything that different with my pony. I use it mainly for schooling.