# Can You Ride With A Halter Instead of a Bridle?



## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

Perfectly trained horses hardly require a bit at all especially for just walking down a trail. Is your horse perfectly trained?

Also if you think bits are too expensive, you have many unpleasant surprises ahead of you.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

I can ride my horses in a halter & lead rope, I can ride them with a piece of hay rope around their necks, and I do, when I ride them up from the pasture. Would I ride like this on the trail or schooling them in the arena, no. OP, sure you can ride a horse in a halter and a couple lead ropes for reins if you have a well trained horse that has a great attention span, but don't take it out of the pasture or arena like this, I feel that is asking for trouble.


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## EponaLynn (Jul 16, 2013)

On top of the other comments, it also depends on what kind of rider you are (how experienced).

Do you realize the cost if horse ownership?


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

You can ride bitless with some horses fine. Our Appy Trooper does OK in a rope halter. But a bit gives you more options - both more control AND more communication. A sweet iron O-ring or D-ring snaffle runs $10-20. The O-ring I've got has copper inserts and was $22 IRC. If that seems expensive, you'd better rethink owning a horse.


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## iBeMagikal (Sep 2, 2015)

Thanks everyone! And yes, before you assume, I am WELL aware of the costs of a horse. I'm just saying that bridles and hacks are expensive if you're just looking for a quick way to steer your horse. Thanks again!


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## BearPony (Jan 9, 2013)

Why don't you like bits? They are not necessarily harsh if you have gentle hands and use them correctly. They are nice because you can be very specific in your communication with the horse. 

My horses all ride well in a simple snaffle. My main pony often wears a short shanked jumping hackamore for hunting or trail riding because he responds better to it than a bit when he is feeling a bit "up" or strong and I like that he can grab a snack more easily when we are out all day. I can also ride them all around the arena or in to the barn from their field in a halter or an old stirrup leather around their neck, but I wouldn't choose this for a more active, group kind of activity.

Proper bits/hackamores don't need to be expensive to work well and be functional. My three current horses are uncomplicated and straight forward sorts and I currently don't use a bit or hackamore that cost more than $50 (and most were half that or less), which is a drop in the bucket as far as horse costs are concerned.


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## ChitChatChet (Sep 9, 2013)

iBeMagikal said:


> Thanks everyone! And yes, before you assume, I am WELL aware of the costs of a horse. I'm just saying that bridles and hacks are expensive if you're just looking for a quick way to steer your horse. Thanks again!


Yeah and saddles are an expensive thing to just sit on. :icon_rolleyes:

They where all designed for a good reason.


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## Rainaisabelle (Jan 2, 2015)

Bridles aren't very expensive you can usually get a 2nd hand one for $15 with a bit? The stigma that bridles and hackamores are just easy ways to steer a horse are false ...


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## EponaLynn (Jul 16, 2013)

ChitChatChet said:


> Yeah and saddles are an expensive thing to just sit on. :icon_rolleyes:
> 
> They where all designed for a good reason.


Yes!

If I was going to complain about any costs related to horses, it would NOT be the cost of the bit. That's kind of like complaining about the cost of floor mats for the car instead of the cost of the car.

Wait until you get a $1,000 vet bill.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

EponaLynn said:


> Yes!
> 
> If I was going to complain about any costs related to horses, it would NOT be the cost of the bit. That's kind of like complaining about the cost of floor mats for the car instead of the cost of the car.
> 
> Wait until you get a $1,000 vet bill.


Wait until you get a $10,000 doctor bill from falling off a horse who took off with you because all you had to control it with was a halter and two ropes.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

iBeMagikal said:


> So, like the title says, can I?


Yes, you can.

You can even ride a horse without a saddle AND without a halter at all. (Bridle-less)

https://youtu.be/a-7v8Ck1crg

.....with that said, I would NOT recommend it unless your horse is exceptionally trained and you are an extremely good rider.



iBeMagikal said:


> I'm looking into buying a horse soon and I don't really like bits and Hackamores seem like a pain to train your horse in as well. XD
> (not to mention EXPENSIVE)


Yes, you can ride in a halter but you need to realize that halters lack refinement. You can't give a subtle cue in a halter. They're not designed for it. 

Different bits do different things. Some are designed more "harsh" but at the same time, they allow for very light cues from the rider and work very well on a well-trained horse. 

As far as _"Hackamores seem like a pain to train your horse in as well"_ have you ever tried a hackamore? Why does it seem like a pain to you?

Bits, hackamores, and halters are very *inexpensive* items in the grand scheme of things. You'll easily spend more on board, farrier work, vet bills, etc. 



iBeMagikal said:


> If you can, do you prefer nylon or rope?


Rope is going to have more "bite" to it, especially if there are knots in it.




iBeMagikal said:


> Also, do you think 2 lead ropes or clip on reins would work well to use as reins?


Clip-on reins ARE reins .... are they not?




iBeMagikal said:


> I'm just saying that bridles and hacks are expensive if you're just looking for a quick way to steer your horse.


??? 

What do you mean "quick way"?
And why does a "quick way" make it expensive?
I'm not following your logic.


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## Rainaisabelle (Jan 2, 2015)

beau159 said:


> iBeMagikal said:
> 
> 
> > So, like the title says, can I?
> ...


I don't follow the logic either...


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

Yes, you can ride in a halter. I teach beginner riding lessons and we start beginner riders in a halter with clip on reins until their hands are steady enough for a bit.

Of course, this is in a controlled environment with very steady horses. Even so, some of them can be quite heavy in the halter and take some muscle to steer if they think they should be going in the other direction.

On a well trained horse it can be fun to just ride bareback with a halter sometimes, but I'd keep it in the arena even then. For real riding, you really do need a better way to communicate with your horse.


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## enh817 (Jun 1, 2012)

Riding a hackamore and riding with a halter, would require the same kind of training. The horse has to be soft in the face/nose and know to follow his nose. The thing is, unlike with a bit, the horse has SO much more strength against you, and as soon as they figure that out (which they almost certainly will, with a novice riding them), you're screwed. The horse will take you where ever it wants. 
Go ahead and do what you want, because it's pretty obvious that you are going to anyway. But I bet we see another post from you soon, titled "My horse takes off and I can't control it. Help?" or "My horse won't steer and keeps running me into the fence."


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

I think I am beginning to feel sorry for this yet-unpurchased horse.


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## Sarahrachael (Dec 31, 2014)

Now I'm seeing a lot of comments saying riding bitless is dangerous and bits provide more control.

Personally you should be looking into what works best for this horse. My extremely green horse who only has 25 rides on him, rides in a bitless bridle. He couldn't understand the pressure system of a bit. But he understands the pressure system on his face. 

Now if this horse responds well to a bit. Stick with it! You can get very cheap second hand bridles with a second hand snaffle. 

If you want to ride bitless, you need to do the ground work in order to get to that point. You need to develop a way to communicate. 

I'm not liking how people are seeing the bit as a means of control.. Anything you use on a horse is a means of communication not control. This communication all needs to be trained. 

So the moral of my story is, if you buy this horse.. Spend time with it, do ground work. See where this horse is at with pressure on his face rather than his mouth. This horse could have absolutely no clue to riding with pressure on the face which could end badly for you if you decide to just hop on and go. So figure out what the best way to communicate with this horse before making any decisions


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Sarahrachael said:


> Now I'm seeing a lot of comments saying riding bitless is dangerous and bits provide more control.


I think you're misunderstanding. We're not saying that _bitless_ is dangerous, as bitless includes Dr Cook-type bridles, hackamores, and sidepulls. What we're saying is that _halters_ can be dangerous because if that horse tanks off, there's absolutely nothing to bring it back to you (whereas in a bit or even a hack/sidepull/bitless bridle, there's a certain modicum of "control" and it's easier to bring a spooked horse back to you).


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

To answer your original question, it all stems from good training. I would have never been able to ride my horse in a halter when I first got him. 5 years later, we've been doing it regularly.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Sarahrachael said:


> ...I'm not liking how people are seeing the bit as a means of control.. Anything you use on a horse is a means of communication not control. This communication all needs to be trained...


Bits are about more than communication. Communication works when the horse wants to listen. If the horse gets excited or becomes afraid, and doesn't want to listen, then communication becomes meaningless.

Just as a horse has the option of ignoring your leg and not going faster (or at all), the horse has the option of ignoring stop or turn cues. It is harder for them to ignore a bit than to ignore a rope or web halter - just as it is harder for them to ignore a crop than it is for them to ignore your leg.

In an ideal world, every horse would be willing and no horse would learn how to evade a rider's cues. I don't live in the ideal world, though. This is a picture of me riding Trooper in a rope halter. With Trooper, it is OK. Not as good as a bit, but still pretty safe. But just how much influence do I have over his head position in this picture:








​
I'd say darn near none. If he felt like ignoring me, he could do so easily. But Trooper is a naturally submissive horse who rarely fights his rider.

Mia would ride great in a rope halter - and we did it many times - but only until she decided to take control. Little Cowboy is in many ways a fine mustang pony. But if you rode him in the desert with a rope halter, he'd part himself in front of anything green and eat until he felt like moving. He'd think, "_Rope halter? Guess I'm in charge today!_"

Training creates a habit of obedience. But no amount of training takes a horse's ability to choose away from it. Neither does any piece of tack. But some pieces of tack make it easier to say, "_Do this because the alternative will not be fun_". And with some horses, that is very important. It is important for most horses in an uncontrolled environment.

Trooper can be ridden with a good degree of safety in the desert in a rope halter. Not because his training is different from my other horses, but because that is just the sort of horse he is. You could probably survive riding Cowboy in the desert with a rope halter. You just wouldn't go anywhere or do anything he didn't feel like doing, which might include coming home. With Mia or Bandit, a bit was a safety device. They gave better communication, but ALSO better control.


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

A few weeks ago my mare had a wolf tooth pulled, I didn't ride her for about 5 days to give it time to heal. When I did decide to go for a ride I just tried her with the halter in the paddock and she was fine with it so we went out around the farm and into some woods and she was really good, we had no problem. But because my Mother didn't raise any fools, I put a chain lead on under her jaw just as a precaution in case she did act up a little. Didn't need it but you never know.
Would I do this on a regular basis? No because she might soon learn that the halter gave her much more control over the situation and I don't want that. I know I could ride her in an enclosed area with just a string around her neck if I wanted to but I wouldn't want to do it out riding on trails or in unusual situations.


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