# Bridleless Training for Show



## .Delete. (Jan 7, 2008)

People people people people. Oh i can hear it now "Thats cheating, my horse can't do that so he shouldn't be allowed". "Just because his horse can do it doesn't mean others can". "He will get extra points thats not fair". Oh the people will be annoying :?


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## horsestar8100 (Mar 4, 2008)

That would be sooooo cool. I once saw on youtube (I think) about a reiner doing a pattern with out a bridle (know for a fact) or rope (I think). Yea, see .Delete.'s point. People can be so obnoxious about not taking the time to practice, practice, practice, and than they throw a fit because someone had an 'advantage' over them :roll: , or because someone did something different and got a very cooperative mount (legal and humane means), mean while their horse is flipping out over something stupid....... Gotta love society :roll: . Also agree with .Delete. again, depending on the type of horse and how well the rider know the horse, some people just can't.


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## kchfuller (Feb 1, 2008)

start out with using as little pressure on your reigns as possible and as much leg and seat direction as you can ... after you think you have mastered that, you can go to using a rope around the neck or even a piece of bailing twine in the mouth so that you have a little control and then go to the rope or twine around the neck ... 
hope this helps


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## I Love Lane (Dec 11, 2007)

Tim - does your horse spur stop??? If he does then you should be able to take the bridle off today and ride him with a neck strap (that is required under APHA rules for bridleless anyway not sure about 4H). If he isn't trained to spur stop - but from previous posts i believe that he is - then it will involve complete retraining and not sure that you would have him going super by the state champs so i would pass for this year and try for next.

Not sure about 4-H rules though Timmy - you may very well get a DQ. You certainly can not enter the pen in a paint show without a bridle unless it is a bridless class so i imagine that this rule would be farily universal in all the western clubs


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## tim (Dec 31, 2007)

Lane, yes he spur stops.

Also, I think you might be right. There is nothing in the rules that addresses it though, so I think if I talk to the show staff I can find out for sure. 4H has always been a little different, and thats what I'm relying on, but they're also strict as well, so it may not work out at all.

I actually wouldn't mind getting DQ'd if I was at least allowed to do the pattern. I just want to do something different (show off or whatever... :wink: ) because no one has ever tried it and I think people would really enjoy it.

We'll see how it goes and I'll report on what the officials say.


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## boonesar (Dec 3, 2007)

I would search anything Stacy Westfall. She does it on youtube.com beautifully. She showed us all on the Elen Show. Big Fan. I think she has a video on how to do it. On Ellen I think she said she had practiced 800 hours before she did it for the show. 4 hours a day 6 days a week. I think the Ellen show is on www.youtube.com too. If you haven't seen it is worth the visit. It and the Clinton Anderson video are my favorites.


Wow, you have courage! Congratulations


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## kickshaw (May 7, 2008)

if they won't allow it in a regular class, you could persuede them to add one 

I watched a bridleless class at the Big A Quarter Horse show down here a few years back...you could tell the ones that were really trained and knew their stuff...and you could also tell the ones who didn't (girls horse took off with her in the arena...at a jog - she had to get off and lead him out :lol: )


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

Please keep us updated Tim!



Ps.. you're going to kill me.... I pulled Maia's mane...


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## mlkarel2010 (Jan 27, 2008)

My 4-H says that in the reining class "The bridle may be dropped at the judge's discretion"

I'm not sure if that helps..... VA may be different, do you have a show and judging guide?


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## I Love Lane (Dec 11, 2007)

mlkarel2010 said:


> My 4-H says that in the reining class "The bridle may be dropped at the judge's discretion"
> 
> I'm not sure if that helps..... VA may be different, do you have a show and judging guide?


this is a standard Reining rule - the judge can only ask for the bridle to be doped to check that the bit is legal - they are not allowed to ask you to perform any manouvers without it


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## mlkarel2010 (Jan 27, 2008)

I Love Lane said:


> mlkarel2010 said:
> 
> 
> > My 4-H says that in the reining class "The bridle may be dropped at the judge's discretion"
> ...



hmm, so that's what it means, which is weird because then it repeats itself more than once..... weird.... oh well


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I always wanted to do 4-H and never got to... I thought it was all about the learning process and doing things yourself... Of course rules are rules I geuss...

What about an exhibition ride? If they say no to bridleless showing, can you do an exibition ride??? You will still be riding bridleless at state fair....?


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

That'd be pretty cool.  But if it's not allowed then yeah...  
Still, you'd be showing off!


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