# Riding bitless and barefoot



## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

That's a great exercise to get a horse soft and responsive. It's good when using a bit too. 

I've trained our TWH, Lucy, bitless from the beginning. She's only had a bit in her mouth once and that was just to see if she would accept it. It was never used. She's not as good or even close to that horse in the vid but I don't ride her very much. She's more of a pasture ornament because of her injuries after her birth. 

Our other horses use bits but we can also ride them in just a halter and lead rope. Just not as much control.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## HarleyWood (Oct 14, 2011)

yea i ride that way a lot plus none of my geldings have ever had shoes on. i ride all of my geldings in halter and they listen just fine, i like that way beeter for the winter so they dont have cold bits in their mouths.


----------



## QHriderKE (Aug 3, 2011)

I can ride most of my horses with a leadrope around their necks, the younger/hotter ones I can ride with a halter and then once they're relaxed a bit more, I can go to the leadrope. And they're never shoed. Except for the one time my mare somehow managed to crack her front hoof really bad, so we had her shoed in the front till it grew out.

I actually really want to buy a bridle like the one in the video to start my two fillies in.


----------



## mikkoas (Nov 24, 2011)

Bitless bridle website: The Bitless Bridle by Dr. Robert Cook, FRCVS, Ph.D.


----------



## Dame Nuit (Nov 15, 2011)

Does anybody know why the guy drop his rein several times? 
Seems quite strange to me...


----------



## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

^^ Do you mean let go with his second hand? That's the only dropping that I see. It's to give the horse a clear signal of release.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Dame Nuit (Nov 15, 2011)

Is that a western ride? 

It looks like to me as if the guy hadn't choose between western riding and english riding... 

Maybe when you drop the rein, it's a clear signal of release, but I can't see how one could be clear when you need to pick up the rein again...


----------



## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

Giving a big or exaggerated release gets the horse to become softer. If you look closely, he only lifts his hand outward without pulling directly on the horse unless the horse doesn't respond. The horse feels the change in the rein and responds. Since he's not really pulling on the rein or making contact, he needs to exaggerate his release so the horse can feel the difference. 

It looks like an English saddle but does that mean he has to ride with constant contact? Maybe he's more comfortable in an English saddle and training it for someone that rides western. The horse has good form and is responding well so why put pressure on his face?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## heidifinland (Dec 17, 2011)

By the way this horse is an American trotter. At first it was trained to be a trotter, but wasn´t fast enough. So this man has trained this horse himself and it is quite a good riding horse.

The horse is 11 years old now.

My riding companion, too


----------



## henia (Jul 31, 2011)

I like it very very much! Maybe this man isn't great rider, but overall impression is great.


----------



## heidifinland (Dec 17, 2011)

He has learnt to ride at the age of 50 and by himself. I think this is remarkable and I think he has trained this horse very well without any help.


----------



## henia (Jul 31, 2011)

heidifinland said:


> He has learnt to ride at the age of 50 and by himself. I think this is remarkable and I think he has trained this horse very well without any help.


Great achievement! I'm impressed. Maybe his position isn't perfect, but the thing I like in it, is that he doesn't impede the horse's movement.


----------



## ConfusciusWasAGreatTeachr (Oct 29, 2011)

I'm also bitless, barefoot and treeless. Have had my boy since a foal.

I liked the video. I like seeing a horse with no bit. The horse looks a bit tail swishy sometimes and the rider uses quite alot of exaggerated hand movements, but of course, I don't know how far this horse is in training so.....

I've heard alot of people like the dr. cooks, but when both reins are pulled it tightens around the nose and poll, as it has a head hugging action. I prefer a side pull personally. However, well done to this guy who has achieved this so far by himself.


----------



## Country Woman (Dec 14, 2011)

I have seen of both English and western ride with bit less bridle 
I even rode my cousins horse with just a halter and lead rope and bareback


----------



## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

I'm not really impressed. The horse didn't appear to back well at the first of the video. The rider is sloppy to the extreme. If you want a horse to be really light you have to be able to ride. You can't be flopping around and waving your arms. You should stay centered and keep your hands and arms close to your body. Giving exagerated releases doesn't help the horse a bit. Giving properly timed releases is what helps a horse. The video seems to be of an overconfident amatuer than someone that really knows what he's doing. Bitless and barefoot means nothing to me.


----------



## DuffyDuck (Sep 27, 2011)

I am not overly sure about bitless riding, but the horse does NOT look impressed.


----------



## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

henia said:


> Great achievement! I'm impressed. Maybe his position isn't perfect, but the thing I like in it, is that he doesn't impede the horse's movement.


He impedes the horses movement at every turn! When you flap your arms and lean from side to side you can't help but impede the horse. I think the horse does a wonderful job filling in for the sloppy riding.


----------



## AmazinCaucasian (Dec 10, 2010)

Reminded me of Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey


----------



## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

Nope, my gelding's got a full set of shoes, I ride him with a saddle, a bit and ooooooh his bridle has a crank noseband and a flash too!! 

Go ahead and stone me now...... :roll:


----------



## heidifinland (Dec 17, 2011)

You should blame me: I took this video and *asked him to show, how to* *ride with light hand movements*. I´m so used to ride with bits and just wanted to see how easily a horse can be ridden without bits.

He doesn´t normally ride with these vast hand movements. In this video he shows a human, not the horse, how easy one can ride without bits.

So send me those nasty comments.:wink:


----------



## Dame Nuit (Nov 15, 2011)

It's not about being nasty... 

But just about acting the right way with the horse to be light.

Maybe you should considere those comments as idea about how to be really light :wink:


----------



## ConfusciusWasAGreatTeachr (Oct 29, 2011)

Don't take people's comments too personally. That is one of the most hardest things with horse people - when someone asks you their opinion and you give them a honest, direct, straight-to-the-point answer based on the horse's best interest, then they don't like it and defend themselves and their initial actions and then give you sh*t why you are '_soooooo rude_'. (Sorry - I'm going off on a rant... past experiences on another forum)

I think the video was good because I like the whole bitless thing. BUT the guy does need to improve. The horse tail swishes many times which is a negative thing caused by the wrong stimulus. The guy is unbalanced, his hands are too heavy etc. He needs to learn to be lighter, the horse needs to be given better cues in order to respond better.
But that's the whole idea of posting a video for people to comment on, right? In order to get better, in order to improve, in order to ask for others opinions so that it *makes you better*. Nothing nasty about that.

It ain't all negative. This guy has achieved alot already. The only thing he needs to achieve is more - which is all of our goal - is it not?


----------



## heidifinland (Dec 17, 2011)

With nasty comments I referred the ones kevinshorses and amazincaucasian posted.

Constructive critic is always acceptable. You don´t know how much critics I hear when riding. But I surely do need it.


----------



## DuffyDuck (Sep 27, 2011)

heidifinland said:


> With nasty comments I referred the ones kevinshorses and amazincaucasian posted.
> 
> Constructive critic is always acceptable. You don´t know how much critics I hear when riding. But I surely do need it.


There bark is worse than their bite.

Honestly, anything people tell you take it as constructive, but research it- don't take someone on a forum's word for gospel.

As has been mentioned, the video was commented on, and everyone has their own opinion. Now you have explained the situation, the guy is doing fairly well, but then more experienced riders has seen the video and given some tips which is great


----------



## henia (Jul 31, 2011)

kevinshorses said:


> He impedes the horses movement at every turn! When you flap your arms and lean from side to side you can't help but impede the horse. I think the horse does a wonderful job filling in for the sloppy riding.


Well, as I said he isn't wonderful rider, but he's better than worse. He's not balanced, but he rarely flaps on the saddle, he mostly stays in stirrups. So I think he's doing pretty well, considering his abilities. Maybe I'm wrong, only horse can say.
And leaning to side maybe isn't really bad, when doing tight turns?


----------



## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

I said nothing nasty. I was honest in my critique and if that bothers you then don't ask for an opinion.


----------



## AmazinCaucasian (Dec 10, 2010)

I wasn't being nasty at all either. I think the monkey is tremendously talented! Whiplash is very famous and has even appeared on TV commercials for Taco Bell. He's won Contract Act of the Year several times.


----------



## heidifinland (Dec 17, 2011)

AmazinCaucasian said:


> I wasn't being nasty at all either. I think the monkey is tremendously talented!


Rides like a talented monkey Well, everybody would like to get that kind of compliments...


----------



## heidifinland (Dec 17, 2011)

kevinshorses said:


> I'm not really impressed. The rider is sloppy to the extreme. The video seems to be of an overconfident amatuer than someone that really knows what he's doing. Bitless and barefoot means nothing to me.


Most of us are amateurs.
And one must be quite overconfident to start learning to ride at the age of 50.
Nothing mean in your comments??? :wink:


----------



## DuffyDuck (Sep 27, 2011)

heidifinland said:


> Rides like a talented monkey Well, everybody would like to get that kind of compliments...



If my trainer told me that, it would make my day and I'd crack open the champagne :rofl:


----------

