Riding bitless.. please tell me everything you know!

[Dumbo]

So after my horse having his teeth done, back checked, new saddle fitted, bit changed (from a single jointed snaffle to a copper lozenge), bridle adjusted, flash used/removed.. I'm starting to think a bitless bridle is the solution.

But, as I have very little knowledge on bitless bridles I need to know where to start? There seems to be so many types I have no clue what to try first! Have seen the cross over type that looks fairly smart but the pressure halter looks more effective?

What groundwork do I need to do first?

He's a 16.2hh tb that can be a bit of a grump at times but is fairly lazy and not a 'typical thoroughbred' so I'm hoping he'll love me for removing the bit and pick it up reasonably quickly.

All advice and information appreciated!

 

[Camel]

The horse I loan is bitless, she is in a Dr Cooks (alike!) at the moment, prior to this she was in a Hackamore, she's calmer now so the Dr Cooks type is fine (touch wood) but used to be quite nappy and I wouldn't have had a chance of stopping her spinning for home in it - the Hackamore was pretty strong when necessary and is quite severe if used incorrectly

Good luck - you can hire bridles from The Bitless bridle centre I think (or have them on sale or return)

You can also hire Micklems to try to - they look interesting xx

 

[Dumbo]

Thankyou.. will look into hiring one to see how he goes

 

[quirky]

I ride in a Micklem.
Can't fault it. Different ways of wearing it gives more or less severe control.
I ride in mildest in summer and am in medium now.
I like the fact that I can change it and easily.
I highly recommend it.

 

[Barefoot Endurance]

I use a flower hackamore, much milder than other hackamores and looks smart too I arena event in it with perfect control. Have you got a school you can try out bitless first? Or use with a bit but only swap if you feel the bitless is not giving you the control you need, then once you've built up your confidence and the horses understanding you can ditch the bit

 

[Dumbo]

I ride in a Micklem.

Just googled the micklem but came up with mixed results. Does the horse wear a bit?

 

[Camel]

It (the micklem) can be used with or without a bit, I really like the look of the flower hackmore x

 

[quirky]

No, teeth problems mean a bit is not an option.

 

[Brightbay]

I use an Orbitless noseband. You can just add it to your normal bridle instead of the bit, and you can set it up as just a sidepull, or with some poll pressure like a very mild English hackamore. It's not dissimilar from the Flower Hackamore (have one of those too ).

The cross unders (like Dr. Cook) are a bit marmite, some horses love them, some hate them. Trial and error is the way to go - see if you can borrow one before buying . Sidepulls, you can work out if that works for you before buying by clipping reins to each side of a drop noseband if you have one.

ETA - Flower hackamore and Orbitless are both a bit like the LG bridle, seen in the pics in this article http://www.localhorsemagazine.com.a...0200159422972288":"og.likes"}&action_ref_map=[]

 

[Dumbo]

I use a flower hackamore, much milder than other hackamores and looks smart too I arena event in it with perfect control. Have you got a school you can try out bitless first?

The flower hackamore looks very unusual!
Yes I've got a school to try out although it's in the middle of a paddock so not as enclosed as I'd like!

I'm just so confused as to what is the mildest bridle with good brakes! So many mixed reviews on so many types!

 

[Alyth]

I haven't ridden any of my horses in a bit since 1998!!! I started studying Parelli (the original programme was great but I have moved on now!) and the method worked brilliantly for me and my horses.....I usually use a simple rope (side pull type) hackamore but I do have some nosebands I have purchased to try using my old leather bridles!! Your horse needs to understand about following a feel, steady pressure and rhythmic pressure. If you start when you are on the ground and in an enclosed area you can follow the horses responses!! A plan, such as the PNH one is a good idea and will help you understand what you are trying to achieve. Good luck.

 

[gwniver]

i ride my 4yr old in a english hackamore(want to try out a flower hackamore ) ....as you can imagine he can be spooky and thorow a buck and be quite stroung but he goes wonderfully in a hackamore a have more than enough controll ...... he was quite strong in a bit but i found they become quite light in a hackamore i dont know about the other types but with a english hackamore i didnt have to do any training before i rode in it .. in fact my second ride with it was half a mile on the road (he hates cars) and a long gallop on the beach ..hope that helps

 

[Dumbo]

Thankyou, i think i will probably buy a noseband to go with the bridle i have at the moment.. I quite like the sound of the flower hackamore.
How does turning work on a bridle without pressure either side of the nose? The pressure rope halters make sense having the knots either side, but is asking to turn easily understood with the hackamore? (i'm new to this!)

 

[gwniver]

try a monty roderts dually halter ...... you can also use them as bitless bridles

 

[Brightbay]

Thankyou, i think i will probably buy a noseband to go with the bridle i have at the moment.. I quite like the sound of the flower hackamore.
How does turning work on a bridle without pressure either side of the nose? The pressure rope halters make sense having the knots either side, but is asking to turn easily understood with the hackamore? (i'm new to this!)

Just to say, I use the flower hackamore on longer, pleasure type rides. I don't use it for schooling or hacking or anything that might include an opening rein, as sideways/outwards rein pressure causes it to flip upwards (and, I would imagine, dig into the horse's face). The English hackamore doesn't do this, and the Orbitless or LG don't either.

I am quite prepared for someone to now tell me their Flower Hack doesn't do this - if so, please do tell me how to set mine up so that it doesn't, as horse gives every indication of liking it very much apart from that

Turning is not so precise with a rein aid in a hackamore - do a lot of schooling to help horse learn to turn from legs, weight and seat

 

[claribella]

You could try a matrix from bitlessandbarefoot.com. It converts to every type of bitless so you can see what works for the two of you. I'd try the most basic first like a rope halter or a side pull and then work your way up if you need to.

Learn the one rein stop and make sure your horse will flex the neck each way. We in cooperate this into our everyday. With the bitless you need to work on a long rein quite a lot and only apply pressure when absolutely necessary. My horse is in a rope halter and she is more relaxed and if she spins on her tail t go him then. Can stop her within seconds nlike in a bit. She is more and more working in collection and long and low too. It's like riding a diff horse!

 

[claribella]

Just to add if you want a mild bridle with breaks then a scan rig is a good option but like I said the matrix converts to side pull, scab rig, hacks more, bosal and some others so worth looking at.

 

[claribella]

Sorry suppose to say 'scawbrig'

 

[Darkwater]

My mare has problems with her jaw and can't be ridden in a bit, I have spent about 2 years trying different types of bridle to find what she goes best in. I find her too sharp in an english hackamore and have tried most types of bitless bridle but the only one I find her responsive enough in is the one made by this company: https://www.transcendequine.com/

I love it as you can use two sets of reins or have the option to ride either off the noseband or the curb strap. It feels very much like a bitted bridle to ride in and my mare seemed to take to it very easily and understood the pressure aids very well...can school in it perfectly well, hack, xc, jumping. You don't have to buy the whole bridle either, just noticed they do an attachment which you can fasten to your cheek peices of a normal bridle if you remove the noseband which is a cheaper option.

 

[Brightbay]

Darkwater - that looks very interesting. It looks very like the LightRider but with rings for sidepull as well. Can you tell me if the curb sttrap is a single piece of material? My main objection with the Lightrider was that it was a looped piece of webbing with a buckle, and so didn't release properly.

 

[Regandal]

If you go to the Dr cook website they have a lot of articles on how bitless bridles work. Obviously it pushes the Dr Cook one, but there's a lot of good info there. M

 

[Waffles]

Have learned about some new bitless things on this thread! The flower hackamore and the micklem for instance! I've ridden bitless since the mid 70s, though current young horse came with a snaffle and I used that for a few months till we got to know eachother.
As someone said above, I think "steering" is a bit different from riding with a bit, though as I have ridden bitless for so long, I can't really remember the "before" - I'm sure using your weight and legs/seat is a better way of steering anyway, regardless of whether there is a bit or not. I've mostly ridden using an english hackamore, though bought a Dr Cook a few months ago. I haven't given the Dr Cook that much testing really, though one time, when a "friend" decided to go galloping off in the opposite direction from us, I did manage to keep a hold of my boy in it. I feel totally safe and in control with a hackamore.

 

[NikNak1]

We used a Dr Cook bitless bridle when our horse had cut on his lip from something so we wouldn't use a bit. Was great for hacking and we tended to use it to hack with even when his mouth had healed. Didn't school in it much so can't really comment on what it's like for that. We are thinking of selling it as horse recently sadly pts, feel free to pm if interested

 

[Gloi]

I tried a Dr Cook for a while. Pony was fine in it when we were hacking out by ourselves, though a little heavy in the hand compared when he had a snaffle in. I then went out with a friend and when she cantered mine just tucked his head between his knees and zoomed off. I had zero brakes or steering. In a snaffle he would have got a little strong in those circumstances but I would easily have been able to hold and control him. It put me off trying it again.

 

[Waffles]

A good friend of mine bought a 15.2hh half TB which had no brakes and kept going backwards/tanking off in a bit. She got a Dr Cook and he's fine in that (though she doesn't ride him in a group as he's a bit of a nutter).


I guess that if they want to really go bombing off, there's not a lot that will stop them, bit or no bit, if they are that way inclined.

 

[Nitro mouse]

Hiya I am another who recommends the Trancend, we have just bought one. I had several lessons with an instructor who has a variety of bitless bridles that we could try, and this one was the one that really clicked. The Orbit was the next best one, but personally I felt the response from J was a bit wooly and he was tending to lean. The tweak of the curb strap on the Trancend instantly stops this. Oh, whoever was asking what the curb strap is made of. It's thick padded leather that has been slightly weighted. So the release is instant.
The Trancend just felt more refined and the control was much more instant and the feel is very much like riding with a bit....

 

[Shutterbug]

I googled the flower hackamore after reading this thread and came across this interesting lot

http://www.horsegroomingsupplies.co...ckamores-full-and-detailed-photos-463816.html

 

[Waffles]

I googled the flower hackamore after reading this thread and came across this interesting lot

http://www.horsegroomingsupplies.co...ckamores-full-and-detailed-photos-463816.html

Thanks for the link - very interesting stuff!

 

[Dumbo]

Thanks for all your replies!
Mentioned to the YO that I wanted to try a bitless bridle and she point blank said 'no.' Then continued to say that bitless is only used for horses who have had teeth removed or physically can't wear a bit.
But my boy really detests the bit and always has done. Friends who have ridden him notice it too. She said its naughtiness and I should give him a smack and yank him if he fights it.. "if a horse yanks you, yank it back".. But I know my horse isn't the misbehaving type and he genuinely is in pain so as his rider and owner it's starting to upset me a bit that I can't understand what the problem is.
YO started explaining that i need draw reins to build his topline (remember seeing someone on here say that you should get the horse working behind before encouraging an outline from the head/neck but I know he'll hate the restriction). With draw reins restricting his head but being in pain from the bit he's going to really hate me. I sound silly but I just hate seeing him suffer - it's starting to make me less keen to ride.
Do you ride your horse bitless because he simply doesn't like a bit in his mouth or is my YO right, it has to be a physical problem/injury?

 

[Shutterbug]

Why does it matter what your YO thinks? If you feel that a bitless would maybe help then try one. Listen to your horse and your instincts.