# Riding without a bridle.



## White Foot (Jun 4, 2009)

I'm curious to know how many people can and have taught their horse to ride without bridles, how you taught them and how long it took.

I would love day to someday ride without a bridle with my horse Gunther, he's still 4 so I have a long way to go. I ride him 4 times a week so he gets lots of training. Where do I start, what does he need to know extra... 


Thanks!​


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## Jillyann (Mar 31, 2009)

ive never taught a horse to ride without a bridle personally, but im sure it takes LOTS and LOTS of patience and a good good bond between you and your horse! and getting worked 4 days a week, you shouldnt have a problem if he/she is willing to learn


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## White Foot (Jun 4, 2009)

Either have I. Gunther is really, really responsive with my leg cues already. He's been in training when he was 3 and the trainers said he could go home two weeks early because he was more advanced than the other horses in training. He really is a fast learner, I would be willing to try it bridle less in a few months if I had a riding ring..


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## Jillyann (Mar 31, 2009)

yeah, i would definitely try it for the first time somewhere where he couldnt run away or get one of you hurt (NOT saying he will, just for safety!) Maybe even for the first time, have someone walk next to you if you really arent sure of how he will react, or have a lead rope around his neck.?


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

I ride my horse bridle-less. 

With us though, it just sort of happened... I saw an ASH demo at world MG, the guy took his bridle off and did a working pattern (stops, rollbacks, haunch turns, fats circles, flying changes) with no bridel. I just decided I wanted to do it...

I started by dropping my reins and using my breastplate to stop. Turns out my horse stops better without the bit, lol! So I started experiementing in the sheep yards. I use a rope around his neck to help with steering and stopping, but he is really good and I can get dead stops, slow spins, back up, roll backs, as well as wtc.


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## White Foot (Jun 4, 2009)

My horse doesn't neck rein or anything. I think I will have to try this someday.


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## TroubledTB (Jun 26, 2009)

I can't say I can ride my horse bridleless, but I can get on without any tack. I just started doing it and she was fine. I will say she can be a maniac in the turnout, bucking, rearing, galloping, and I can stop her in the middle of it, get on, and she won't do anything. Kinda literally, she won't move much. She will walk around, and sort of mosey, but won't act like the demon she was minutes before. Then I get off, and the banshee is back. I like that she knows better than to get me off when I am vulnerable. I did get her to do a cross rail once because it was all the way up against the fence. I just kicked and kicked and kinda pulled her hair, and I know exactly what her thought process was, "ok, I'll do it, but you better not fall off." And she started toward it, cantered a step, jumped and immediately slowed into a trot/walk. Then I got off and put her away, I had promised that, and gave her lots of carrots. No repeats of that preformance, but I'm glad she would give it to me! I've had her since birth so I think that helps, but I would love to learn exactly how to train her to do it, because I'm sure she would be good. Looking forward to lots of great tips!


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## White Foot (Jun 4, 2009)

Ditto =)


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## BuckOff41570 (Nov 15, 2008)

I taught my gelding how to go bridless a few years back. 
Basically, I just taught him to move off the leg and whoa. Slowly weaning away contact, the reins, then bridle.
Here's an oober old video of it. 




 
Yes, my hands are in my pockets, and yes...it was very cold that day.


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## Piper182 (Jun 18, 2009)

For me, I've found that it really depends on how good the horse is moving off leg and how easily they turn with a bit. I've taught horses to go in a halter or to go with nothing, but I make sure I know the horse first. Generally horses that like to go and you have to half halt a lot arent too good at it, but there's always exceptions.

Best test for me to know if a horse can handle no bit: can you ride the horse around on the buckle? Neck reining helps but isnt necessary. vocal training is also helpful but not necessary. 

Stacey Westfall is the best example. She does freestyle reining bareback with nothing on the horses head. It's amazing. Westfall Horsemanship.


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## FlitterBug (May 28, 2009)

Bridleless riding really isn't as phenomenal as people like to make it sound. Many people are trained to use the bridle as a tool to tell, when, in reality, it should be a tool to listen and assist.

I have several horses that are perfectly fine to walk up to, jump up, and ride around an open pasture for a while, walk, trot, canter. In their training, I never once thought "I want to train them to ride bridleless". Instead, I simply just trained. The fact that the "listening device" was no longer needed was just a side affect of the training through the rest of the body. I don't do away with the bridle completely and still use one with daily training, its just fun to stroll around the pasture every now and then without anything between you and the horse, well, except pants of course..........


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

I have a number of times. In the arena but the horse had been trained for mnay years and I ride with my legs all the time.
On trail I have riden with a stiff rope hool a hoop and it actually worked really well but very uncomfortable. Your hand doesn't rest in a normal position. When you get off for a nature call you can't really hold the horse so you count on ground tying and when I get off at the end of the laneway , loosen the girth to lead in leading is very uncomfortable.
To ride out with nothing is asking for trouble no matter how well trained the horse is.
I have don't demonstrations in an arean bareback and without a bridle with my arms out like wings but I also got dumped when the horse did a hard roll back. I did the splits off his back:lol:
A twin string works also.
This horse had years of training on him and again he really knew neck reining and he tried to stay in the center of your hand, shift the hand left or right and he went that direction to recenter the hand.
Good luck


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

I've used a leadrope, my reins, and my stockwhip as neck ropes... My horses mane is hogged so I need it not only for assistance steering sometimes, but sometimes just to grab on!! 

I agree with flitter bug, it really is just an extension of the training you do with your horse. I see moving off leg, stopping and steering off seat and being able tor ide most manouvers on the buckle as essential parts of my training of any horse, so the next step to brideless really isn't a big one. I normally ride bridleless in a pen/yard, but my best bridleless ride was on a showground, out in the open. That was the ride I first tried spins, and it went well.

I've given the bridleless a break for a while as I want to do more fine tuning... He started to bear his head down in stops when he realised I had no head contact, so i'm working on that.


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## SheezaBabydoll (Jul 2, 2009)

I didn't read all the other posts, but i'm in the process of doing it with my mare. Its all trust and knowing your horses actions before they even occur. I started with just a rope halter, and getting on bareback, asking her to back up one step with the lead rope while on (after accomplishing from the ground), and getting off. Then I asked her to walk forward one step, stop, and I would get off. It got to the point where with a halter on, i'd just drape the leadrope over her neck so I have a little more controll if I need it, but I practice turning with my weight and natural aids as well as with pressure to either direction on her mane. I already use my natural aids and weight to turn her while tacked, so this part doesn't take long - just consistency. Eventually i'll repeat all this with nothing on her face. Cues are very important, for instance my mares cue to back up is a cluck with leg.. forward is a kiss with leg, and the only change I have to encorperate is the pressure on her mane.


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## BurningAmber520 (Jan 6, 2009)

do you guys think my 18 year old gelding would be to old to try this with?


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## White Foot (Jun 4, 2009)

Flitterbug and wild_spot .. I think you guys aren't giving as much credit to riding without a bridle or anything else, just you and your saddle saddle, as it deserves. I don't know much about it but it's not something you can wake up and do, it takes years and years of training. I know horses that have been in training their whole lives and still can't ride without a bridle, and that is with an great trainer. 


Thanks everyone for all the advice.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

^^ Then how come I can do it on my gelding who i've only had for a year?

I'm not saying it isn't a really good thing to do/learn/train, i'm just saying I agree with flitterbug that all it is is an extension of normal training people SHOULD be doing with their horses anyway. I'm fairly confident that I could do up to any of my horses, and any of my past horses I had for a decent amount of time, In an enclosed area, and feel safe and secure at a w/t/c without a bridle, because of the skills I teach every horse I own.


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## White Foot (Jun 4, 2009)

" ^^ Then how come I can do it on my gelding who i've only had for a year?"
You posted earlier that... 
"He started to bear his head down in stops when he realised I had no head contact, so i'm working on that."

It must not be an extension of "normal" training then. When I talk riding without a bridle I mean a horse that is responsive as soon as you tell him to do something, being able to ride with a bridle even if you aren't in an enclosed area.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

I do ride him without a bridle in open areas. I started out in a yard, any sane person does, but if I eventually want to do demonstrations, I need to practice and get comfortable riding brideless in open areas, which I do.

Why is working for better stops not 'normal' training? Am I supposed to accept the problem and ignore it, or am I meant to have a horse prodigy that just knows what to do and always does it correctly?

It seems that your interpretation of bridleless riding is brideless riding without ever having things to work on. There is ALWAYS things to improve on, to tweak... If there isn't, your just not seeing them.

He still stops, still stops dead from a canter/hand gallop. I just want to improve the technique, so I have gone back to the bridle for a while. It's the same as teaching a horse to neck rein... You don't just accept neckreining that isn't exactly what you want, so you may go back to direct reining to help.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

> do you guys think my 18 year old gelding would be to old to try this with?


Definately not! Horses never stop learning. It would be a great thing for you to work on,and even if it never happens, will result in imrpoved responses anyway!


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## Solon (May 11, 2008)

wild_spot said:


> He still stops, still stops dead from a canter/hand gallop. I just want to improve the technique, so I have gone back to the bridle for a while. It's the same as teaching a horse to neck rein... You don't just accept neckreining that isn't exactly what you want, so you may go back to direct reining to help.


Well said. I ride bitless but occasionally I've needed some fine tuning and will go back into the bit for a few sessions.


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## White Foot (Jun 4, 2009)

So you admit it isn't /that/ easy, it takes time, it's nothing your horse can just do in one day. That's all I'm saying.


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## upsidedown (Jul 10, 2008)

I did it today on my pony in the round pen. I had never ridden in the round pen with her, only lunged her, so we used a bit to begin with and then I just took the reins off and use them as a rope around her neck  It was a great success, and wasn't really as hard as I thought. It took her like 10 minutes to understand and then when she got it she was so good, and she's a pretty green horse in a lot of aspects. I was so proud. We did walk trot with walk-halt, walk-trot, trot-halt (not perfect at this one yet), halt-walk, halt-trot transitions and such. We also did quite a bit of figure eights and lots of changes of direction. She was a dreamboat. With canter I just let her stay on the rail, the footing isn't to great and she isn't quite ready for that.
Not saying that either of us are ready to work outside the roundpen yet, but it was not as difficult as I had imagined. Just my personal experience.

But I use a lot of leg cues with the bridle anyway and this pony is super sensitive to your cues, so... -shrug- might be different for some folks.

I have one picture from today


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## White Foot (Jun 4, 2009)

Adorable.


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## White Foot (Jun 4, 2009)

Thanks everyone for the help =)


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## Solon (May 11, 2008)

Equestriun said:


> So you admit it isn't /that/ easy, it takes time, it's nothing your horse can just do in one day. That's all I'm saying.


Was this for me or Wild Spot?

My horse did the basics in one day. But I had spent two solid years of groundwork, then a few months of actual riding training before I rode bridle less. Because he knew my voice, leg, butt commands, he listened and had no problems. When I broke him to ride I broke him in a halter. So he was already responding to bit less when I went bridle less.

I've never done anything fancier than go through the gaits and turn though. Nothing like the stuff that Stacy Westfall does. That probably takes a lot more time to get the horse to do those moves.

But if you've already got a good foundation on the horse, most of them it doesn't really matter if they've got a bridle on their head or a bit in their mouth.

Just like a car, sometimes they need a tune up. It can be really easy depending on the horse or it can take quite a bit of time. Again, just depends on the horse and how much training you've already done.


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## White Foot (Jun 4, 2009)

Wild_spot. Also Stacy westfall is amazing. And Solon your horse is gorgeous.


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## TroubledTB (Jun 26, 2009)

Ok, I have to correct my earlier posts, I have a slightly different idea of what riding bridleless is, such as what Stacey Westfall or Foxfield drill team is. Have I w/t/c bareback without a bridle, yes, did I train her to do it, I suppose, but I have seen horses who can be ridden without a bridle. I can easily follow the rail and canter around without a bridle, but can I manuever, no, so I thought that was the deffinition of bridleless riding. I was bored a few summers ago so I started just messing around because my mares training was fairly complete so I wanted a challenge. So I think it does take more time than people are giving it credit to train a horse to go bridleless, but to get on without a bridle can be done in a day. I always think of this lady I used to pass on the trail who would ride without a bridle, that was crazy to me, but I'm sure she was fine, I saw her day after day, so that to me, is RIDING bridleless.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I haven't taught any of my horses recently to ride without a bridle. When Denny and I were both a lot younger, I taught him to ride with nothing more than a rope around his neck. He did pretty well but was not as responsive as with the bridle, but I didn't work on it every day either. I just started with a rope around his neck and I would ask him with that, then tell him with the bit or halter (depending on what I was using that day). He is very smart so it didn't take but a few times of telling before he figured it out. I have pictures somewhere, I will have to find them.


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## FlitterBug (May 28, 2009)

Equestriun, you aren't quite getting what we are saying. I never set out to teach my horses to ride with a neck rope or respond off of leg for the sake of riding bridleless, that is how I ride anyway, bridle or not. Being able to take the bridle off is just a byproduct of solid training.

As I said before, the bit is a tool for listening, not for telling. If my horse is heavy on the right rein, then I know the center of balance has shifted to the right and the horse will fall to the right. The rider must use their weight to shift it center, the rein can help, but is secondary to the seat and leg. As far as steering, stopping, etc, that is not by bridle anyway, so why should it matter if it is there or not? If the foundation is solid, then the bridle is not needed. The more impulsion that the horse finds, the harder it is to keep the balance on the hind legs, and the more the rider will need the bridle to assist them in helping the horse to find the comfort in its own balance. That is why, although most of my horses are safe to ride bridleless in the open, down the road, wherever you want to go, I most always still use the bridle, because every moment that I am on that horse, I am training it.

So therefore, I stand by my statement that I have never set out to train a horse to ride bridleless, yet any of my horses that have been in training for any amount of time can ride bridleless without any instances where I don't feel safe. Am I going to run out there and jump on my green 3 yr old without a bridle? No, of course not. But you will never here me say "I want to train her to ride bridleless some day". I will say "I am training her to have a solid foundation and correct travel, where she can effectively use her hind legs and balance herself without relying on the rider. With this she will have a sound mind that will support us in the ring, on the trail, in a cow pasture, or in traffic. Her basic training will be mostly classical dressage to help her physically, and then we will go into cow work, as that is what she is bred for." I can promise you that once I accomplish most of that, I will be able to hop on her bridleless without any problem at all. However, that is not my goal, it is a byproduct of complete training. Is it easy, hell no. Whoever said training a horse well was easy? However, I have never trained a horse to ride without a bridle, I simply just train horses.


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## White Foot (Jun 4, 2009)

TroubledTB, Smorbs, Thanks, I would love to see pictures or even videos someday!

Flitterbug, Maybe I should make myself more clear. I'm not looking for someone to tell me that "Being able to take the bridle off is just a byproduct of solid training." To me I feel that yes a HUGE part of it is solid training, but I also feel that it's much more than that. I'm looking for someone to TELL me how they trained their horse step by step to ride without using a bridle. How they taught their horse things like cues, turning, extra...

And everyones opinions on "solid training" are different, so I'm looking for more ideas on that training that could someday bring my horse to be able to do things like Stacy westfall...


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## Solon (May 11, 2008)

Does your horse have a good foundation right now? Can you get him to move by using your legs, butt? Same with stopping, turning?

Once your horse can do all that solidly with the bit on, then take a rope and swing it around his neck. You'll still have the bridle on in case you need it but you won't be using it. See how the horse responds. Is he listening and moving off your legs and butt?

That's going to give you an idea of where you are right now.

Work that way for awhile and make sure you are in a round pen or at least an arena. 

If you are looking to do it how Stacy does, I'd take a look at her website. She has a bunch of info:

Westfall Horsemanship


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## ChingazMyBoy (Apr 16, 2009)

I taught Chinga to ride with a halter, and I'm hoping to teach him bridle-less someday. I just slipped the halter over his bridle and off we went perfectly. You need a very good leg responding horse and very good legs.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Not necessarily. When I trained Denny, I honestly knew virtually nothing about really teaching horses much. He was the very first horse that I trained by myself and I did much of his training with no supervision. To this day, I have never taken the time to really teach him to yield from leg pressure and here in TX, responding from seat cues on the trail is pretty senseless because the wind blows so hard that many times, it is really hard to keep a balanced seat. Plus, I only ever ride trail or cow work which is all done outside. I don't usually train my horses for something that I will never, ever use. I am always getting blown completely off balance. With a 45 or 50 mph wind, it is hard not to. However, he is still decently responsive to cues from a small rope draped around his neck. He would get better if I would do it more often but I haven't really done it in years. I found an old pic, now I just need to get to where I can scan it.


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## White Foot (Jun 4, 2009)

Thanks for the information!


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## TroubledTB (Jun 26, 2009)

Do you have a small outdoor paddock? Is your horse ok with bareback stuff? I would just get on in the turnout and see if they take advantage of the fact that you are on them without any tack. That's all I really did. I mean it's not so much the teaching them to respond that we don't get the concept of right? It's the whole are you going to act like an idiot if I have no way to stop you thing that makes everyone nervous about taking off the tack. What's your horses personality? I've only ridden two horses bridleless, my mare who I have had from birth, so there's a foundation for you, and another who just choose to show her talent in going bridleless, another mare, I'm noticing a theme here. Are mare's more predisposed to going bridleless? Anyways, if your horse is not going to act stupid in a small paddock, try moving into a ring and seeing how much he/she will respond to just leg aids. My mare is a bit dull, so I think she is happy to just poke around, but her training did allow for me to kick her into a canter and hold her against the rail. I can sometimes change direction, and she is very understanding of the situation. 
Hold up, I've ridden three horses bridleless, the bridle truly broke while I was out schooling and I somehow managed to keep a galloping horse in the ring and steer around jumps until a woman noticed me and closed the gate to the ring, but that was on accident. No seriously, not using this story to brag, the ground just didn't look that fun that day, but that is the level of calm I can possess even in an out of control situation, and how well I can get a horse to leg yeild, though I had a saddle then so I literally threw my weight to certain sides to avoid careening into jumps. 
Back to the original topic, if it's just a matter of getting over the initial fear of not having any tack, do it in a small space and see how your horse reacts. Also, I don't consider riding without a bit as tricky as some people make it out to be, I switch regularly between having a hackamore or a bit depending on how much lift I want over the pole, it makes not difference to me other than as a tool/leverage if they have a bit in their mouth, I really don't think of it as a disadvantage, but I recommend it if you haven't tried, starting there perhaps? Hope this helps, you said you wanted more detailed instructions, and though I can't tell you the best way, I can tell you how i accomplished what I did.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

> So therefore, I stand by my statement that I have never set out to train a horse to ride bridleless, yet any of my horses that have been in training for any amount of time can ride bridleless without any instances where I don't feel safe. Am I going to run out there and jump on my green 3 yr old without a bridle? No, of course not. But you will never here me say "I want to train her to ride bridleless some day". I will say "I am training her to have a solid foundation and correct travel, where she can effectively use her hind legs and balance herself without relying on the rider. With this she will have a sound mind that will support us in the ring, on the trail, in a cow pasture, or in traffic. Her basic training will be mostly classical dressage to help her physically, and then we will go into cow work, as that is what she is bred for." I can promise you that once I accomplish most of that, I will be able to hop on her bridleless without any problem at all. However, that is not my goal, it is a byproduct of complete training. Is it easy, hell no. Whoever said training a horse well was easy? However, I have never trained a horse to ride without a bridle, I simply just train horses.


LOVE THIS, I agree 100%. All I do is train my horses and as a byproduct of the way I train I am confident in my ability to transfer that to brideless and bareback.

Ok, the way I started? I rode around using my breastplate and seat to stop. I tried steering like that, but found he got a bit stuck in the shoulder, so I moved to a neck rope. My biggest piece of advice? Put solid leg cues on your horse, and make sure they understand leg does NOT mean go faster. Also make sure you have a solid whoah off your seat. Two main things.

Also, I don't just hop on in a yard and do circles... I in no way think I am near Stacy Westfall but I do similar though more basic movements, partly because I don't do it enough to perfect it to that level, also because my horse isn't western trained. I will try to get pics/vids one day, but I ride in the open and do stops (different from a halt) rein-back, rollbacks, haunch turns, and begginning spins.


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## Piper182 (Jun 18, 2009)

I've been riding the fat haflinger im training with a halter and reins almost always lately. he has terrible steering, doesn't understand what being on the rail means and he's incredibly lazy/fat, but he seems to much prefer the halter. everyone thought was going to die at first but he just really seems to prefer not having something pull on his mouth. he used to be a trail horse soley so i don't blame him for his bad manners. plus he's a baby, only 5


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