Bitless Riding Tips
How to transition to a Bitless Bridle By Cynthia Cooper ©
Photo: (by Leigh Steven) Rom & Toni
There’s a saying – “Go shoe-less but not clue-less” so here’s another - “Go bit-less but not wit-less”. (I’m sure it's been said before)!
Photo: Rom is a happily transitioned thoroughbred, ex-racehorse, showjumper and hunter who loves to relax in his bitless bridle on a casual trail ride.
So you’ve decided to listen to your horse and get rid of the bit. You may have read about or heard of the negative effects a bit can have on a horse, or you may just want to try riding bitless to see if your horse would prefer not to have a lump of metal in his mouth.
Perhaps you’ve ridden for a long time in a rope halter or hackamore and decided it's time to refine things, so a bitless bridle is the next step.
Or maybe you’d like to go out in public or compete without a bit but don’t want to be frowned upon for riding in a halter.
Whatever the reason, there are some things you can do to make the transition to using a bitless bridle smooth and safe for you and your horse.
The first consideration should be the type of bridle you choose – will it suit your horse and the disciplines you’d like to ride in?
Depending on the country you live in, there are various choices, but with the internet and web shops these days, you can pretty much choose from a world wide source.
A Google search on bitless bridles will yield thousands of results.
When it comes down to basics though, there are mostly two types of bitless bridle – the cross-under style that works on whole head pressure, and the side-pull style and variations that work mostly on nose pressure.
Your horse may respond better to one style over another so it’s worth getting one of each type to try out. Most companies selling them allow you to return the bridle within a certain time if it doesn’t suit your horse.
As with any new piece of equipment though, you probably need to give your horse enough time to adapt and learn how to respond before deciding which bridle to keep.
Photo: Rom is a happily transitioned thoroughbred, ex-racehorse, showjumper and hunter who loves to relax in his bitless bridle on a casual trail ride.
So you’ve decided to listen to your horse and get rid of the bit. You may have read about or heard of the negative effects a bit can have on a horse, or you may just want to try riding bitless to see if your horse would prefer not to have a lump of metal in his mouth.
Perhaps you’ve ridden for a long time in a rope halter or hackamore and decided it's time to refine things, so a bitless bridle is the next step.
Or maybe you’d like to go out in public or compete without a bit but don’t want to be frowned upon for riding in a halter.
Whatever the reason, there are some things you can do to make the transition to using a bitless bridle smooth and safe for you and your horse.
The first consideration should be the type of bridle you choose – will it suit your horse and the disciplines you’d like to ride in?
Depending on the country you live in, there are various choices, but with the internet and web shops these days, you can pretty much choose from a world wide source.
A Google search on bitless bridles will yield thousands of results.
When it comes down to basics though, there are mostly two types of bitless bridle – the cross-under style that works on whole head pressure, and the side-pull style and variations that work mostly on nose pressure.
Your horse may respond better to one style over another so it’s worth getting one of each type to try out. Most companies selling them allow you to return the bridle within a certain time if it doesn’t suit your horse.
As with any new piece of equipment though, you probably need to give your horse enough time to adapt and learn how to respond before deciding which bridle to keep.
So where do you start?
It really depends on whether your horse has been ridden bitless in a rope halter or natural hackamore previously. If they have, and you have educated them using natural or good horsemanship principles, their transition will be quicker because you will already have some good habits (I hope!) in place.
What we do as riders ultimately affects how our horse responds to a bitless bridle. You could put the bridle on the horse and turn it loose (without reins and under constant observation in a safe yard) and the horse would most likely go about its business with no problems.
In fact, that’s a good way to introduce the bridle and take note of how the horse feels about it before any pressure is applied. The cross-under style bridles will generally require the noseband to be fitted firm for safe riding as well as correct and efficient function of the design but for this exercise, keep it reasonably loose so the horse can eat, drink and be comfortable.
Be sure there’s nothing the horse can catch the bridle on if it rubs on a post etc.
What we do as riders ultimately affects how our horse responds to a bitless bridle. You could put the bridle on the horse and turn it loose (without reins and under constant observation in a safe yard) and the horse would most likely go about its business with no problems.
In fact, that’s a good way to introduce the bridle and take note of how the horse feels about it before any pressure is applied. The cross-under style bridles will generally require the noseband to be fitted firm for safe riding as well as correct and efficient function of the design but for this exercise, keep it reasonably loose so the horse can eat, drink and be comfortable.
Be sure there’s nothing the horse can catch the bridle on if it rubs on a post etc.
Fitting the bridle:
A well fitted Cross under Bitless Bridle.
Wearing the bridle for a while will also reveal if your fit is correct. Most commonly, the noseband can slip down as the headpiece settles in behind the ears. The crossover style bridles such as the Dr Cook or No-Bit require a slightly lower noseband position than the side-pull styles such as the LightRider – generally 3 finger widths below the prominent cheek bones is a good starting point.
Dr Cook’s comes with full fitting instructions, and these should be followed carefully. Adjusted properly, the noseband sits on the bone between the false nostrils and does not cause pain. Fitted no lower this, it is anatomically impossible for it to obstruct breathing – they’re not called ‘false’ nostrils for nothing! Fitted higher or looser like the noseband on bitted bridles, the noseband on the cross-under design can ride up and down, which can cause discomfort/pain and may also prevent the pressure from being displaced gently across the whole head.
A well fitting brow band will also help the comfort of the bridle – if it’s too small it will pull the headpiece in tight against the ears and a too large brow band may slip down over the TMJ joint (bony piece above the eye) again causing discomfort.
The rope bitless bridles should also have the cheek pieces come in behind the large jaw bones – almost where the throatlatch would normally sit.
If this causes the noseband to be positioned too high near the prominent cheek bones then the bridle is too small for your horse.
Something else to check is that the chinstrap (if it has one) fits snugly without being overly tight or loose, and that the reins are the right length for your horse’s neck.
Ideally they should allow you to hold them at ‘the buckle’ without having to stretch forward while your horse grazes.
If you notice some problems with the bridle, its best to send the manufacturer a photo of the bridle on your horse so they can check the fit. Many issue can be solved with correct fit which varies between styles.
Dr Cook’s comes with full fitting instructions, and these should be followed carefully. Adjusted properly, the noseband sits on the bone between the false nostrils and does not cause pain. Fitted no lower this, it is anatomically impossible for it to obstruct breathing – they’re not called ‘false’ nostrils for nothing! Fitted higher or looser like the noseband on bitted bridles, the noseband on the cross-under design can ride up and down, which can cause discomfort/pain and may also prevent the pressure from being displaced gently across the whole head.
A well fitting brow band will also help the comfort of the bridle – if it’s too small it will pull the headpiece in tight against the ears and a too large brow band may slip down over the TMJ joint (bony piece above the eye) again causing discomfort.
The rope bitless bridles should also have the cheek pieces come in behind the large jaw bones – almost where the throatlatch would normally sit.
If this causes the noseband to be positioned too high near the prominent cheek bones then the bridle is too small for your horse.
Something else to check is that the chinstrap (if it has one) fits snugly without being overly tight or loose, and that the reins are the right length for your horse’s neck.
Ideally they should allow you to hold them at ‘the buckle’ without having to stretch forward while your horse grazes.
If you notice some problems with the bridle, its best to send the manufacturer a photo of the bridle on your horse so they can check the fit. Many issue can be solved with correct fit which varies between styles.
Starting with Groundwork:
The best way to check that your horse responds to the bitless bridle is where you are safe – on the ground.
Start by asking your horse to yield to pressure on one rein, first to the left while you are standing at the girth, then do the same on the right side.
If your horse has been taught to yield to a rope halter, this should be a familiar exercise, but remember you are using a new piece of equipment which may put pressure on a different part of the head so accept a small response first.
You will find your horse responds better to a rhythmic ‘asking with on-off pressure’ rein than a steady pull. Close and open your fingers gently, in a rhythm a bit like covering each hole of a recorder or flute in sequence.
Any steady pull on the horse’s head usually sets up a brace or ‘opposition’ response because this is innate behaviour – your horse is programmed by nature to oppose pressure automatically, until they are educated to understand that certain types of pressure mean certain things.
The cross under bitless bridle uses this principle; for turning left or right the design applies gentle pressure to the opposite side of the head, so that the horse is moving away, rather than into, the pressure.
When your horse can ‘give’ his head and hold lateral flexion for a few seconds while you give his head a rub or even release the rein totally by dropping it over the neck, it is safe to get on.
But before you do, it is also worth checking that your horse understands turning while in motion so walk your horse and use a directing rein to make turns to the left and right as you are moving.
This also gives you the opportunity to check out stopping. Rather than pulling on both reins together though, ask with a gentle lift and feel on one rein then the other – again in a rhythmic way to get the stop.
Once you have stopped, use the same kind of rhythm on each rein in turn to get a back up. If your horse doesn’t understand, take the reins in one hand and use a light rhythmic press on the horse’s chest to help.
It’s a good idea to repeat these exercises from each side of the horse so they are learned from both eyes and directions.
One more exercise I like to check on the ground is that my horse can yield the hindquarters to a gentle touch from my stirrup, about where my leg would give the aid.
While standing level with the saddle, ask your horse to yield their head a little towards you, then while holding this position, press the stirrup rhythmically against the horse’s side. If there is no response to gentle pressure (no more than the skin being moved – if you indent muscle then you are pushing too hard), rather than give up or get firmer, add a rhythmic upward lift to the rein. Keep this going with your own energy up and focus on the hindquarters until you get a result. This generally doesn’t take long if you keep up the rhythm on both stirrup and rein.
If you can do this exercise at the standstill, then also try it from the walk and trot to be sure your horse will listen to your leg – this is your brake!
Yielding the head in lateral flexion is like putting on the handbrake, so yielding the hindquarters takes the energy out of the horse’s powerhouse, therefore slowing it down (unless you are doing this in collection to supple the horse through lateral leg yields like half pass, shoulder in etc.) but that’s more advanced and requires the horse to understand and read your energy combined with your leg aids.
Start by asking your horse to yield to pressure on one rein, first to the left while you are standing at the girth, then do the same on the right side.
If your horse has been taught to yield to a rope halter, this should be a familiar exercise, but remember you are using a new piece of equipment which may put pressure on a different part of the head so accept a small response first.
You will find your horse responds better to a rhythmic ‘asking with on-off pressure’ rein than a steady pull. Close and open your fingers gently, in a rhythm a bit like covering each hole of a recorder or flute in sequence.
Any steady pull on the horse’s head usually sets up a brace or ‘opposition’ response because this is innate behaviour – your horse is programmed by nature to oppose pressure automatically, until they are educated to understand that certain types of pressure mean certain things.
The cross under bitless bridle uses this principle; for turning left or right the design applies gentle pressure to the opposite side of the head, so that the horse is moving away, rather than into, the pressure.
When your horse can ‘give’ his head and hold lateral flexion for a few seconds while you give his head a rub or even release the rein totally by dropping it over the neck, it is safe to get on.
But before you do, it is also worth checking that your horse understands turning while in motion so walk your horse and use a directing rein to make turns to the left and right as you are moving.
This also gives you the opportunity to check out stopping. Rather than pulling on both reins together though, ask with a gentle lift and feel on one rein then the other – again in a rhythmic way to get the stop.
Once you have stopped, use the same kind of rhythm on each rein in turn to get a back up. If your horse doesn’t understand, take the reins in one hand and use a light rhythmic press on the horse’s chest to help.
It’s a good idea to repeat these exercises from each side of the horse so they are learned from both eyes and directions.
One more exercise I like to check on the ground is that my horse can yield the hindquarters to a gentle touch from my stirrup, about where my leg would give the aid.
While standing level with the saddle, ask your horse to yield their head a little towards you, then while holding this position, press the stirrup rhythmically against the horse’s side. If there is no response to gentle pressure (no more than the skin being moved – if you indent muscle then you are pushing too hard), rather than give up or get firmer, add a rhythmic upward lift to the rein. Keep this going with your own energy up and focus on the hindquarters until you get a result. This generally doesn’t take long if you keep up the rhythm on both stirrup and rein.
If you can do this exercise at the standstill, then also try it from the walk and trot to be sure your horse will listen to your leg – this is your brake!
Yielding the head in lateral flexion is like putting on the handbrake, so yielding the hindquarters takes the energy out of the horse’s powerhouse, therefore slowing it down (unless you are doing this in collection to supple the horse through lateral leg yields like half pass, shoulder in etc.) but that’s more advanced and requires the horse to understand and read your energy combined with your leg aids.
Starting in the saddle:
This is best done in an enclosed arena or round yard, even a small paddock to be safe.
Start by going through the same exercises you did on the ground; lateral flexion, yielding the hindquarters, back up, then walking, turning, stopping and checking your lateral flexion again.
If your horse responds well at the walk, check out the trot and then the canter if you are up to that stage in your riding. You don’t have to do this all in the first ride either!
Check that you can stop by letting your energy down and gently squeezing each rein alternately, and then stop by yielding the hindquarters. This is testing your ‘clutch’ – if you disengage the hindquarters (put the clutch in) then your horse will slow and then stop. See the next article below for more info in 'disengaging'.
A nice exercise that helps the horse understand this, is to ride along a fence, yield the hindquarters away from the fence and turn their head towards it, coming to a stop facing the fence. If you reward your horse with a rest or a treat once stopped, then stopping will become a sought after comfort zone.
Start by going through the same exercises you did on the ground; lateral flexion, yielding the hindquarters, back up, then walking, turning, stopping and checking your lateral flexion again.
If your horse responds well at the walk, check out the trot and then the canter if you are up to that stage in your riding. You don’t have to do this all in the first ride either!
Check that you can stop by letting your energy down and gently squeezing each rein alternately, and then stop by yielding the hindquarters. This is testing your ‘clutch’ – if you disengage the hindquarters (put the clutch in) then your horse will slow and then stop. See the next article below for more info in 'disengaging'.
A nice exercise that helps the horse understand this, is to ride along a fence, yield the hindquarters away from the fence and turn their head towards it, coming to a stop facing the fence. If you reward your horse with a rest or a treat once stopped, then stopping will become a sought after comfort zone.
Overcoming Issues:
Understandably, some riders may be nervous or anxious about riding their horse the first time without a bit and, unknowingly, use a lot of contact.
Strong contact is not usually necessary with a bitless bridle as communication is clearer and unobscured by pain. If your horse is reacting to the bridle with head tossing, pulling, getting anxious or over excited, pawing, grinding their teeth or throwing their head up, try riding with less contact than you have previously been using.
If a rider has been using rein pressure on a bitted bridle to achieve a semblance of what they think of as collection, they will initially be disappointed with the bitless bridle and may even decide that 'it doesn't work.'
Bit-induced poll flexion, however, is not the same as true collection ... it is false collection.
With patience and proper training, a bitless bridle will provide all the collection that a rider desires. This process cannot and should not be hurried.
An educated horse that easily yields to pressure may even ‘over flex’ (as seen in this photo) in response to the bitless bridle, so use a longer rein and light, rhythmic feel on the reins to offer some ‘give’ in the pressure. Over flexing is a sign the horse is trying to get comfort from the constant pressure.
When you feel confident that your can control your horse easily and your horse seems happy in the bitless bridle, its time to venture out of the arena or pasture.
Rather than throw your horse in the ‘deep end’ by joining a group of friends for a long trail ride, just go on your own for a short ride, or with one other sympathetic friend.
Stick to places you know both you and your horse can be relaxed and enjoy the ride. This isn’t the time to test out a new trail, go faster than usual or negotiate obstacles you haven’t tried before.
Once your horse is going comfortably in the bitless bridle, you can then tackle new things, adding pressure in small increments for success.
Many riders will find their horse is more relaxed without the worry of a bit in their mouth. Even if they unbalance their rider a little, with a shy or an awkward jump, the grab at the reins for balance will only give a bump on the cheek or nose, rather than a jab in the mouth.
Strong contact is not usually necessary with a bitless bridle as communication is clearer and unobscured by pain. If your horse is reacting to the bridle with head tossing, pulling, getting anxious or over excited, pawing, grinding their teeth or throwing their head up, try riding with less contact than you have previously been using.
If a rider has been using rein pressure on a bitted bridle to achieve a semblance of what they think of as collection, they will initially be disappointed with the bitless bridle and may even decide that 'it doesn't work.'
Bit-induced poll flexion, however, is not the same as true collection ... it is false collection.
With patience and proper training, a bitless bridle will provide all the collection that a rider desires. This process cannot and should not be hurried.
An educated horse that easily yields to pressure may even ‘over flex’ (as seen in this photo) in response to the bitless bridle, so use a longer rein and light, rhythmic feel on the reins to offer some ‘give’ in the pressure. Over flexing is a sign the horse is trying to get comfort from the constant pressure.
When you feel confident that your can control your horse easily and your horse seems happy in the bitless bridle, its time to venture out of the arena or pasture.
Rather than throw your horse in the ‘deep end’ by joining a group of friends for a long trail ride, just go on your own for a short ride, or with one other sympathetic friend.
Stick to places you know both you and your horse can be relaxed and enjoy the ride. This isn’t the time to test out a new trail, go faster than usual or negotiate obstacles you haven’t tried before.
Once your horse is going comfortably in the bitless bridle, you can then tackle new things, adding pressure in small increments for success.
Many riders will find their horse is more relaxed without the worry of a bit in their mouth. Even if they unbalance their rider a little, with a shy or an awkward jump, the grab at the reins for balance will only give a bump on the cheek or nose, rather than a jab in the mouth.
If your horse doesn’t seem happy in the bitless bridle, remember that you have eliminated discomfort in the mouth by removing the bit, but your horse may still be feeling discomfort elsewhere which was previously masked by the pain in the mouth.
The two most common sites are the back from poor saddle fit and the hooves from poor shoeing or trimming practices.
For example, bucking may be in response to pain from the saddle or even the girth, not just from pure exhilaration or getting out of control.
Always eliminate all sources of physical pain before embarking on a re-education program. Remember the horse is only ‘misbehaving’ because that is the only way they can tell us something is not right or is hurting them.
A common cause of a ‘bad’ reaction to a bitless bridle may be sharp teeth – especially upper molars. The noseband may be causing pain that cannot be eliminated until the teeth have been floated. Also check the firmly buckled parts of the bitless bridle to be sure that you haven’t trapped any whiskers or long chin hairs under the buckle or other straps.
Sometimes after the first few rides, your horse may be resistant to turning left or right. Most horses, like humans, have their 'good sides' and are better in one direction than another, but if this doesn't improve within half a dozen rides or so, look for another explanation. There may be a problem that, until now, has been masked by the pain of the bit. A horse that is stiff to turn in a bitless bridle may need some bodywork or may be reacting to a stiff or crooked rider.
Maybe the horse seemed easier to turn in the bit because discomfort in the mouth outweighed everything else.
Use of the Bitless Bridle should not be considered a substitute for education. Although many horses do adapt instantly, or almost instantly, sometimes you do see a few new resistances (or the re-emergence of "old" ones that you thought you had cured when bitted), such as head tossing or rushing.
These are typically seen on the first ride only, for obvious reasons. But sometimes they emerge quite suddenly on about the second or third ride.
It may be that the rider has become more confident about the new head gear, and starts to ask for a little more. Then it becomes a matter of fine-tuning and adjustment for the next few rides to give your horse confidence again.
The two most common sites are the back from poor saddle fit and the hooves from poor shoeing or trimming practices.
For example, bucking may be in response to pain from the saddle or even the girth, not just from pure exhilaration or getting out of control.
Always eliminate all sources of physical pain before embarking on a re-education program. Remember the horse is only ‘misbehaving’ because that is the only way they can tell us something is not right or is hurting them.
A common cause of a ‘bad’ reaction to a bitless bridle may be sharp teeth – especially upper molars. The noseband may be causing pain that cannot be eliminated until the teeth have been floated. Also check the firmly buckled parts of the bitless bridle to be sure that you haven’t trapped any whiskers or long chin hairs under the buckle or other straps.
Sometimes after the first few rides, your horse may be resistant to turning left or right. Most horses, like humans, have their 'good sides' and are better in one direction than another, but if this doesn't improve within half a dozen rides or so, look for another explanation. There may be a problem that, until now, has been masked by the pain of the bit. A horse that is stiff to turn in a bitless bridle may need some bodywork or may be reacting to a stiff or crooked rider.
Maybe the horse seemed easier to turn in the bit because discomfort in the mouth outweighed everything else.
Use of the Bitless Bridle should not be considered a substitute for education. Although many horses do adapt instantly, or almost instantly, sometimes you do see a few new resistances (or the re-emergence of "old" ones that you thought you had cured when bitted), such as head tossing or rushing.
These are typically seen on the first ride only, for obvious reasons. But sometimes they emerge quite suddenly on about the second or third ride.
It may be that the rider has become more confident about the new head gear, and starts to ask for a little more. Then it becomes a matter of fine-tuning and adjustment for the next few rides to give your horse confidence again.
In conclusion:
As with any new exercise or piece of equipment you introduce, don’t expect it to be a ‘quick fix’ for a particular problem. Mind you, sometimes it can be with a bitless bridle because removing the bit instantly gives the horse comfort and confidence that it won’t have it’s mouth jabbed or constantly pulled on.
Expect an adjustment period and alter your expectations accordingly so the transition to riding in a bitless bridle will be enjoyable for both you and your horse.
If your transition isn’t going as smoothly as you’d like, rather than give up, seek the assistance of an instructor or approved fitter of bitless bridles who are experienced in riding bitless to help you. Sometimes all it takes is another pair of eyes to pick up something you’ve missed.
There is a growing number of people and horses having a much happier time riding now that they have changed to a bitless bridle, so go on - give it a go!
Expect an adjustment period and alter your expectations accordingly so the transition to riding in a bitless bridle will be enjoyable for both you and your horse.
If your transition isn’t going as smoothly as you’d like, rather than give up, seek the assistance of an instructor or approved fitter of bitless bridles who are experienced in riding bitless to help you. Sometimes all it takes is another pair of eyes to pick up something you’ve missed.
There is a growing number of people and horses having a much happier time riding now that they have changed to a bitless bridle, so go on - give it a go!
DISENGAGEMENT IS A POWERFUL CONTROL - by Philip Nye
What is disengagement?
Firstly, its the opposite of engagement or full power as a disengaged horse has relaxed and yielded all its power. It has released its power to the hindquarters mainly but also softened and released its shoulders, head and neck. The horse overall is relaxed, submissive and yielding.
So how do we achieve this?
Disengagement is asked for primarily with the inside leg in conjunction with an indirect rein. An indirect rein therefore becomes a relax, settle down, life out, control rein for downward transitions compared with a direct rein which is a life up, go somewhere communication rein for upward transitions.
Why do we need to disengage our horse?
A horse who has been taught to disengage has been taught to relax, sumbit and yield from nose to tail. This gives us a tool to settle and control frightened and/or disrespectful horses and gives us greater communication with the horse as we can influence the nose, neck, shoulder and hindquarters more effectively.
Disengagement gets the horse in a great frame of mind to learn everything else e.g; forwards, backwards, sideways, one rein and loose rein riding and direct rein.
When do you use disengement?
Generally for all downward transitions e.g. trot to walk or canter to trot and whenever the horse locks up or pushes against us with the nose, neck, shoulder or hindquarters. We can disengage the horse to soften and yield the whole horse then return to the original movement. You may need to repeat it many times.
Horses know instinctively that to disengage and voluntarily give away their power is not a clever thing to do especially if there are predators or other horses wanting to play dominance games around. So be patient with your horse and be patient with yourself. It is an achievement to simultaneously keep the nose and neck soft, the shoulders yielding a little and the hindquarters yielding a lot. Slow and right beats fast and wrong, reward a try and rest often.
Firstly, its the opposite of engagement or full power as a disengaged horse has relaxed and yielded all its power. It has released its power to the hindquarters mainly but also softened and released its shoulders, head and neck. The horse overall is relaxed, submissive and yielding.
So how do we achieve this?
Disengagement is asked for primarily with the inside leg in conjunction with an indirect rein. An indirect rein therefore becomes a relax, settle down, life out, control rein for downward transitions compared with a direct rein which is a life up, go somewhere communication rein for upward transitions.
Why do we need to disengage our horse?
A horse who has been taught to disengage has been taught to relax, sumbit and yield from nose to tail. This gives us a tool to settle and control frightened and/or disrespectful horses and gives us greater communication with the horse as we can influence the nose, neck, shoulder and hindquarters more effectively.
Disengagement gets the horse in a great frame of mind to learn everything else e.g; forwards, backwards, sideways, one rein and loose rein riding and direct rein.
When do you use disengement?
Generally for all downward transitions e.g. trot to walk or canter to trot and whenever the horse locks up or pushes against us with the nose, neck, shoulder or hindquarters. We can disengage the horse to soften and yield the whole horse then return to the original movement. You may need to repeat it many times.
Horses know instinctively that to disengage and voluntarily give away their power is not a clever thing to do especially if there are predators or other horses wanting to play dominance games around. So be patient with your horse and be patient with yourself. It is an achievement to simultaneously keep the nose and neck soft, the shoulders yielding a little and the hindquarters yielding a lot. Slow and right beats fast and wrong, reward a try and rest often.
So how do we disengage our horse?
Preparation from the ground is important. Teach the horse to yield his hindquarters both as a fingertip yield (porcupine game) and as a driving game. Have lateral flexion going softly from the ground first, then from the saddle at a standstill.
To apply an indirect rein and achieve a yield, shorten your inside rein and lift it over the horse's mane, rolling your fingernails uppermost to soften and flex the nose and neck. Holding the rein up over the mane is to indicate the shoulder to yield a little from the rein. As the rein lifts, your inside leg takes a feel on the horse's side indicating to the hindquarters to yield. If the nose, neck, shoulders or hindquarters get stuck and will not yield to a feel (phase 1 & 2), apply rhythmic pressure firmly (not roughly) to the stuck part of the horse until it gives.
Remember that hands feel, hold, move laterally (phase 1 & 2) and apply rhythmic pressure as necessary (phase 3 & 4), and legs apply feel (phase 1 & 2) and if necessary are supported by rhythmic pressure of the hand, rope or stick (phase 3 & 4). Hands never pull - legs never kick.
Start your phases as softly as possible and increase them slowly and gently to give the horse time to think about a response rather than react to too much pressure.
To apply an indirect rein and achieve a yield, shorten your inside rein and lift it over the horse's mane, rolling your fingernails uppermost to soften and flex the nose and neck. Holding the rein up over the mane is to indicate the shoulder to yield a little from the rein. As the rein lifts, your inside leg takes a feel on the horse's side indicating to the hindquarters to yield. If the nose, neck, shoulders or hindquarters get stuck and will not yield to a feel (phase 1 & 2), apply rhythmic pressure firmly (not roughly) to the stuck part of the horse until it gives.
Remember that hands feel, hold, move laterally (phase 1 & 2) and apply rhythmic pressure as necessary (phase 3 & 4), and legs apply feel (phase 1 & 2) and if necessary are supported by rhythmic pressure of the hand, rope or stick (phase 3 & 4). Hands never pull - legs never kick.
Start your phases as softly as possible and increase them slowly and gently to give the horse time to think about a response rather than react to too much pressure.
Riding Bitless - 'On the Bridle' By Cynthia Cooper
The term 'on the bit' has become commonplace and used to denote a certain frame or level of head carriage and collection of the horse.
But what happens when you don't have a bit in your horse's mouth? Can your horse still collect and if they do, what can you call it? Well - since 'on the bit' means acceptance, collection and responsiveness to the bit, maybe 'on the bridle' can refer to those same qualities when a horse wears a bitles bridle.
After all, we are still looking for acceptance, softness, responsiveness and collection in the horse for the purpose of easily carrying a human during intense periods of collected exercise such as in dressage, show hack classes, jumping, reining and many other competitive events of short duration.
Up until recently, the bit has been the norm for the ridden and driven horse.
But now that the bitless bridle option is available, those who understand that bits can be damaging to a horse physically, or who are keen to overcome behavioural problems associated with the bit, have discovered that their horses can respond just as well, if not much better without a bit.
The horse below for instance (a thoroughbred gelding) avoided the bit with a raised head and tossed his head a lot. He now loves the Light Rider Bitless bridle and as you can see, and is happy to go in a relaxed frame that will eventually lead to collection through self carriage and engagement.
But what happens when you don't have a bit in your horse's mouth? Can your horse still collect and if they do, what can you call it? Well - since 'on the bit' means acceptance, collection and responsiveness to the bit, maybe 'on the bridle' can refer to those same qualities when a horse wears a bitles bridle.
After all, we are still looking for acceptance, softness, responsiveness and collection in the horse for the purpose of easily carrying a human during intense periods of collected exercise such as in dressage, show hack classes, jumping, reining and many other competitive events of short duration.
Up until recently, the bit has been the norm for the ridden and driven horse.
But now that the bitless bridle option is available, those who understand that bits can be damaging to a horse physically, or who are keen to overcome behavioural problems associated with the bit, have discovered that their horses can respond just as well, if not much better without a bit.
The horse below for instance (a thoroughbred gelding) avoided the bit with a raised head and tossed his head a lot. He now loves the Light Rider Bitless bridle and as you can see, and is happy to go in a relaxed frame that will eventually lead to collection through self carriage and engagement.
Horses are taught to accept and yield to all kinds of pressure (preferrably light rhythmic pressure) to achieve the manouvers we ask of them. This is no different when we put pressure on the reins, except when there is a piece of metal contacting one of the most sensitive parts of the horse - the bars of the mouth. The bars have about as much skin and flesh covering them as we have on our shin bones.
Can you imagine walking or jogging along with a bit suspended in front of your shins that is controlled by another person? What would it feel like when that person puts pressure on it? Would we hope that the reins were made of elastic so that the pressure was never great enough to cause pain, and could we put up with the discomfort of metal bumping on skin for very long? Try it sometime!
So, if you were a horse, what would you prefer, a lump of metal in your mouth or nothing? Why do we see so many horses wearing tight nosebands? If a horse wasn't constantly opening his mouth to avoid the bit or show discomfort, then we wouldn't need to tie it shut!
The same goes for martingales and tiedowns. If the bit wasn't causing pain, the horse will most likely not feel the need to throw it's head up in reaction.
Can you imagine walking or jogging along with a bit suspended in front of your shins that is controlled by another person? What would it feel like when that person puts pressure on it? Would we hope that the reins were made of elastic so that the pressure was never great enough to cause pain, and could we put up with the discomfort of metal bumping on skin for very long? Try it sometime!
So, if you were a horse, what would you prefer, a lump of metal in your mouth or nothing? Why do we see so many horses wearing tight nosebands? If a horse wasn't constantly opening his mouth to avoid the bit or show discomfort, then we wouldn't need to tie it shut!
The same goes for martingales and tiedowns. If the bit wasn't causing pain, the horse will most likely not feel the need to throw it's head up in reaction.
Riders who use a bitless bridle are reporting that their horses are much happier, behave better and respond better to pressure without a bit. Without the threat of pain (that a bit represents) a horse can focus on what you are asking, they can respond to the pressure on the noseband (and poll in some bitless bridles) because they remain able to think, whereas pain causes a horse to react in order to save its life.
Some people argue that you can't control a horse without a bit. But how is painful pressure from a bit going to get a response if the horse really wants to fight for its life?
I've seen and heard of many horses who have been out of control in a bit, and would ascertain that the bit actually causes the horse to resist control because it can't think when the pain becomes severe.
In a bitless bridle, the horse can get out of control when in a fearful situation, but you have a greater chance of regaining control when there is no pain involved.
True horsemen recognise that control is not achieved by pulling harder on two reins anyway - only pressure from one rein (and your leg) can cause a disengaging of the hindquarters which then controls movement.
It is therefore important to teach your horse how to yield to rein and leg pressure in the bitless bridle before you get on and ride, just like people spend time 'mouthing' a horse before riding it - essentially teaching it to respond to the pressure of the bit.
And just as horses can learn to respond to rein contact with a bit by giving to the pressure with their nose, so they can learn it without a bit (and without the associated issues).
It's all just a matter of spending the time teaching your horse in small increments that they can trust your pressure will be released, will be gentle and will be rhythmic so they don't feel the need to lean against it.
Eventually, you will have a horse happy to be 'on the bridle' provided you keep your hands soft and rhythmic, and your demands for concentrated effort short until the horse has the physical fitness and suppleness to achieve that dressage test, reining pattern, jumping round or show class.
It also takes time riding in enclosed areas and at all gaits before a rider used to relying on the reins for support, will feel comfortable without a bit and with softer, looser reins.
By learning to ride 'freestyle' in natural horsemanship programs, and learning how to get your horse's impulsion even (as much whoa as go and vice versa), you will enable your horse to more easily collect in self carriage, and have a more independent seat without relying on the reins.
Give yourself all the time it takes to develop YOUR confidence in your horse too.
Some people argue that you can't control a horse without a bit. But how is painful pressure from a bit going to get a response if the horse really wants to fight for its life?
I've seen and heard of many horses who have been out of control in a bit, and would ascertain that the bit actually causes the horse to resist control because it can't think when the pain becomes severe.
In a bitless bridle, the horse can get out of control when in a fearful situation, but you have a greater chance of regaining control when there is no pain involved.
True horsemen recognise that control is not achieved by pulling harder on two reins anyway - only pressure from one rein (and your leg) can cause a disengaging of the hindquarters which then controls movement.
It is therefore important to teach your horse how to yield to rein and leg pressure in the bitless bridle before you get on and ride, just like people spend time 'mouthing' a horse before riding it - essentially teaching it to respond to the pressure of the bit.
And just as horses can learn to respond to rein contact with a bit by giving to the pressure with their nose, so they can learn it without a bit (and without the associated issues).
It's all just a matter of spending the time teaching your horse in small increments that they can trust your pressure will be released, will be gentle and will be rhythmic so they don't feel the need to lean against it.
Eventually, you will have a horse happy to be 'on the bridle' provided you keep your hands soft and rhythmic, and your demands for concentrated effort short until the horse has the physical fitness and suppleness to achieve that dressage test, reining pattern, jumping round or show class.
It also takes time riding in enclosed areas and at all gaits before a rider used to relying on the reins for support, will feel comfortable without a bit and with softer, looser reins.
By learning to ride 'freestyle' in natural horsemanship programs, and learning how to get your horse's impulsion even (as much whoa as go and vice versa), you will enable your horse to more easily collect in self carriage, and have a more independent seat without relying on the reins.
Give yourself all the time it takes to develop YOUR confidence in your horse too.
