To Bit Or Not To Bit?

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Pasture Mix

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Hey guys :)

Tonight I rode LL bareback & in a headcollar with leadropes for reins (naughty, I know!).. To say she's not fully broken yet (she knows what to do but needs more practise), she was fantastic! She's very sensitive in the mouth, so when I ride her in her bridle, she can be awkward with the bit. She's not naughty, she just seems to really dislike it. She doesn't avoid having her bridle put on.. She just sort of look at me like, "if I must.." & I can't get much contact with her as she just slows down all the time & gets confused. When she doesn't understand what I'm asking her to do, it sometimes escalates - when I increase the strength of the my hands, she gets more agitated & disagreeable.

So I was thinking of trying her in a bitless bridle.. The train of thought being that if she behaved so well in just a headcollar tonight, she would be even better in something designed for the job?

What do you guys think of them? Have you had good/bad experiences? Would like some advice before I buy one :) Thanks in advance :)
 
Shy is bitless and very happy. We did try bits for quite a while, but he hated all I tried - now he's very settled, and we will not go back.
 
See, I want to avoid trying lots of bits in case I upset her even more. She's very sensitive in her mouth & not naughty. The only times she ever really does anything "wrong" is when she doesn't understand - but her sensitivity & dislike of the bit doesn't help.
I'm thinking it might be easier on both of us to try bitless first :)
 
Bitless works; bits work, it all depends on how you train them. if you ever plan on selling your horse I would suggest that you train it to go happily in a conventional bridle.
 
Then I would go for it ! Start with a gentle sidepull and see how you get on. I tried Shy bitless when he was teething at first, and he was so much happier, but at that stage i thought he "should" have a bit. Total RUBBISH !! I have control (when I need it, he can be very strong so is in a hackamore) and a much happier pony, and he works in a lovely outline.
 
She's well-trained, just needs some fine-tuning.. Quite good at voice-command, including "Pick your feet up", "Look where you're going", "No, not like that" & "Keep going, it's not going to kill you" ;) Although sometimes, I swear she can hear my thoughts :p
And no, I'm not going to be selling her, she's got a home for life with me :)
Like I said, she behaved well in just a head collar with lead rope reins tonight. Dare I say it? She was better than in a bridle! :S I got more contact, faster responses & better curves round corners - to say she's only been lunged for the past 2 weeks too, I'm pretty impressed :D
Only thing is, we haven't hit the roadwork as much as I would have liked this year & am hoping to nail it before winter.. Would you say a hackamore gives you more control? As I'm not sure how much will be needed when we encounter some things for the first time. She trusts me with her life, which is a good start, I just don't want to lose that with her over a silly mistake..
 
Although I am not against bitless I do think its important that a horse can be ridden in a conventional way ie with a bit. It's a bit naive I'm afraid to say the horse as a home for life, I'm assuming your horse is a youngster and how do you know what will happen in 10 or 15 years time? Anything could happen, what if you're in an accident or something?

There is no harm in being able to ride bitless and with a bit.

Maybe if you put up a thread asking advice and explain exactly the issues then people can help you come up with a solution, either that or have a few lessons working on specific issues. Who bitted your horse? Do you know th exact process that was followed?
 
Its your horse , you deal with her 24/7 ,stick to your guns . You do what is right for you and your horse. As long as you and your horse are safe then go with what she and you are most happy in/with. Alot of horses are happy bitless . If you think about it we do most of their training when they are young from pressure from their headcollar , they pull back ..they get poll pressure ...pull forward ...pressure on their nose etc etc so unless you are going to compete when a bit is compulsory then go bitless . You will need to find out what she is happy with , poll or nose pressure etc . There's the Monty Roberts Dually headcollar , Dr Cook bridle , there are certainly more bitless bridles on the market nowadays as people are understanding that alot of horses are more comfortable bitless . Main thing is have fun !
 
Yes I have excellent control in a hackamore. Shy is voice trained too, so I hardly need to use it tbh - once he realised it was there, he accepted it and doesn't fight it.

Btw, he hated the "cross under" bridle, but some horses love them. I felt very unsafe with that. i think it really is a case of try them out and see - secondhand from ebay is where i started. x
 
Here's my idea :)

I ride my horse bitless (currently in a Micklem with the reins clipped to the side rings). I try training him to respond to seat and weight aids, to my leg and to light rein aids. I can ride happily in the field with just a neckstrap and no bridle, walk, trot, rein back and halt.

I have ridden him this way for the 6 years I have had him, since he was a 4 year old.

Occasionally, when one is to hand - and in the same way I will squirt his legs with a hose on the twice yearly times one is to hand - I offer him a bridle with a bit. He takes this with curiosity and chomps it happily for a few minutes before I take it off again.

It seems to me that should it ever be necessary, a new owner would be perfectly able to ride him with a bit. It is unlikely he would take too kindly to being hauled in the mouth with it, but as a means of communication rather than brute "control" there is no reason why it would be any more difficult for a new owner to switch from sidepull to bit than it is for many owners to switch from bit to sidepull.

So just do what you're doing, working on the basis that bitted or bitless, most of your communication with the horse will be through seat, balance, and legs and only a small part through reins - and that a bit is simply one of the available forms of communication, not a failsafe set of brakes ;)
 
Thanks for all the advice guys, you've opened my eyes a little bit.. My friend has offered me the use of a bit less bridle she doesn't need, so I'm going to go in with the attitude that bit less is my only option. I'm going to take my friend up on her offer & see how it goes. My girl is very sensitive & I don't usually need to be heavy with my hands, but I'm hoping her response to the use of my hands will be a little calmer & make using my legs more a little easier. The problem I have is that once she's taken offence to the bit, she switches off & won't listen to anything. But if bit less doesn't work for her, I will persevere with the bit.. Or try a different one. I did think I'd chosen a nice kind bit for her, but I could be wrong.
Thanks guys :)
 
It depends what you want to do with her ultimately and if you will ever sell her.

I tried bitless and everything in between with my mare and it has taken ten months for her to accept the bit. She didn't like anything bitless either, she just is an objectionable sort. I am gllad I have persevered and found something she accepts.
 
I will never sell her unless I absolutely have no other option. She's my dream horse. I've brought her up from being 14 months old & taught her everything she knows. I'm in as many senses as possible, her mummy.

We just can't get round this bit problem. She's never had a bad experience with one, but she's never really liked them either. She almost seems to take it as a punishment, even though she's done nothing wrong.

I'll try her in a bit less. If she doesn't like that, I'll keep trying bits until I find something she gets on with. She's not the type to be objdctionable for no good reason, so there must be something I'm missing so far.
 
I'm a big fan of bitless and my horses get ridden both bitted and bitless as the situation demands. However please do remember that just because it is bitless it doesn't automatically mean it is kinder, some bitless bridles do use a lot of pressure on the poll and face, just like a long shanked gag bit would. IMO I'd rather a light snaffle in my horses mouth than a bitless bridle that closes around the face and poll.
 
I had thought of that, which is why I'm not relying on bitless being the answer :) But I've been offered free use of a bridle from someone who doesn't need it, so I thought I'd see if it makes a difference; she's in a light snaffle now & still doesn't particularly like it.
She's very sensitive in the mouth & it took quite a lot to teach her that she can go forward off the leg when I've got a contact with my hands. In fact, she's sensitive everywhere & so eager to please.
Can anyone possibly recommend a different bit I could try if bitless isn't an option? She's in a loose ring jointed snaffle atm, which is very thick & soft. I had a long discussion with the lady in the tack shop before I bought it, who was also using one while breaking her youngster.
Is there anything softer I could use? Or could she benefit from something more interesting, like copper inlays?
Has anyone tried those cherry bits?
I'm all of a kerfuffle now :p
 
Oh & I thought about getting her something rubberised, but my other mare chewed through 3 of those..
Are Happy Mouth bits any more resilient? :)
 
Another consideration is what you intend to do with her. You cannot do dressage or ridden showing in a bitless bridle. If you never want to do these then less of a worry. Also some insurance is funny about 'non traditional' tack.

The only other comment I would make is that your description of her not liking the bit is a bit weak to want to change (IMO), a funny look and not quite understanding the aids would not push me down the bitless route yet
 
My youngsters are all backed and bitted with Sprenger KK bits with a lozenge. Never had one dislike them and almost all of my mature riding horses are ridden in Sprengers. I always bit my youngsters a fair while prior to backing so that when I do eventually back them they are used to bits. If I don't back the horse till it's older, say at 5 years old (which I have done for a couple of them) then I often first start riding them in a bitless but I generally progress onto a bitted bridle within a couple of months. I don't want any of my horses to not be content to ride in a bit as who knows what will be expected of them once they are older and owned by someone else.
 
How did you introduce her to the bit in the first place? What work did you do with her before you started trying to ride her on the bit? It may be that she just needs more ground work, lunging in side reins longreining etc.
Have you had her teeth checked out to make sure she hasn't wolf teeth or other teething issues causing problems.
I've nothing against bitless bridles but it should be your choice, not hers, and it would stand her in better stead for the future to learn to accept a bit at this stage even if you go bitless later.
 
Pasture Mix said:
I had thought of that, which is why I'm not relying on bitless being the answer :) But I've been offered free use of a bridle from someone who doesn't need it, so I thought I'd see if it makes a difference; she's in a light snaffle now & still doesn't particularly like it.
She's very sensitive in the mouth & it took quite a lot to teach her that she can go forward off the leg when I've got a contact with my hands. In fact, she's sensitive everywhere & so eager to please.
Can anyone possibly recommend a different bit I could try if bitless isn't an option? She's in a loose ring jointed snaffle atm, which is very thick & soft. I had a long discussion with the lady in the tack shop before I bought it, who was also using one while breaking her youngster.
Is there anything softer I could use? Or could she benefit from something more interesting, like copper inlays?
Has anyone tried those cherry bits?
I'm all of a kerfuffle now :p
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The very thick bit could be the issue. My super sensitive mare didn't like a double joint of any sort and actually a very thin Neue Schule Demi Anky single joint was the answer, and now all of mine are in them and perfectly happy. Have you tried a lozenge bit? Something like the NS starter bit?
 
I've never actually met a horse who "liked" a bit; who would be fond of having something strapped into their mouths? It's not a matter of pleasing your horse, it's about knowing enough to show the horse how to respond to the various pressures and sensations. It's called training. Bitless is fine and suits some, but it is limiting and not necessarily any "kinder" than an educated and sensitive rider on the other end of the reins.
 
I've just started my youngster going bitless. She's been backed and lightly ridden away with a bit but has recently been having real difficulty picking up and dropping the bit when tacked/untacked (jaw seems to lock and she gets very shaky), so while waiting on further medical investigation, I've been introducing her to a sidepull. So far, she's going very happily in it, brakes and steering are fine and she's even dropping into a contact - if you've got the offer of a bitless, try it!

As far as bits go, I'd second the NS starter. The baby loathed rubber and happy mouth bits, but took to this one fine and even the older mare (who used to headshake violently in any sort of snaffle) works calmly into an NS Demi Anky.
 
See, I know where you're coming from about horses not liking bits.. But my other mare tries to put her own bit in while I'm tacking her up, hehe! I'm going to try the bitless out of curiosity, but I'm also going to start looking for other bits.. I was already thinking about something with a lozenge.. I cured my older mare's issue with a bit a few years ago by switching to a french link.. Might find something along those lines for LL :)

No matter what the outcome of the bitless, I will persevere for a while with finding a bit that she likes more than the one she has now. I know she may never exactly like hers as much as SS seems to, but I'm sure I can improve it.

She's still a bit unbalanced, which sometimes throws me off & maybe my hands, so hopefully with some more practice, we'll both improve. I've come through a lot these past few years, I'm sure I can get through this! :) Love having this place to fall back on when I'm feeling unsure :)
 
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