I rode bitted for the first time today in over 3 1/2 years with mixed emotions

Archiesmummy

Archiesmummy

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I have ridden my wonderful boy, without incident, for the last 3 1/2 years in a bitless bridle. Always been perfectly happy with it, recommended it and said I would never use a bit again.

First lesson: Never say never

After Archie's indiscretion yesterday with my friend, tbh I was a complete bundle of nerves this morning, even thought of selling him. Although very nervous I needed to ride him or else I don't think I would have ever ridden again. Please remember, Archie has never done anything with me apart from go from a slow plod to a fast walk.

I decided to pop his old bit, a full cheek happy mouth lozenge thingymajig and he took it without fuss and seemed to quite like rolling the lozenge around on his tonge.

Off we set and had a fabulous ride. He did have a new spring in his step but tbh I think he was so relaxed in his bitless he was almost asleep most of the time (apart from yesterday!).

On the one hand I feel incredibly sad that I have succumbed to going back to a bit but on the other hand I am relieved.

Hopefully his indiscretion yesterday was a one off. For those of you who didn't read my post he literally took off with my friend on the way back home through the forest to get to Tia, his companion and she couldn't stop him. He stopped by the field gate. He has never, ever done anything like it since I have had him.

I have also thought that perhaps he just doesn't like other people riding him, we seem to have a bit of a special bond and perhaps another person just doesn't have a connection with him like I would like to think I do.

Who knows? But thankfully, today went without incident (as have 99.9% of our time together) and hopefully will continue to do so.
 
Was your friend riding him on her own yesterday? If so he probably ran off because he didn't know her and felt insecure. If you had been with him he probably would have been better. I doubt he would run off with you as you are his mum and he feels safe with you!
 
AllySmalice said:
Was your friend riding him on her own yesterday? If so he probably ran off because he didn't know her and felt insecure. If you had been with him he probably would have been better. I doubt he would run off with you as you are his mum and he feels safe with you!
Click to expand...

I'll defininitely hold that thought. Thank you.

Thanks all of you for your support and cyber shoulders to lean on x
 
Sorry to hear about your incident! Hope you can keep your confidence up..

My mare did exactly the same thing with my friend once. I let her ride her just walking home from a hack and my friend decided she would have a trot back to the yard, before I could even say that she should keep her in walk, she was off - I ended up finding my friend rolling around in agony on the path to the field and eventually found Eden stood next to her field gate looking rather sheepish. Needless to say she the went back in the school for a good half an hour with the YO... then I realised I needed to take my friend to A&E, turned out she had broken her heel :s

I now think that it was probably my friend's reaction to Edey getting a bit forward that made her bolt. I would have known (as you probably would with Archie) how to react and control her when she got like that, but my friend didn't - I think they both panicked.

She never did anything like that again, so don't get to disheartened about it. Ride him in that bit for a while and then take him back to the bitless when you feel ready.
 
I wouldn't beat yourself up about it. As others have said, your horse was probably reacting to a different rider.

A full cheek happy mouth isn't a particularly harsh bit either, its not like you're going to be hurting him with it unless you're very heavy handed.
 
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