Why are bitless bridles banned in dressage?

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Doncella

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As my horse has developed a bone spur in his lower jaw my BE and BD memberships have been negated at a stroke until the problem has been solved. The horse is a much better jumper in a hackamore and I can safely hack and xc bitless so why can I not demonstrate his ability in the dressage arena in a bitless bridle?
Is this a control thing?
 
I have often wondered this. I can see why you couldn't use a hackamore as the shanks give much more poll pressure so could then give you an advantage.

You could try a flexible snaffle, they are very light and so soft they fold in half, has been brilliant with my boy who sounds similar to your horse
 
I also wonder this, keeping an eye on this post to see if anybody knows!
My old horse went much bette rin a hackamore, we struggled at dressage (which was her weakest phase anyway) when we had to use a bit.
 
because you cannot show acceptance of the contact without a bit.

(granted you can show the horse accepts the bitless contact, but you cannot show the traditional ability to present a horse between hand and leg, in true collection.)
 
Hi All,

I actually emailed the FEI about this, as I am now riding my young warmblood bitless - she was extremely unhappy bitted and is now going fabulously in a Dr Cooks.

I have copied their response below (taken names out).

I am planning on re introducing a very gentle bit extremely slowly over the winter months so we can dressage - but will still jump and XC bitless!

Dear ,

Thank you for your mail regarding bitless bridles.

The main purpose of a dressage competition is to evaluate how the training of the horse is compared to the requirements of the Training Scale. “Contact” is one of the most important points on the training scale, and a correct contact to the bit is the way this is evaluated. This is a principle which has been developed through hundreds of years, and the FEI has no plans to change this at present.

Regards
 
Prince33Sp4rkle said:
because you cannot show acceptance of the contact without a bit.

(granted you can show the horse accepts the bitless contact, but you cannot show the traditional ability to present a horse between hand and leg, in true collection.)
Click to expand...

Time to give tradition a good kicking as I have seen horses worked bitless performing all of the "traditional" movements.
How does this work in hand then without the leg and now that we have crank nosebands and similar all endorsed by the dressage big guns and more and more bits are becoming 'dressage legal' (ditto) who is this actually benefitting?
 
Doncella said:
Time to give tradition a good kicking as I have seen horses worked bitless performing all of the "traditional" movements.
How does this work in hand then without the leg and now that we have crank nosebands and similar all endorsed by the dressage big guns and more and more bits are becoming 'dressage legal' (ditto) who is this actually benefitting?
Click to expand...

How do you mean, 'in hand'?
 
even in hand, the horse moves forward in to the contact, whether that is from a whip or voice aids, the horses hind legs step up to the contact and the energy is recycled in to collection.IMHO you cannot get that cycle of energy without a bit.

i think you are missing the point of leg in to hand.replace leg with energy and the theory is the same for in hand work.

i have no doubt that a horse could do all the movements without a bit, but is there true collection?because without that, they are just tricks.
 
Prince33Sp4rkle said:
even in hand, the horse moves forward in to the contact, whether that is from a whip or voice aids, the horses hind legs step up to the contact and the energy is recycled in to collection.IMHO you cannot get that cycle of energy without a bit.
Click to expand...

Would you be able to explain this more please? I don't think I've ever heard collection talked about in terms of an energy flow before, I'd be really interested to know more.
 
oooh er, iv probably made it sound like something more complex than it is!!! and im not really one for *fluffy* language either but...the way i see it....the hind legs create the energy, which propells the horse forward, the hands contain the energy and thus the horse is unable to simply get longer and faster, so in order to keep the energy output the same, the hind legs fold more, and quicker, the quarters lower and the horse collects, thus the energy has been recylced-does that even sort of make sense.

this is why i dont feel you can have true collection without a contact, because the energy just runs out the front end.

i know the horse can be light in front and submissive in a bitless bridle, but the feel is not the same and i dont feel the connection is true.
 
Absolutely right PS. It is possible to teach the horse to perform movements as a series of tricks like the horses who demonstrate without bridles but that has nothing to do with the gymnastic development of the horse (dressage). By teaching the horse to work from his hind legs through his back to an elastic contact it is then possible to increase the ability to carry more weight on his hind legs which is what collection is about. While hackamores and bitless bridles have their place in the jumping phases, they are necessary due to the horse not accepting a correct elastic contact which is a major requirement for dressage. Saying that the rules should change is like saying that cross country shouldn't have ditches as your horse doesn't like them. Not all horses are cut out to be dressage horses just as some don't make eventers or show jumpers or hunters.
 
While hackamores and bitless bridles have their place in the jumping phases, they are necessary due to the horse not accepting a correct elastic contact which is a major requirement for dressage. Saying that the rules should change is like saying that cross country shouldn't have ditches as your horse doesn't like them. Not all horses are cut out to be dressage horses just as some don't make eventers or show jumpers or hunters.[/QUOTE]

Rubbish, I can teach my horse to jump ditches but if a dressage horse has an accident for example and cannot be ridden in a conventional bridle then that horse should not be on the scrapheap nor should owners be denied the chance to compete because the physical facial makeup of their horse will not allow it to take a bit.
Back to my point about crank nosebands and all those fancy Myler, and other bits which are suddenly dressage legal.
And if dressage isn't a bunch of tricks what is it?
As soon as the bone spur is removed the horse will be back in his happy, crappy Happy Mouth but as we are bitless at the moment I thought I would play Devils Advocate and I'm loing it.
I fully understand leg into hand and the concept of in hand work but I thought I'd get another take on it and the best way to achieve that is to appear completely thick.
 
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