# Feeling deflated



## Liligirl (Jun 9, 2012)

Seems lately like nothing I do is the right way to do it.

Just feeling super down and deflated this morning. For the second time in a week I have had 1 of my neighbours stop and tell me I need to ride my horses in bits. That I can't control them in a rope halter. 

I ride in a rope halter cause it's how I enjoy riding. I hate putting on bridles and bits. I love how much simpler it is in a halter.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

Kind of begs the question, are your horses under complete control in a halter? Have they ever done anything whatsoever to make your neighbors feel they aren't?


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## Liligirl (Jun 9, 2012)

No they are very well behaved horses. I justed pulled one out after 3 weeks off and on spring grass. The naughtiest thing he did was try and grab mouthfuls of grass a few times.

I think they are just old school and used to muster stock on horses. The one today told me that if I needed full control of my horses for rough terrain I wouldn't have it unless I was in a bit. That if one really bucked that I couldn't control it in a rope halter. 

I'm pretty comfortable with where my horses are and occasionally I do actually ride in a bit. But It just really brought me down that they feel the need to stop and tell me how to ride my horses.


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## HombresArablegacy (Oct 12, 2013)

Liligirl said:


> No they are very well behaved horses. I justed pulled one out after 3 weeks off and on spring grass. The naughtiest thing he did was try and grab mouthfuls of grass a few times.
> 
> I think they are just old school and used to muster stock on horses. The one today told me that if I needed full control of my horses for rough terrain I wouldn't have it unless I was in a bit. That if one really bucked that I couldn't control it in a rope halter.
> 
> I'm pretty comfortable with where my horses are and occasionally I do actually ride in a bit. But It just really brought me down that they feel the need to stop and tell me how to ride my horses.


If you're comfortable riding with a halter and your horse is too, just ignore your neighbors and enjoy your rides.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## 3rdTimestheCharm (Jan 18, 2015)

I agree with HombresArabLegacy. They're your horses, so it's totally up to you. 

If you do get start getting really bothered by their comments, however, you could try a hackamore. But, again they're your horses; it was just a thought I wanted to add


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## sarahfromsc (Sep 22, 2013)

You can't control people, but you can control how you let them get to you.

Your neighbors won this round. Don't let them win the next.


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## Mulefeather (Feb 22, 2014)

I love bitless riding and feel like bitted riding is actually a big hole in my education- something I'm working to correct with my pleasure driving education. 

To your neighbor's credit, rope halters are not a good bridle substitute- less so for safety with a well-behaved horse than a muddying of communication between horse and rider. Unless you're neck reining 100% of the time and your horse works well off your seat and voice, the signals it gives can be confusing. As well, the knots/thin rope most rope halters are made of can really bite into a horse's face. 

I'm a fan of what they refer to as "English/Jumping" hackamores, basically a leather nose with short shanks, and I did a lot of trail riding in them when I was younger, as well as a braided leather nose hackamore with longer shanks- but those horses all neck-reined. 

Out on the trails I would not feel okay with a rope halter or regular halter, but if your horse works well bitless there are many options available to you. If you're just dinking around the pasture, don't worry about it.


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## HombresArablegacy (Oct 12, 2013)

You could tell your neighbors that you plan to continue training and riding with the goal of someday riding tackless, as that is the ultimate display of trust between horse and rider. It will either shut them up or give them apoplexy !!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## PrivatePilot (Dec 7, 2009)

Assuming you're having success riding bitless, your horse is well behaved and responsive...here's your solution: Smile and wave. And ride on. 

Best thing you can do is just *ignore* some people, especially when they insist on giving unwanted unsolicited advice.

If they've been watching you gallop uncontrolled across your fields unable to stop or seen other signs of imminent danger or risk (presumably you're an advanced enough rider to see and determine those risks yourself?) it might be a different situation...but that doesn't seem to be the case.


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## Liligirl (Jun 9, 2012)

I don't gallop, I sometimes have a canter along a small stretch of flat track. But iv only just found my confidence again with cantering so no they have never actually seen me do more than walk. 

Most of my riding is along a private road so it's a pretty controlled environment. Fenced right down to the river as there is grazing pasture either side.


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

Some people just don't know how to mind their own business. Tell them thanks for the info and go about your merry way. This way they know you heard them so maybe they'll refrain from repeating themselves.


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## AnrewPL (Jun 3, 2012)

Liligirl said:


> No they are very well behaved horses. I justed pulled one out after 3 weeks off and on spring grass. The naughtiest thing he did was try and grab mouthfuls of grass a few times.
> 
> I think they are just old school and used to muster stock on horses. The one today told me that if I needed full control of my horses for rough terrain I wouldn't have it unless I was in a bit. That if one really bucked that I couldn't control it in a rope halter.
> 
> I'm pretty comfortable with where my horses are and occasionally I do actually ride in a bit. But It just really brought me down that they feel the need to stop and tell me how to ride my horses.


 You should take all that "need a bit to muster cattle" and “need a bit to ride in rough terrain" and “need a bit to control your horse” stuff with a huge bucket of salt. It’s all bull [email protected] 
For years when I worked as a ringer on stations in the NT and all through QLD, in country as diverse as open tropical grasslands and rain forest NT, to desert gidgee country way out west of central QLD, to some serious mountain country up in north QLD near Charters Towers and pretty soft country down around Roma, I did most of my riding, mustering good to completely rank cattle, in a traditional hackamore (with a rawhide bosal), and my horses were better workers than most of what I saw of many people riding in a bit. 
And you would not believe how many times I heard “you can’t ride with that bosal thing in the bush” or “you can’t ride in a slick fork saddle in the bush”. I’d look around and say “well I am” and they would always come back with the same nonsense “nah nah, I mean the real bush, up around [wherever], that’s real bush”. Basically unless you rode your horse through a ****ed hedge to prove them wrong they will always tell you some crud about why or how you can’t do it.
Now me personally, I wouldn’t ride in a rope halter for various reasons I won’t bother to go into, but it’s nothing to do with the stuff these people carry on about. Essentially, they can’t conceive of being able to get a horse to a level of refinement where they can work as good, usually better, in a bitless bridle than they can get them to in a bridle.


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## phoenix (Jun 7, 2010)

Ignore them. If your horses work well for you bit less you shouldn't feel the need to listen to them. My friends pony goes wonderfully in a bit less bridle (I think he wears a side pull but am not 100%), she's been told numerous times to out him in a bit by this person or that person. I've seen him in a bit, he's a beast, he rears and misbehaves, this is mostly because my friend is quite heavy handed when she rides so I keep telling her if he goes well bit less leave him bit less. 

If you enjoy your horses and enjoy riding them the way you do go for it, have fun and ignore the naysayers.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

I would tell them that I was working on training my horses the Californio or Vaquero way and they are currently just in the bosal and will be working on the 2 rein next......LOL! Now go read up on it so you can talk about it and baffle 'em with your BS even if you can't befuddle 'em with your brilliance...Vaquero Horsemanship


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