# Bitless ??



## ridergirl23 (Sep 17, 2009)

i have never ridden bitless, jjust bridless, but i have seen grand prix showjumpers ride bitless, with i htought was cool. i dontthink there that big a difference between rope halters and bitless bridles


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

I personally feel like I have more control in a bitless bridle as opposed to just a halter. When I ride in a halter I just use a single lead rope and neck rein in one direction and direct rein in the other direction which probably doesn't help the whole security deal. haha 
Lacey and I really like our bitless bridle though. She acts more comfortable in it and I feel more comfortable because she's comfy. =)


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## MangoRoX87 (Oct 19, 2009)

You can just tie the other end of the rope to the halter like a pair of reins

I can ride on mare in a rope halter and she does really great in it, but when it comes to somethings she really needs a bit. 
Then one of my geldings, its absolute suicide to ride him without a bit lol


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

I can ride all my horses in a halter. I would expect every horse I own to be able to. However, I choose to ride in a bit as I can get more finesse and refinement - Also, in an emergency, a bit gives you a whole lot more grunt if you need it.


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## masatisan (Jan 12, 2009)

I find them quite...strong to put it mildly, my horse goes fine in a halter an english hackamore or a regular snaffle but he doesn't like the bitless at all for two reasons:

A) Bitless bridles require the noseband to be done up rather tight (think of dressage) and for a western trained horse who has never worn a noseband that constricted his jaw, this is extremely uncomfortable.

B) When I try to establish contact, he can feel the pressure all over his face and is bothered by it, resulting in him becoming extremely "wiggly" and requiring even more leg support than he normally does.

There are halters that are specifically designed for riding, they are widely considered to be the very mildest variety of bitless bridle

Example of a rope riding halter:


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## JustRide181 (Jan 5, 2010)

I ride in a rope halter most of the time when I'm just cruising out on the trails - for more refined work, I use a simple sidepull (noseband NOT done up tight - I'm with you on that matsatisan, don't like tight nosebands!) or a Floatation Hackamore by Nickers Saddlery. I like both of these for more refined arena riding, including dressage and jumping.

I don't like "the" bitless bridle by Dr. Cook - I find it doesn't release quickly enough and is confusing the way it twists the head. Lots of lovers of this bridle though.

I also do like using a basic short-shanked hack on my big gelding - he has done lots of endurance riding and eventing and on race days or XC, he can resemble a freight train on occasion - He has a real problem with bits (fat tongue, low and WIDE mouth - greatly restricts the bit selection!) and goes OK in the Myler for Dressage (required) but for everything else is a much softer creature in either his sidepull or hackamore


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## Spirithorse (Jun 21, 2007)

Any horse that I own or that I'm training will be ridden in a rope halter first. A rope halter/rope halter hackamore is VERY different than a "bitless bridle." Bitless bridles use leverage and can be quite harsh. 

A horse should be able to do anything in a halter...jump, go on a trail ride, w/t/c stop and back up, etc. Bits are for refinement and clearer communication, not for control. IMO if the horse can't be ridden in a halter, even in just a certain situation, there is a hole in his foundation that needs to be fixed.


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## Ne0n Zero (Dec 25, 2008)

Spirithorse said:


> Any horse that I own or that I'm training will be ridden in a rope halter first. A rope halter/rope halter hackamore is VERY different than a "bitless bridle." * Bitless bridles use leverage and can be quite harsh. *
> 
> A horse should be able to do anything in a halter...jump, go on a trail ride, w/t/c stop and back up, etc. Bits are for refinement and clearer communication, not for control. IMO if the horse can't be ridden in a halter, even in just a certain situation, there is a hole in his foundation that needs to be fixed.


Hackamores use leverage. Most bitless bridles do not.

---

I ride Beau in a Nurtual bitless bridle sometimes. They say it's supposed to have "equal to or greater control than a bit", which, in my experience isn't always the case. I get much greater refinement in a bit if I want to do dressage work, and I don't have to "talk as loudly" with the bit. 
Bitless bridles do require much more use of seat and legs though, and they will teach you to use those two aids more than your reins, which is good.


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## Spirithorse (Jun 21, 2007)

Yes, some bitless bridles do use leverage. My rope hackamore on the other hand, does not.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

Spirithorse said:


> Bits are for refinement and clearer communication, not for control.


 
Don't you NEED the clearest communication at the beginning of training? Later when the horse has a better understanding of what you want the communication doesn't need to be quite so clear.


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## Honeysuga (Sep 1, 2009)

^^ Yup. Seems like most people reverse that nowadays with their contorted ideas of "vaquero"(sp?) type training...No offense meant toward anyone.

Tom goes great in a bit, any bit, but lately I just ride him in a rope halter., not because I have grand delusions of a better connection or going more natural, but because we are both comfortable with it and we just ride around home anyway...


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

I always teach my horses to ride well in a rope halter, snaffle bit, and a mild curb (for showing), I usually start them in the rope halter, just personal preference, more so than anything on my part.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

> Yes, some bitless bridles do use leverage.


Curious - Could you give an example (picture) of a bitless bridle, NOT a mechanical hackamore, that uses leverage?


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I am with Kevin on this one. I can ride any of my horses in whatever I choose; halter, bosal, snaffle, curb. However, they learn the finesse from the bit before I ever put them into a halter. That way it carries over instead of having to be taught finesse with something that by nature has no finesse. A well trained horse should be just as responsive in a flat nylon halter as they are in any bit. If they aren't, then it's rider/trainer error.

I like the looks of that riding halter that matisan posted. I think that would work well on horses that don't neck rein. If they do neck rein though, there is no need for that, a regular halter works just as well.


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## Spirithorse (Jun 21, 2007)

I teach horses to do very basic things in the halter (rope halter hackamore) that doesn't need a bit. I'm not asking for flexion, I'm not looking for collection, I just want the horse to get the _idea._ Once he understands the idea, that's when I move to a bit to ask for more accuracy.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

> Curious - Could you give an example (picture) of a bitless bridle, NOT a mechanical hackamore, that uses leverage?


Spirithorse - Could you answer this?


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## Ne0n Zero (Dec 25, 2008)

wild_spot said:


> Spirithorse - Could you answer this?


Was wondering the same thing. Also, a hackamore without leverage??


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## XxFUDGEISTHEBOMBxX (Nov 4, 2009)

yes i've ridden bitless. but NOT a hackamore, they put pressure on the nose bone of the horse and can cause long term damage. But there are other bridles you can get, like the halters othe people said and there is one where it crosses underneath the jaw and leads in to the reins, kinda confusing but works well! although its not for every horse, it just depends! a heady pony that tends to think their the boss... personally i wouldn't use it on them! 
just a few tips


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

XxFUDGEISTHEBOMBxX said:


> yes i've ridden bitless. but NOT a hackamore, they put pressure on the nose bone of the horse and can cause long term damage.


Very very unlikely to happen.


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## Ne0n Zero (Dec 25, 2008)

kevinshorses, just clarifying, you were saying that long term damage on the nose bone from a hack is very unlikely, correct?


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

Yes. If it is in good condition and used with even a glimmer of intelligence it won't cause long term *PHYSICAL* damage.


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## Ne0n Zero (Dec 25, 2008)

kevinshorses said:


> Yes. If it is in good condition and used with even a glimmer of intelligence it won't cause long term *PHYSICAL* damage.


Alright. I was under that impression as well. Thanks


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## Snowkicker (Dec 23, 2009)

I use a side pull with a wide not too tight noseband on my gelding. He seems to be more comfortable and focused with it. He tossed his head a lot in a snaffle. I think it was me rather than him (I am working on softening my hands. He is very sensitive). We get along better and he turns and stops well with it. I am taking lessons also in the meantime to improve my riding. I might try the snaffle again on him this spring.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

Ne0n Zero said:


> Alright. I was under that impression as well. Thanks


Dang I thought you were going to argue!!


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

kevinshorses said:


> Very very unlikely to happen.


Weeeeeeelll...there are instances where the hackemore is not adjusted properly, and CAN actually snap the cartilage in the nose, where the bone ends, which is why it is extremely important to adjust a mechanical, and even a bosal hackamore properly...BUT, that's the only instance I can really think of where using a hack can be potentially dangerous; well that and in the hands of careless, inexperienced hands, but that goes without saying


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## Spirithorse (Jun 21, 2007)

The hackamore I use is rope. I would never use a mechanical hackamore.

The Dr. Cook bitless bridle is using some leverage. I've personally never seen a horse go well in one, they act crazy with it on.


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## 5cuetrain (Dec 11, 2009)

Riding bitless to me is like neck reining--its the result of the training. But it kind of depends on what "riding" is supposed to mean. Walking around a pasture or round pen or a typical reining pattern. The first definition can be done pretty quick--the latter definition takes a while.

As far as the gear goes use what works as long as you use it properly--light hands humans!!


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## snazzydandy (Jan 7, 2010)

thanks for the input.. i had been seeing alot on the bitless bridles and just was curious.. thanks again


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## EasyStepHorsemanship (Feb 9, 2010)

snazzydandy said:


> Does anyone ride Bitless. I am curious. I ride alot with just the halter and wondered how much of a differance there is??


I ride all of my client horses bitless now. But I'll go to a bit if they want me to. No biggy.

I use a Nutural Bridle (but I turned it into a Dr Cook's by tearing off that thingy that holds the reins at the bottom. I like them to be freed up)

***Spirithorse*, perhaps the horses were not given a fair chance to get used to the Dr Cook's bitless? I found one horse who was frustrated by it the first ride. He would throw his head hard. then the second ride he threw his head less. by the third ride and all the rides after that, he was just as fine as if he were being ridden in the 6" shank bit he came with**

There's a big difference (I found) between riding with a halter and a bitless of the type I mentioned.

A halter doesn't close around the horse's head. You have the leverage at the bottom and when you pick up the left rein, your horse feels the pressure all over his face. There's no "definite" spot of pressure, I mean.

vs.

The Dr Cook or Nutural (without the thingy at the bottom): you pick up on the left rein and the pressure is applied to the right side of his face and to his poll, all pushing him to turn his face to the left. You can apply a lot of pressure and you're just hugging that part of his head more. It doesn't have any harsh pressure points, regardless of how you use it. At least none that I have ever noticed. 

Also, with a Bitless (Dr cook/nutural) you pick up on both reins and you ask for vertical give and the horse feels the pressure on the poll and the nose. Yes, some horses (at first) will fight this pressure, because like anything else in training, they need to get used to the feel, they can't escape it and for some, it can frustrate them especially if they're used to blowing through the rider's cues....but given a couple of rides, they get used to it and respond just fine. 

I ride a quarter horse, a spotted saddle horse, a couple of fox trotters, an arabian, a couple of rocky mountain gaited horses all in the same Dr Cook Bitless. 

I have taught the horse owners to ride in the bitless and they do just fine, too.

I really like it because you can bring the two rings together and voila you've got a halter. 

Also, I've retrained horses that had very bad bit experiences (cracked tooth that lead to bucking and bolting, another the bit was way overused as a torture device, another had ulcers in her mouth and made ugly faces when bitted up once her mouth healed)...... with the bitless I found a very obvious change for the better in all of these horses. 

They much preferred the bitless. Just yielded to pressure a heck of a lot easier and just seemed calmer and more willing. Yes, I gave the bits a fair shake with them at first, but chose to go bitless and it's really made a major difference with them, enough that I try to ride bitless all the time with every client, offering it as an alternative (if they choose to stick with the bit, I ride with the bit, no problem).

Long answer to a short question.:lol:


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## Solon (May 11, 2008)

Spirithorse said:


> The hackamore I use is rope. I would never use a mechanical hackamore.
> 
> The Dr. Cook bitless bridle is using some leverage. I've personally never seen a horse go well in one, they act crazy with it on.


I use Dr. Cook's bridle on my full draft. He does wonderfully. I've told quite a few people about my success using his bridle and those that have gotten one have also had great luck and better success once their horses were out of the bit.


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## BlueJayWay (Feb 8, 2010)

I ride with nothing, or a halter and lead if I go without a bridle. 
I don't know if I can trust a hackmore or bitless bridle since my horse has a really dished face, I think he's be very sensitive with it. I'm chicken to try it.


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## PechosGoldenChance (Aug 23, 2009)

Yea, I usually don't ride with anything. The only thing I use when I ride without a halter, bridle, is a lead rope around her neck and thats it. I, personally, don't like hackamores, because it puts a HUGE amount of pressure on their nose and can break their bone in there quicker than you can imagine. If I don't ride with a bridle I'm riding with a halter and some "rainbow" reins lol, thats what we give our students to use I like them. Or, I just use a lead rope and thats it lol.


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## Solon (May 11, 2008)

PechosGoldenChance said:


> Yea, I usually don't ride with anything. The only thing I use when I ride without a halter, bridle, is a lead rope around her neck and thats it. I, personally, don't like hackamores, because it puts a HUGE amount of pressure on their nose and can break their bone in there quicker than you can imagine. If I don't ride with a bridle I'm riding with a halter and some "rainbow" reins lol, thats what we give our students to use I like them. Or, I just use a lead rope and thats it lol.


Bridles don't break noses. Hard hands do. If you are riding correctly, you're not going to break a bone at all.


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## Annaland13 (Oct 28, 2009)

I used to all the time. The horses knew what they were doing and a light tug would make them turn or stop.


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## LostTitanic (Jun 16, 2011)

I ride and drive my 19hh shire stallion. Many people think I am crazy for that but he is much more comfortable that way. I still don't have any pics of him driving/ridding bitless though. He is my avatar, though he doesn't look that big in the picture. Every horse that i have ever ridden feels less tense when they don't have a bit in their mouths. When I do use one it is always either a simple double jointed snaffle or a less severe mullen( barely if ever do I use it anymore).


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## Annnie31 (May 26, 2011)

My daughter just started riding her 16 Hand QH mare bridleless in the indoor arena at a walk and jog. She has spent the last year rehabbing the mare from a foot problem so she has spent many hours exercising and bonding with the mare. She has been doing showmanship patterns with no halter in the arena (80 x 120) for the past 3 months. The first time we took off the mares bridle she looked at us like what the heck!! LOL
Now she is comfortable doing rollbacks, circles, stops, backups etc all with no bridle. She rode very relaxed before so it didnt change that at all but I believe the freedom she must feel without a bit in her mouth has to be amazing.


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## heartprints62 (Feb 27, 2010)

All the horses I train start in a snaffle then I get out of thier mouth as soon as possible (unless they are training for a specific discipline where a bit is required). As far as general trail riding or whatnot, all of my horses are ridden in rope hackamores.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

My mare has a strong preference for bitless...using a modified sidepull rope halter. She behaves better with it than with a bit.

My gelding used to prefer a bit, but I've been riding him lately with a sidepull. He preferred the bit because he wanted to be sure he knew what his rider wanted and would become uncertain in a rope halter. With time, he is paying more attention to leg & seat, and he now seems to understand that a wrong decision will NOT get him spurred bloody, as he was when younger.

But with good hands, he'll ride a bit cheerfully.

I think horses should learn to use the bit, and then graduate to bitless. I think riders should start bitless, and then graduate to using a bit. Just IMHO.


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## Buckskin984 (Jul 8, 2011)

I use a hackamore on my barrel horse and she loves it. If you can ride ( walk, trot, canter, gallop, stop, turn, back up) with a halter without any problems then you can defiantly ride with a hackamore or bitless bridle.


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## spookychick13 (Jan 1, 2011)

I was using a sidepull on my sensitive arab who had a bad experience with bits.
However...last week he spooked and went on a bucking frenzy and I had very little control or ability to turn his head, or even get it up. It was kinda like putting a leash on an elephant...so there's that.

I ordered a Dr. Cook's last week, that is my next attempt with him, I think.


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## scenestorm (Jul 20, 2011)

I ride with just a rope halter. If you clip the lead where it usually goes just for leading a horse, and then make a loop and tie three loops around that loop, put the end through... etc etc, its too hard to explain, but yeah, thats what I do, it makes reins under the chin (both sides connect to the same spot) and it works very well with horses that are capable of neck reining. I've also ridden a young mare with just a rope halter w/ reins tied under the chin, and she didn't know how to neck rein but she did just fine with it, I took her on a 2 hour trail ride and she never even fussed.


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## Susan Crumrine (Oct 5, 2009)

scenestorm said:


> I ride with just a rope halter. If you clip the lead where it usually goes just for leading a horse, and then make a loop and tie three loops around that loop, put the end through... etc etc, its too hard to explain, but yeah, thats what I do, it makes reins under the chin (both sides connect to the same spot) and it works very well with horses that are capable of neck reining. I've also ridden a young mare with just a rope halter w/ reins tied under the chin, and she didn't know how to neck rein but she did just fine with it, I took her on a 2 hour trail ride and she never even fussed.


Please, Please, explain this for a dummy or post a picture...I ride in a regular halter, but want to use a knotted rope halter, I think I would have a little better control, but cant get the reins right..do you hook them where the knot is on the side or under the jaw? I need a picture. LOL


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## Hunter65 (Aug 19, 2009)

I started Hunter in a Barefoot bitless bridle. He started good but then figured out how to hold his head to push his way through and I lost control. So for now we are back to a bit and going just fine. I think I will try the bitless again down the road once we have finished training.


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## LetAGrlShowU (Mar 25, 2009)

I dont think the nose band has to be done up extremely tight on my bitless bridle, i can still fit a finger 1/2 in there and its still works effectively


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## scenestorm (Jul 20, 2011)

Okay I'll try to explain... It probably won't work too well... I might be able to post picutres later.

1. Clip the lead rope on the loop under the chin (what's that even called? lets call it the under-the-chin loop for now) where you would normally hook it to lead.

2. Take the end of the rope, and make a loop through the under-the-chin loop

3. make the end of the rope fairly long, because now you're going to make three coils around the under-the-chin loop, going upwards- don't make these too tight, because you'll be putting the end of the rope back through them later. Be sure that when doing this, you're leaving the loop you made first visible.

4. Okay, if you've managed to get this far with my terrible explanation, great. Now you take the end of the rope, and put it through the loop you made at the beginning from the back, then put it through the three coils you made.

5. Pull the end tight, and the pull the rein that (if you were doing this from the left side of the horse) will be you're right rein.

The loop should get pulled under, just keep tugging until it feels tight enough so it won't undo.

I hope this helped a bit... Although it probably didn't. I was lucky enough to have someone show me, and probably just typing it out won't work well haha.

I might post some pictures after.


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## scenestorm (Jul 20, 2011)

Susan Crumrine said:


> Please, Please, explain this for a dummy or post a picture...I ride in a regular halter, but want to use a knotted rope halter, I think I would have a little better control, but cant get the reins right..do you hook them where the knot is on the side or under the jaw? I need a picture. LOL


Yes you do hook it under the jaw, both ends of the reins will be under the jaw.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Here is a video. He's doing it with a rawhide bosal, but you tie them the same way on a rope halter.


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## sarahconnelly (Jul 23, 2011)

I ride bitless and I'll never go back, you can do anything with a bitless bridle that you can with a normal bridle, I ordered Dr. Cooks Bitless Bridle and I love it. There is options for English, western and draft bridles and there's a ton of info on this website The Bitless Bridle by Dr. Robert Cook, FRCVS, Ph.D. 
I hope I posted that right haha ^^


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## Tabbi Kat (Nov 30, 2010)

I ride in a little s hack and my mare responds beautifully in it! We use mostly neck reining and seat cues but if I need to use the "bit" to ask a little more I can.


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## Oakley Eastern Miss (Aug 10, 2010)

Sorry for what is probably going to sound like a stupid question to most of you, but do all bitless bridles apply varying pressure across the poll? I'm from the UK where rope halters and the like are very rare, so my knowledge of how they work and the differences between styles is very lacking. Anyone point me in the right direction for some beginner advice?


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## Day Mares (Jul 16, 2011)

*I use a Lightrider Bitless Bridle...*

...on my old (33 yo) arab x stockhorse mare. We love it! :thumbsup:

The link below explains how it is different to other bitless bridles.

FAQ - LightRider Bitless Bridles

I used to ride her in a loose ring snaffle, no noseband and she went just fine but it was only a loaner, unfortunately. 

I invested in the lightrider as it is illegal to ride or lead a horse on the road in Australia without a bridle, otherwise I would use halter and leadrope.


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## ThaiDye (Apr 28, 2011)

I tried Dr Cooks bitless bridle & it seemed to work really well...at first. She responded to turns with barely a movement of my hands. Then, on the way home, she bolted & would not stop...for roughly 3 miles of open trail & some streets, she completely ran away with me & nothing I did would stop her.. Thank God I did not fall off. I called the company & returned it (they offered a money-back guarantee). Since then, I have always had a bit in her mouth.

I am still open to trying a bitless, but want to find the right kind. I bought a rope halter, but my mare is on maternity leave right now, so haven't had the opportunity to try it out.


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## Shadomoon (Jul 15, 2011)

I don't even ride my one horse with a bit anymore. When I got him I rode him with a tom thumb, moved to a myler (as this myler had a roller and it was flexible for his head bob). He always gave me a bit of issue with the bit. He'd try to snatch the reins or would throw his head. (which of course led me to think his teeth needed floated but found that wasn't the case) So I decided to try a hackamore one day. He has been a different horse. Same horse would not respond to a bit for most things, especially flexing and bending. Put him in a hack and he did everything you asked with light hands and loose reins. Moved from that to riding in his halter. I'm working up to riding him completely bitless/bridleless with just a lead rope over his neck. He responds very little to leg pressure (dead sided) so getting to just riding off legs will be hard. I put a simple snaffle on him the one day (to fit a bridle and it was attached) and found him riding the lightest I have ever seen in a bit just from work in the hackamore. I think a lot of it has to do with our bond too but manners can come from all angles.

We use I would assume is an English Hackamore. I tend to ride him lower than some (he has an old injury on his nose from a halter too tight so we ride below that). I don't worry about breaking bones or anything of that matter as I was taught with a hack you need to have lighter hands. Solve it on the ground first. I'm sure someone out there broke a horse's nose by using a hackamore, I'm also sure there is someone that may have broke a tooth or split lips using a bit too. It isn't the equipment that does it, it is the person. Of course no horse is perfect 100% of the time either so take it with a grain of salt. 

Anyway here is a photo of my horse in his hack.


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## SeeingSpots (May 29, 2011)

When people say bit-less I think "Halter or a bridle without a bit.* Which I do alll the time its the same thing. 

Bridle-less however is totally different! And demands good training and a good solid relationship with your horse, not in a romantic way but in more of a partnership way, like you are the gentle but firm and encouraging leader and your horse respects and accepts that. 

I ride mostly bridle-less since my horses and the horses I train are up to that level.


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## flytobecat (Mar 28, 2010)

Spirithorse said:


> The hackamore I use is rope. I would never use a mechanical hackamore.
> 
> The Dr. Cook bitless bridle is using some leverage. I've personally never seen a horse go well in one, they act crazy with it on.


When you refer to the rope hackamore, are you talking about a bosal (traditional hackmore)? I've only used the ones made of rawhide.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Fly, no, the "hackamore" that spirit refers to is nothing more than a rope halter with a set of mecate reins tied onto it.


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## flytobecat (Mar 28, 2010)

That was not what I was picturing at all -Thanks for the clarification.


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## Angelina1 (Apr 11, 2011)

My horse loves his bitless bridle (side pull) I would ride in just a halter but it is illegal in Australia to ride in public without a bridle. We are also unable to ride in competition with a bitless (not sure if other countries are allowed) so as my horse is more comfortable in the bitless and responds better in bitless we chose not to compete anymore. He is more responsive, relaxed and enjoys his outings much more now then when he was bitted. But every horse and owner are different..


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## henia (Jul 31, 2011)

I ride bitless and never with since I got my horse. I don't remember if I ever needed bit. First I used a halter with one rope or two. Now I use something made from rope, not a halter but I don't know how to call it. It is comfortable for my mare so I'm content with using it


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

i have a couple questions about bitless...

1) in the picture that smrobs posted, what is the rope tied to the saddle for ?

2) how do you do dressage bitless ?


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## flytobecat (Mar 28, 2010)

Mecate reins form a lead rope, so you can tie your horse up if you need to.
The rope tied to the saddle is the lead.


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

thanks ! ive wanted to find out what it was for for a long time !


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Yep, fly got it right. Other people will take a double half-hitch around the saddle horn.









But the proper way is to keep it looped in your belt so that when you get off (or fall off) it comes with you and you don't have to take the added time to unwrap/untie it.


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