Bitless VS Bitted

[Omarkiam]

Okay I know know this question has been asked but can't find it, and lots of new members so be nice to get new fresh opinions!

I know some people are against ''natural horsemanship'' and others are just simple ''happy hackers'', but I would like to know what people think of bitless riding?

My boy is a 16.3hh Cob x Arab, and he is ridden bitless because a careless previous owner broke his jaw with poor use of the bit. I had never thought much of bitless riding before but since having no choice but to use it, I would now never turn back to bitted riding, to me there is no need for a bit, it can cause long term tissue damage, broken jaws, and many other different things, even if used lightly and ''correctly'', to me it still is unneccessary. People like Stacy Westfall have proved that you needn't have any tack, let alone a peice of metal in a horses mouth, and I hate how some people use some really unneccessarily sized bits to ''look good'' in the show ring.
It seems to me that horses respond to the bit because they have to, they cannot avoid it. You can still have this with bitless riding, my bitless bridle allows me to pull Omie's head completely sideways, therefore giving him no option to ''evade the bit''.
Also, with bitless riding I find a horse much less stressed. When a horse gets stressed or frightened they fight for their heads in order to see what is frightening them, and most people push them forwards with the bit, thus not allowing this. Omie has full use of his head, freedom to look all the different ways he wants to, therefore allowing him to stay calm, and unnerved, making him a much easier ride!

This is just my opinion however, and no doubt there will be 101 people on here that totally disagree
BUT saying that, I don't want a whole tonne of ''technical'' answers, cos I see it as simple, bits are unneccessary, and just allowing the rider to cause unneccesary pain to make the horse comply with what the rider is asking.

I am open to rants and what-not, just want to see whether people could persuade me that bitted riding is humane

 

[outandabout]

I don't think bits are necessarily inhumane as it very much depends on the person at the end of the reins, but if your horse prefers to be ridden bitless there is nothing wrong with that either. FWIW, I tried my horse bitless last year and he hated the poll pressure and started rearing - put him back in his usual bit and he was fine again. I'm not against bitless bridles, but they are not for me and my horse. I have also known some (emphasis on some, I am not referring to all I know who use bitless bridles!) riders who persevere with bitless bridles because they like the idea of them and yet they don't appear have much control or the horse doesn't go as well as when bitted.

btw, How do you 'push the horse forward with the bit'? I don't understand what you mean when you say this.

 

[Omarkiam]

Sorry I probably worded it wrong, using legs and tugging on the bit as such, Ive seen some riders pulling left, then right, doing circles vigorousley, to try and attempt to get the horse to move forward, which obviousley the frustration starts at the riders hands and ends up at the horses bit.
I do see what you mean, there is alot of poll pressure and I guess yes some horses may not appreciate that, there is a variety of different bitless bridles that you can buy though, some work, some don't, guess its just something you have to test with your horse

 

[AndySpooner]

This can be a can of worms and a lot of people are very passionate either one way or another.

Personally, I ride in a rope head collar, as I believe that it is better for the horse and safer.

I think that most youngsters are bitted too soon, and riders should be riding with their seat and not with the reins.

I see no reason for not using a bit, provided the hands that hold the reins are as light as possible.

 

[Archiesmummy]

I rode Archie bitless for over 3 1/2 years. I decided to pop a bit in his mouth, a Happy Mouth, straight bar fulmer snaffle due to my confidence issues and he took to it very well. Saying that I ride very light with a minimal contact. I, too, am a happy hacker.

I believe it is horses for courses. I also believe a bit is as harsh as the rider makes it and some riders rely on a bit way to much to ' control' their horses when, with some mutual respect a less harsher bit could be used, in my opinion.

No doubt I will ride him bitless again, no reason not to. I did, however, say those very words, 'I will never ride bitted again'. Sometimes, for whatever reason, the best intentions or decisions have to be changed.

So, whether bitless or bitted, if you ride with kindness there is no reason for either to hinder a horse, only help it.

 

[outandabout]

Sorry I probably worded it wrong, using legs and tugging on the bit as such, Ive seen some riders pulling left, then right, doing circles vigorousley, to try and attempt to get the horse to move forward, which obviousley the frustration starts at the riders hands and ends up at the horses bit.

That's not anything to do with bitted/bitless, it's just bad riding. Bad riding in a bitless may have a lesser effect, but it is still bad riding!

 

[Holly Hocks]

Bitless bridles are fabulous. My 20 year old TB fought and fought with a bit for years. I put him in a Dr Cooks bitless and he took to it straightaway. The weird thing was that he would foam at the mouth as if accepting a bit, but would never do that with a bit. He's now back in a loose ring french link as I do dressage, but he seems much quieter with the bit now.........reading this though, I think I'll start hacking him out in his bitless again - no reason not to really and it will give his mouth a break from the bit.

 

[Angelhorse]

I've ridden both bitted and bitless. My horses are Big and Strong .... Shire x Id mare at 17 hands, WB X TB mare at 17.2 hands and latest Shire x TB gelding at 18 hands ...and all of them go far, far better bitless - we've tried quite a few different bitless options too ... we've tried the sidepull, a scawbrig,a Dr Cook crossunder and a simple rope riding halter ... all our horses went well in everything except the Dr Cook ( I'm really sorry ... but they did !!! so in the end I sold it to a lady whose horse did like it and goes very well in it !) our Shire x Mare was so definite about her bridle we used to take all of the options .. bitted and bitless into her stable and let her choose ... she would seek out the rope halter herself and so that's what she was ridden in ... she was ridden everywhere in the halter - even on the roads - i didn't have a problem with insurance - i just found agood company that covered me for riding that way ...and she was also ridden bareback - -we never had an accident or had the issue of no brakes - loads of other riders would ask me how we 'controlled' her --well we didn't she weighed 800 kilos -- you can't 'control' something that big and strong -you'll lose everytime if you want a physical battle ...in my opinion the rider is only ever really in a position of influence - whether that is a good or bad influence is another thing entirely ... after riding my horses bitless for so long i still think it s funny how so many people think a bit will stop a horse. i can envisage there may be negativity to my post -- i'm not having a go at anyone else's style of riding choices..i do what i do because i know it works ... it just takes a lot of time to build a solid foundation of trust with your horse to do what i do -- i'm not an expert by any means - but i've learned to take my lead from the horses .. if they're happy then they show me - if they're not .. then i change it until they are ... result - no bolting, napping or behaviour issues ... it just takes the one thing most people havn't got these days which is time ...