Bitless

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Black Jack

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I really would like to try a bitless bridle on my 20 yr old Friesian X. Does anyone have experience with bitless bridles and if so what are pros and cons. Thank you.
 
I swapped my horse onto an English hackamore back in the autumn and he is so much happier than when he was bitted. We only hack now so not sure how it would be for schooling but he took to it straight away. I tightened it up a bit after we were cantering in company and he didn't want to pull up (to be fair I was giving him the benefit of the doubt at the beginning and had it on loose-ish) and now we have better brakes. I wish I had done it sooner. We don't have any mouthing and gurning any more and he stops, steers and backs up just fine. To get him used to it I led him round in the school and practiced stopping and turning, then I got on, and I just got on with it after that.
 
I ride one of mine bitless. She was horrendous with a bit, no matter what we tried. As soon as it went on in the stable she would start pacing and getting very agitated. I ride her in an orbitless and she’s like a different horse.
 
Bitless bridles require a real refinement of hand - otherwise they can be quite harsh. (Although so can a snaffle in hard hands!) You need to look carefully at where on the face the horse mighty respond to pressure and where is really too much. We try to run all our horses bitless at least some of the time. (actually riding in headcollars mostly - not that sophisticated!) But the face pressure from an ill fitting or ill used bit-less bridle can be really harsh.

Have you tried a combi bit? They are quite useful for transitioning toward bitless. See if your horse takes to it. At 20 she is quite accustomed to the signals from a bit; unless there is a medical reason you cannot bit any more?
 
BeckyFlowers said:
I swapped my horse onto an English hackamore back in the autumn and he is so much happier than when he was bitted. We only hack now so not sure how it would be for schooling but he took to it straight away. I tightened it up a bit after we were cantering in company and he didn't want to pull up (to be fair I was giving him the benefit of the doubt at the beginning and had it on loose-ish) and now we have better brakes. I wish I had done it sooner. We don't have any mouthing and gurning any more and he stops, steers and backs up just fine. To get him used to it I led him round in the school and practiced stopping and turning, then I got on, and I just got on with it after that.
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Thank you for your response. It has given me confidence to try one.
 
BeckyFlowers said:
I swapped my horse onto an English hackamore back in the autumn and he is so much happier than when he was bitted. We only hack now so not sure how it would be for schooling but he took to it straight away. I tightened it up a bit after we were cantering in company and he didn't want to pull up (to be fair I was giving him the benefit of the doubt at the beginning and had it on loose-ish) and now we have better brakes. I wish I had done it sooner. We don't have any mouthing and gurning any more and he stops, steers and backs up just fine. To get him used to it I led him round in the school and practiced stopping and turning, then I got on, and I just got on with it after that.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your response. It has given me confidence to try one
 
I moved my horse into an English hackamore when he was 8 and came with problems. Everyone told me to use a gag. I had no experience and he was my first horse. I went the other way and put reins on a headcollar and he responded perfectly. I moved onto the hackamore as I was taking rides out on him and they didn't like me riding in a headcollar. I rode for years like that and he was very happy.


I am currently breaking my 4yo and he has only been ridden in an English hackamore. He is responding nicely. Neck reins and works on voice commands.
Try putting reins on your headcollar and see what happens. It will give you some idea.
 
I ride both mine bitless, on on and off for hacking. The other is bitless for everything except occasional hound ride. I use a little s hackamore and a english hackamore on my pony who is a bit stronger. I would try the most gentle one first like a sidepull and see if you need something stronger or not. I first started trying it with reins on a headcollar, which gave me a bit of an idea how she'd be with it. It took me a couple of weeks to get the knack of it, my horse loved it.
 
I used to jump BS with an English Hackamore. She even went "on the bit" in one. She liked it and I didn't find it difficult to transition to it at all, just rode in the school a few times, then hacked and finally jumped.

When I was teaching I helped a few people start bitless, with various types of bitless bridle. Personally I like the English Hackamore, it is precise and sometimes you need less force when you get an immediate response.
 
paddy555 said:
I moved my horse into an English hackamore when he was 8 and came with problems. Everyone told me to use a gag. I had no experience and he was my first horse. I went the other way and put reins on a headcollar and he responded perfectly. I moved onto the hackamore as I was taking rides out on him and they didn't like me riding in a headcollar. I rode for years like that and he was very happy.


I am currently breaking my 4yo and he has only been ridden in an English hackamore. He is responding nicely. Neck reins and works on voice commands.
Try putting reins on your headcollar and see what happens. It will give you some idea.
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Thanks. I will try the head collar and reins. Good luck with your 4yo.
 
Red-1 said:
I used to jump BS with an English Hackamore. She even went "on the bit" in one. She liked it and I didn't find it difficult to transition to it at all, just rode in the school a few times, then hacked and finally jumped.

When I was teaching I helped a few people start bitless, with various types of bitless bridle. Personally I like the English Hackamore, it is precise and sometimes you need less force when you get an immediate response.
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Thank you for your response. I have read up on the English Hackamore and I’m sure this will be the one for my horse. He can be a bit wilful but my biggest problem at the moment is grabbing grass. I only hack him now and he is usually very respectful, just the occasional naughty day. I feel he is entitled to this. No one and no horse is perfect.
 
Red-1 said:
I used to jump BS with an English Hackamore. She even went "on the bit" in one. She liked it and I didn't find it difficult to transition to it at all, just rode in the school a few times, then hacked and finally jumped.

When I was teaching I helped a few people start bitless, with various types of bitless bridle. Personally I like the English Hackamore, it is precise and sometimes you need less force when you get an immediate response.
Click to expand...
ps I loved the quote.
 
I started Henry in a hackamore with S-shaped shanks (brand is called Amidale, on eBay) which are shorter than the traditional English hackamore and would have stayed with it but the nosepiece wasn't long enough so it didn't really fit - the bridle cheekpieces were too far forward towards his eyes. The English hackamore fits loads better and he seems happy in it. The shanks are very long so I am conscious of having gentle hands when riding.
 
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