Are you aspiring to ride bridle-less, or progress to liberty, or just need some extra support when riding? A neck rope or cordeo is the ideal tool to help you develop finesse and refined control.
Neck Ropes and cordeos are very similar pieces of equipment with variations in material and the way they’re used. Traditionally, a neck rope is used in more relaxed, western types of riding with a single hand.

A cordeo is often a simple (or quite fancy) neck strap that is used with two hands in more English-oriented disciplines or as a support for jumping and beginner riders.
Both are ideal tools to help you and your horse learn refined communication together.
It helps you to use mind, body, and legs before your hands, and your horse learns to follow those earlier cues.
This leads to harmony, lightness, and an enviable relationship with your horse.

Principles to learn
​The neck rope will teach you the principle of “less is more” and you will discover how to communicate without using constant or controlling pressure.
It’s important to keep the neck rope in a low position on the neck so you’re not harming the horse’s windpipe, especially if using it for support.
That said, you can slide the rope up the neck a little to indicate direction during the initial training. Keep the pressure light and rhythmic rather than a constant feel. Return to a neutral low position when the horse responds.
This post on common mistakes when riding bridleless shows exactly where the neck rope should sit and some pitfalls to avoid.

Leading with a neck rope
Before leaping into the saddle with a neck rope, it can help your horse understand the new aids by using it on the ground first. 
Clip a light rope to the neck rope and use it in conjunction with the halter and rope to start transitioning to the feel of the pressure and aids applied to the neck. 
Another benefit of using a neck rope is you can almost never force the horse into doing what you want.
It gives the horse freedom and choice, teaching us to listen to the horse first.
Neck ropes are also used for refining groundwork, transitioning to liberty, or during a photoshoot where you want minimal headgear.

More uses.
They can help beginner riders, support you in an uphill climb (especially if your horse has no mane), and stabilize your hands during jumping rather than grabbing on the head if you lose your balance.
They are also the best tool for transitioning to bridle-less riding. 
A neck rope serves both as the initial cue prior to the horse listening exclusively to your seat and legs, and as a backup cue if needed.
Ideally, you will have taught your horse to yield his hind end to disengage the hindquarters as a means of control.
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Remember, safety always comes first and it’s highly recommended to only use a neck rope in a controlled environment (smaller fenced area, arena, or yard) especially in the early stages.
Use a neck rope in conjunction with other headgear (and a helmet on your head!) as a backup.
Read about one rider’s experience of using a neck rope for the first time here. 

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Click on the photo below to buy a LightRider Neck Rope.

​Did you know you can have safer rope halters and bitless bridles with a simple breakaway point? 
Have you ever thought about what would happen if your horse caught their rope bridle or halter on something solid – like a gate latch, or a hitching rail, or tree branch?
Rope bridles and halters without a break-away point are a serious wreck waiting to happen!

I’ve seen horses almost drown from getting a leg caught up in their reins while swimming, and a horse strike their hoof through another’s reins and join the two together in a serious tangle until the rein clip broke.
I’ve known two horses that plunged off a narrow cliff trail when one slipped and dragged the horse who’s saddle he was tied to, with him. Fortunately, the rider survived and was able to euthanise both horses.

Rope hackamores used by Natural Horsemanship trainers and riders have a solid rope rein that can be deadly if caught up. And what about the horse that escapes with un-breakable rope reins dangling? Imagine the serious wreck when a front or hind leg steps through those reins, especially when still around the horse’s neck.

The same goes for a rope cordeo or neck loop that has no breaking point. If it falls close to the head a hoof could potentially get caught in it. Using something like this breakpoint tether will help keep the neck rope in place. 

And how many neck and back injuries are caused by pull-backs when tied solid? We’ve all had those and perhaps changed to a different method of tying, or used a releasing gadget or a piece of twine!

​Obviously, it’s best to educate your horse to stand tied but you still can’t account for needing to tie your horse somewhere different, or that sudden scare factor.

You can make your own break-away tab with scrap or re-purposed leather.This all paints a horrible picture but can be avoided by using a break-away tie on the headpiece of your rope halter/hackamore/bridle. You can make your own as demonstrated here on Horse Nation.

Or buy a ready-made break-away latigo from Natural Horse World here.

How to use a leather latigo as a breakaway tie: Many rope halters come with a leather latigo attached under the jaw so here’s how to remove that and use it as your break-away latigo.

1. Undo the leather latigo from the throat knot.
2. Loop the latigo through its first slot, then push one end through the halter’s tie loop.
3. Pull the other tail of the latigo through the remaining slot and straighten it firmly.
4. Tie the headpiece through and around the new loop formed by the latigo.
5. When you remove the halter, keep the headpiece in the latigo loop for tidy hanging.

LightRider Bitless Rope Bridles are the first to include a breakaway latigo, as are the Supersoft Knotless Rope Halters sold exclusively by the Natural Horse World Store. ​

To celebrate World Bitless Horse Day this Saturday - 7th September, we're having a 10% off all bitless bridles sale. 
Plus 50% off older style bridles - English and Stockhorse in brown biothane, warmblood size nosebands in brown biothane and some leather bridles in warmblood size. 
These bridles are brand new - they just have the older style cheek pieces without the extra buckle to fit a bit or remove the noseband. https://www.naturalhorseworldstore.com/categories/Bitless-Bridles/

Win a LightRider Bitless Noseband by sharing your review on the LightRider Facebook page to go in the draw for a Bitless Noseband of your choice - value $55+ (includes shipping). 

WORLD BITLESS HORSE DAY - SEPTEMBER 7TH
See all the activities listed here and find out more about this day here. 
Win Bitless Ambassadors Rosettes to 3rd place. *** SPECIAL PRIZE *** for first place! Enter your bitless horse photos here.

​Recently the World Bitless Association ​ ran a campaign to find their ‘Champion Bitless Ambassador' with LightRider Bridles being one of the 4 brand sponsors, each also awarding their own brand ambassador from the entries submitted. 

Exmoor Pony gelding Monseiur Chapeau with owner Dawn Westcott won the LightRider Champion Bitless Ambassador.  The pair were also awarded overall runner-up to the World Bitless Association Champion Ambassador, Karen Inkster and Connie from the UK. 
Karen has chosen a LightRider bitless bridle as her prize for the award. 

​Coming second to Dawn and Monsieur Chapeau in the LightRider Champion Ambassador Award was Kallie Zeinstra from the United States of America, while Australian Leah Sharp took third place.

Monsieur Chapeau was rescued from the moors by Nick and Dawn Westcott as an orphan foal in 2014. He was nearing starvation and suffering from pneumonia but recovered well and now helps socialise other wild-born foals and ponies as part of the Exmoor Pony Project near Somerset in the United Kingdom. He enjoys liberty walks, equine agility, connecting with visitors and has even been to London to appear live on ITV This Morning with his best friend, Lady Stumpkin Pumpkin. His story is told in Dawn’s best-selling book,  Wild Pony Whispering.

Dawn has trained her wild-born Exmoor stallion Bear (Wild Stallion Whispering) to win two world championships in international horse agility and he is ridden bitless where possible. ​

Official news - Sarah Joosten reports: the KNHS (Dutch Sports Federation) approved the bitless LightRider Bridle so it can be used as a bitless bridle at competitions in the Netherlands!
Bitless Bridles have been accepted for official dressage at the lower levels in the Netherlands since April 2014.
If you're in Europe and want to try a LightRider Bitless bridle, check out Sarah's websites: www.Equi-Focus.nl or www.Equi-Focus.com

What’s YOUR Bitless story? Have you gone bitless with your horse? What were the challenges, and what have you accomplished? We’d LOVE to hear! Send in your story for a chance to win YOUR CHOICE* of these great prizes:
- 40” Equi-Spirit™ Ultimate Cordura Ball from Equi-Spirit Toys.
- Missy Wryn All-In-One Bitless Bridle and DVD set.
- Star Wheel Hackamore from The Horse's Hoof.
- LightRider Bitless Noseband in Leather.
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*Prizes: 1st Place will receive their choice of 2 prizes from above! 2nd Place will receive their choice of the 2 remaining prizes, and 3rd place receives the final prize.
All 3 receive a 2-year subscription to The Horse’s Hoof Magazine, and their story published in next issue!
Suggested story length: between 600-2000 words, and include at least 2 photos. The story can be text or a doc file. Save photos as jpeg and email all to [email protected] - include your full name, contact info, and your horse’s name. By entering this contest, you agree to give permission to The Horse’s Hoof to publish your material. Thank you for supporting bitless horses!
Hurry, the deadline for Contest submissions is August 31, 2018!
All winners will be announced in our next issue, Fall #72.
Click here for PDF flyer with instructions: http://thehorseshoof.com/pix2/BitlessContest.pdf

"I just wanted to let you know that I received the bridle and love it! My horse Blue also loved it. We went out on a big bush trek (after test driving the bridle in the round pen of course). I could feel he was much happier in himself and so responsive to the feel and listening to my seat and legs.
I'd been having trouble with him resisting the bit and not listening to other aids so the bridle went down a treat."
Hallie in New Zealand.