Developing the Art of Riding and Communicating With Horses, With and Without Bits.
Nov 3rd, 2009 by Carolyn Resnick Method
Years ago, when I was a kid at a horse show, I took a stand that was way before its time, and way ahead of anyone’s comprehension of what I wanted to show the world.
I was riding my Western Pleasure mare Rizeta, her nick name was Lover, and I had hung her bridle on the saddle and rode in the warm up without it. I put the bridle back on before the class and when I finished, I dismounted in the ring unbridling her, and told her to go back to the stall. She did and I followed her, along with a few people who were interested in what we were doing.
I was before my time then, but if more people did this today the tide would change and more people would be encouraged to join in. The point is that horses don’t need to be forced, they are capable of deeper bonds and abilities in partnering with us, and bits are not essential. Bits get a bad name because they are used improperly. I still use bits along with bridle-less riding and find them not at all abusive when one knows how to use them properly. First I school a horse to do all movements without a bit, then I can use a bit in the most appropriate way.
What I’m interested in is bringing to the world a better approach, that is evolutionary and kinder to horses. I understand that evolution is a slow growing condition and needs to be supported. These days my attention has been drawn by Mark to a controversial matter in regards to a method of training called Rollkur and a YouTube video titled “Blue tongue”, which is a clear visual of the abuse bits do when used aggressively on horses who are competing in Dressage. But, to make changes, this matter must be approached in stages.
There is no way you can ask a horse to take a giant leap into the dressage ring in self carriage, like rollkur is doing through the use of the bit. We cannot expect the equestrian world to ride bitless and bridle-less. But we can show them that abuse is not necessary by taking more time to train our horses in a more natural way. We must be careful, usually small progress in asking for change is more lasting than leap-froging attempts, especially when it comes from an “ ivory tower philosophy” based on nothing, and not offering the path to get there.
It is so nice to see the progress that is being made in the public awareness on how horses are being abused today, and the inroads that we are making by bringing awareness to the next generation of equestrians. Being kinder and more generous to horses is key. It is so simple that a lay person can easily see when good horsemanship and schooling is kinder and more enjoyable to the horse.
On the subject of the bit, my stand on using them is that one day it would be nice if tack is never used except for the well-being of the horse and safety. Being an expert in training with tack and without, I believe that when a bit is used properly it is not abusive. But properly is not going to happen in general, because people will not take the time and years it takes to become truly skilled enough to correctly use one.
If bits are used, and the majority of equestrians use them, the horse should like his bit. If he doesn’t this needs to be fixed. Some horses have mouths shaped in a manner that a bit just cannot be used without inflicting undue pain and abusing the horse. In this case, do not use one and find another approach like my method offers.
It is very important to improve your horsemanship skills, to learn how to ride and school without a bit. Until you can train a horse to respond to your aids under saddle without a bit, it would be hard to understand what support a bit would offer. The key is learning how to use it properly, without depending upon it too much and using it like a crutch. Even after learning how to train a horse without tack or without a bit, one still needs to be schooled in how to use a bit properly, in case you ever need to use one.
Bits are hurting horses because people do not know how to use them, and are pulling and jerking too hard on them. It is common for bits to be used to hold a horse to a frame by inflicting pain if they do not listen and respond to the rider’s wishes. Think of the bit like the headphones a pilot uses to communicate with the ground. In some instances, it is just easier to be understood by your horse if you use a one. A bit should be designed to be comfortable to the horse’s mouth only, instead of designed to inflict pain to make the horse listen. Being harsh and using chain chin straps or crank nose band should not be necessary in good horsemanship.
The reason why bits are so helpful and used today is that the request that comes to the horse is more timely and precise than if we do not use one. A halter, bridle or hackamore would shift around too much. Without something on the horse’s head it’s harder to keep the horse’s focus on us and on the turning aids for a continued length of time. Because of this reason we are not going to stop people from using bits but we can stop Rollkur.
Let’s change the subject back to bitless riding. The good news is that in schooling a horse for bitless riding you will have a better trained horse, a better friend and more awareness of the value in respecting others. You will learn many new things and it will help you in “staying young” by being a professional student on the cutting edge of new ideas in schooling horses.
You do not need a bit, even though, with one, you can make it a lot easier in communicating with the horse. It just takes longer to develop your own skills to ride bitless on a horse, and to make him trustworthy. It is just time consuming. It is an exciting life to buckle down and take the long journey to the art of liberty training, and the uberstrichens are a wonderful training tool to get there.
It is my hope that more and more people will compete using my method as a foundation to show the world what light aids and loose contact in self-carriage can offer. These exercises will make it possible for you to ride without the need of a bit or noseband.
You get to choose how you wish to reach your own moral issues on this hot topic, whether you want to use one or not.
Carolyn
No related posts.
Ditto ;all the following posted by Donna
Ever since viewing Alexander Nevzorav’s inspirational film, “Haute Ecole”, I’ve been searching for a trainer who actually teaches a systematic method for collecting a horse without using a bit or bridle, as Nevzorav does. While there are individuals on youtube.com who have trained their own horses to bridleless collection, I haven’t found anyone who has put together a system for teaching others how to train their horses in this way. This includes Nevzorav, who has an online forum similar to this where people can express their ideas, but no direct sharing of his training methods. As a member of an excellent online equestrian dvd rental service I’ve watched many training dvds and visited various trainer’s websites. Many bridleless training dvds and clinics are available, but none that teach bridleless collection. Conversely, there are many dvds that teach collection, but none that teach bridleless collection – none that I’ve found.
Nevzorav maintains that the horse should learn to balance in self-collection before bearing the weight of a rider, so that later on collection will protect the horse’s back from injury when carrying the rider’s weight; and that once this is learned the horse will naturally revert to collection as the most comfortable mode of self-carriage. This seems logical, but how are we to do it if no one is teaching? I think many people would be interested in training their horse to collection without a bridle, or at least without a bit, if training methods were made widely available through dvds. So far there’s been a lot of interest, a lot of talk and innuendos about natural collection, but no one has put together a systematic, step-by-step program that an ordinary person could repeat and successfully implement with their own horse. So, if Carolyn is going to teach this information, it would be an extraordinary contribution to the equine community because many people are talking about it; a few are successfully practicing it for themselves, but no one is teaching it. Please teach us, Carolyn!
Thank you.
Dona
Hi Carolyn,
After 8 years out of the saddle, I have embarked on commencing the journey of owning a horse once again.
I have purchased a sweet little pony, Bailey. He’s 15 years of age and has a heart of gold.
I stumbled across your website while looking to buy my horse and I have been fascinated with your methods and now I am taking it one step further and I’ve purchased the Waterhole DVD so that I can hopefully work with Bailey and we can develop a wonderful bond and special friendship. I am so happy to have him in my life and I want to ensure he feels the same way. I spend time with him everyday and our bond is certainly strengthening but I am sure your methods will help me to understand his way of thinking so I can make sure he’s feeling comfortable and happy.
I’m all the way over here in Australia and I look forward to receiving your DVD soon.
Thank you for a wonderful website and thank you for opening my eyes to a better way of doing things with horses.
Kind regards,
Nicole Smith
Dear Carol,
Thank you for taking the time to share your success story of my method.
Banner is a very luck horse to winde up in your hands. I so want to see you guys.
The jury is out for me on what to use. I have always ridden in a halter and I am fine with one because it does not create a nagitive change in how the horse performace for me using a bit. I am thinking a simple side pull is good as well. I am not sure of the ones that have the crossing of jaw straps but not because they are harsh. I think they may influance a horse to loose streightness and proper carriage even though it was designed to help in that department, I am not sure it really get the job done. With a machinacal hackamor it is hard for the horse to destinguish suttle request to lower or raze the neck or even to trun properly. I thing it can seperate the neck from the body from being as one. It is fine for causing the horse to give in the poll and for some horses and riders they are great.
The reason a bit is so good is because of where the signal is recieved, the horse can distinguish what you are asking in regards to the razing and lowere of the neck and the bending of the poll and the releasing of the jaw easily. the bit helps the bridle not to slid up when you are giving an aid.
You can try how easy it is to respond to signals on your own head and see what I am talking about.
A horse is so sensitive in the mouth to the slightest signal with no pain as well as being comfortalbe with a strong message feeling no pain what so ever.
I am working on a rein attachment for a regular halter right now. My suggestion is to try all of the above and pick what works well for your need and your horse. What is good for one horse another horse may not like it.
I have never found a reason not to use a halter on any horse. I don’t like how the reins are attaching to a halter because a halter was not designed for reins. This is why I am working on designing reins for a regular halter. Reins just look odd but function well on a halter. I have found with my training using the Uberstrichens a horse can perfrom the same as with a snaffle bit.
Hi Carolyn
I hardly can’t wait to read more about it!
Three horses are riden bitless, one with the cordeo or nothing, even on a trailride. I want to start with the mare too. She’s such a pleasure to play with, she reacts very good at all the rituals, she forgets the grass in the pasture when I go out there to sit in their company and plays with a lot of enthousiasm. She goes to a mounting block to invite me to sit on her back. I just relax on her back and follow her movements when she walks off. That’s where we are for the moment…
She’s my big friend and I want to keep our relationship pure, even mounted. As I found out that your method is really working with her, I’m looking forward to the next step.
tine
Hi Carolyn,
This was a well-timed post for me, as I’ve now been riding my new mustang Banner for just about two months using nothing more than a simple rope hackamore. For my purposes I doubt I’ll ever need anything else, however I was hoping you could recommend a bitless bridle with substance, as my lightweight hackamore is already showing signs of wear and tear. I know there are many on the market to choose from, so my question to you is which is the best and most gentle to use? Your input will be very much appreciated.
I am very excited to learn more about your Uberstrichen exercises! Banner came to me with neck issues and I need to learn how to create a nice soft bend in the gentlest of ways, and I know this will help.
I also just wanted to let you know that by following your Waterhole Rituals with Banner all summer, we are now enjoying a rock-solid relationship together. When I finally began riding him this fall, it was a fluid, effortless step. I took my time and didn’t force anything, and now he’s most anxious to hit the trails with me. He’s become a “Pick me!” horse, when I walk into the barn holding a halter, and I feel safe riding him anywhere and in any conditions. He’s amazing! Thank you so much for helping us to create what we now share.
A Note to the class room. I will be starting with the Uberstrichen exercises next blog and holding class on them all winter. Some of you will do well and others will not because you do not have enough back gorund in training a horse. I will only will be able to help those who are advacning or have small problems and a certain amount of success. I would like to help every one but in this form of instruction it is not possible to do that. Remember this is a free school. If the class seems not to benifit or looses intrest with this format for learning I will stop the class and move back to were I can be more efficent.
For people who are experiance or are using the Uberstrichens for growing their skills only I think they will help you, just do the exercise and grow to a better horseman. You should see result in some form. After this work the horse will have more than a tendacey to travel with his back up in a natual frame.
From reading all your letters and noticing how everyone wanting a method it is important to udnerstand that you need the skills for riding a well trained horse and that you have trained a horse. My method is not for beginers tough you can do the exercies to advance your skills.
It is like a becoming a doctor you just cant read a book with out the back ground to operate on a person. It takes years and years and years and that you know it will to grow your ability and horsemanship skills. Why do you thing that a method is not out there? It is not out there because the people who want it are not exepraicne enough to ride a simple basic horse and not experianced enough to apply a method properly.
I hope my class will buckel down and use the program. This is how I did it and I hope I have enough people to go on the journey with me. The first thing I would like to accomplish is to get rid of using a contact rein to rideing a horse and just get the aids lighter.
When dressage was first formed it was a school for advance riders it was not a school for horse intrested people with out a gift with little experiance wanting to collect horses.
It was a school for a horse to be started but not a school for students to be started. This is why taking dressage is not working for so many people. They lack experiance in regular undersaning of horses. Even with top riders when they went to dressage school the lessons began at the begining with longing with out reins to develop more skill of these kind of riders. These riders that started at square one were masters of horsemship that wanted to imporve their selves and advance to a higer lever.
First you need to be able to ride most horses well and alot of horses and bring out the best in them before you think of collection. In my school you need to develop three speeds through the gaits without using a bit or controling rein or tack of any kind and be a good trainer at lower lever training and then the higer schools have benifit after that.
I want you to just become a student and forget what the horse needs to do for you and to be aware of how you are growing your abilities with the methods I am offering you. Then you might be pleasently suprised with your progress with your horse. I do not want to here can’t but rather I have this and how do I move on to the next or I do not udnerstand exactly. I do not want you to blame the method. Methods work or they would not be methods. Rule of thumb if what I am sharing is not intresting and rewarding please no not continue frustrating yourself or your horse. My method is not to fault and you are not to fault. It is just not a match at this time. I have never done anyting like this before so we are all on the cuttung edge in working together not in person.
I wish us good luck and we can move through all of them.
Dear Ann
My blog and stories are a small part of my teaching programs. The other tools to help you learn my method begin with my book, and then the DVD’s, and then the blog where you can go to ask me questions that will suport you on your journey. From there you can become a part of The Insider Circle and on to private lessons by phone. You can also come to my ranch and work directly with me and my horses, or you can bring your own horses. I also have people who teach my methods in may parts of the world that might be closes to you than I am.
I want to help you to understand how easy it is to teach a horse a trick, which at first glance may seem to be very hard, such as when I asked my horse to go back to her stall at the show grounds. I am sure that other readers might be curious as well.
Sometimes the most difficult looking accomplishment are the easiest. This was the case with sending my horse back to her stall at the show. It is so much fun to teach! Very little skill is needed, anyone can easily teach a horse to do this in a couple of afternoons. I let her lead me to the treat that is waiting for her in her new home. I taught my horse at home how to “go home” so that wherever we are at a new place she knows were the new home is. When I get to the new place, like at a show, we run though the routine a coulpe of times with her on a lead.
I place food in her paddock and lead her away from it, not too far at first. I then turn her loose and say “go home”. She didn’t want to leave her paddock in the first place, so returning was her plan anyway.
The hard part about this trick could be to get your horse to walk back to where the food had been left and not run back!
This is acomplised through the Waterhole Ritual where I put food down on the ground at liberty and tell her to leave it alone, call her up to me and send her back to the food at a walk from a long distance and say “walk”. If she should trot I would then drive her off the food untill she walks to it.
When she has learnd this I then send her back to the food at a trot and ask her to walk while she is returning. If she listens to me and steps into walk on her journey back to the food dish, she gets the reward. If she does not listen, I keep her moving.
I’m concerned you’re not understanding the purpose of the rituals if you find the only one that is helping you is taking territory. They all have their purpose and are all very important. You need to use them as a warm up each day to set the heart strings of conneciton.
In a relationship with a horse you must have a bond, trust, respect, focus, and a work ethic, as well as a desire to perfrom and the ability to bring a horse’s energy up and down at will.
The goal that we want to have with our horses is not being too shy or dominent. Leading from behind fixes the shifts between shy and dominent behaviors a horse can exhibit throughout their lives.
These attitudes are always needing to be adjusted before you do anything with your horse. The Rituals are how I adjust my horses attitudes daily.
You might have figured this out for yourself. What helps me come up with new solutions that I am looking for is to ask myself how could I do that and the answer comes. Try this and you will find its very powerful! Pick something simple to start.
Ann did you take the Insider Circle program? If not I would think it would be very helpful for you. I cannot tell who you are from just a first name.
I want all of you to give me some back ground information when you write to me as it helps me respond more effectivly.
It is my intrest in helping to empowere people who come to my bolg. I will have a DVD out at so point to teach you how I start a horse to ride at liberty first with out tack or even the use of a neck rope. I do ask everone to leave a halter an rope on thier horses for emergancy but not as a training aid.
Let me know if this was of help.
Dear Carolyn,
When I first started my horse journey as an older adult, I definitely wanted to go bitless, bridleless, bareback and barefoot! My young Haflinger mare had been conventionally trained with a bit and I started doing groundwork with her with a halter with limited success (we have a grass ring and it was too tempting for her). She pulled me all over the place, was bossy and didn’t respect my space. For several months now I have been working on the Waterhole Rituals with her. Some days I am very hopeful. She is looking at me more, she sometimes moves to face me when I am behind her. She will stop if I am standing in front of a hay pile without running me over and wait until I say (with body and words) that she can eat. Two days she even walked with me, another she left her hay (briefly) to come over and see me. But she doesn’t always turn to face me, and she doesn’t move away from the reed when I approach her (unless, it seems like, she feels like it). I tried moving her shaking a plastic bag — that worked only once as an element of surprise. I would love to wait to ride her until all the pieces are in place, but because she tends to overweight, she needs to have exercise as many days as possible. I am using a bit to ride her in the ring, just walk, trot and halt. (I have tried all sorts of bitless bridles but since I didn’t have her respect on the ground, I certainly didn’t get it in the saddle. Someday I hope to go back to the bitless bridles, but in the meantime, I am using a bit.) I know that bits don’t control horses and I do try to not jerk on her mouth or anything like that. However, there is something about a bit…..I hate the idea of inflicting pain, but after we ride, I don’t know if it is because she is more tired and relaxed, I put her back in the paddock and give her some hay and do the waterhole rituals and she is VERY responsive (to the first three). The last couple of days, I have been leading her before untacking for a short walk down the road. Usually she balks (in her halter) in the barn drive, usually she is pulling me, but she appears to be walking contentedly behind me on a long rein. Now I am thinking we should be walking next to each other so I am not in front of her (she is in more dominant position) — but she is walking relaxed, head down, not resisting, there is no pulling. So I am, at this point, very confused about what I should do. She can be dominant (in a rather willful and stubborn way) but I know that is probably the result of my poor leadership skills, and I am working on them every day with her. Someday, I hope we can do all the waterhole rituals. Someday I hope we have the communication I read about and have seen in this blog. In the meantime, any suggestions about whether I should stop riding until we learn to apply all the rituals? And have consistent responses?
Thanks — as always, you are doing a great work for horses and people everywhere. L.
Excellent post and excellent timing! Gerd Heuschmann, Linda Tellington-Jones and the anti-Rollkur momentum are gaining strength through education in bridleless riding and “allowing” rather than forcing. I enjoyed the way you wrote about it.
You write well about bits, Carolyn. Since I started my experiences with horses in a typical riding school, I have seen many situations with bits. Children are taught to pull the reins so and so etc. My point being that later I have been using a bitless bridle, removing the bands that go under the horse’s chin, so it becomes a nose band with reins (sidepull). This is in my experience all you need for hiking or easy riding, the reins being used for showing the way and not pulling (that will of course make the nose band wriggle and be uncomfortable). I’ve ridden “my” ex-racehorse, ex-showjumper on hikes with this, with little trouble exept from her competitive mind. She would galop sideways on the spot when I told her not to run after the other horses, but never take out after them. It was not the reins that stopped her, I would hold a tight rein not loose in this situation, but she respected me enough not to pull the reins out of my hands and go, which she could have easily done.
Anyway, I’ve learned that the most important is that the horse will listen to your seat, and reins are mostly needed as an extra guidance to tell the horse how and when to turn. And also not to scare people walking by, because many people are afraid of horses, and one with no bridle on would seem “out of control” and very frightening…
The sidepull works great if you are not going to use the reins so much:) For hiking for example.
I love the balanced way you speak about riding with or without a bit Carolyn. I agree that a bit in itself is not a harmful device, it’s the rider’s hands that make it harmful, or harmless…
I ride my two Icelandic mares bitless for some months now and I’m absolutely thrilled with the soft and sensitive way they react to it. When you have the trustful bond and yielding to pressure well ‘installed’ in your horse, you can do anything with the lightest aids and don’t need a bit for that.
I use the ‘Bloem’ (which is Dutch for ‘flower’) bitless bridle. You can see a picture of my mare Saegola wearing the Bloem here. It is based upon the same principle as the so-called ‘LG-Zaum’ or ‘Glücksrad’. The only difference is that the LG-Zaum is a wheel with spokes and the ‘Bloem’ is a flower with rings, but they work the same way. You can adapt this bridle completely to your and your horse’s wishes by attaching the straps and reins to different rings. Saegola and Kría both respond to the Bloem very well, without any resistance.
Hi Carolyn, we’ve heard so much about the uberstreichen exercises. When is your dvd about them coming out?
As much as a tyrant cannot expect respect from the people he suppress, just so we cannot expect respect and co-operation from our magnificent horses by inflicting pain on them.
I am not sure a horse is EVER fine with a bit in his mouth.
For me, to use a bit equals force, however gentle you might do it. I can’t find any reason good enough to do that to them.
If I don’t have the time to go through the process of gaining my horse’s trust and co-operation to ride him bitless, then I shouldn’t ride him at all.
I have been ‘chewing on your ‘blog’ for a bit. (no puns intended)
For me, the most powerful ritual was the moving my horse off her food. i feel that that was the most important one for me taking rank with my horse. She accepts me as her herd buddy now. I have done some of the other rituals, but this made the most difference for me. When i learned that she respected me enough to move off and give me her food, that was a big breakthrough for us. i have witnessed that when I play with her at liberty, I say this in the loosest terms, as we don’t have any set dance, but she moves off of my ask easily and readily. She never kicks out at me, and I watch many owners lunge and work at liberty, and their horses have so little respect and kick out at them very often. Very few riders at my barn have the respect of their horses.
This has got me thinking, and I would like to suggest that you, Carolyn, are doing more than you are saying. I think you are doing something, maybe many things that are setting boundaries that is not being spoken to. My guess is you are doing something that sets you up as the leader right away. I doubt you can see what it is, it may just be natural for you by now.
But I have seen way too many people think that by loving their horse soooo much, and being kind, and giving treats, and taking good care of them, that the horse will respect them. I haven’t seen that work yet!! I have watched anger, and all kinds of mistreatment that just upsets the horse, not work either.
I guess I am also saying that by suggesting not using a bit, and asking your horse to go back to its stall, and it does, is something more than your horse understanding English, and few would be able to do this.
What i am trying to say is I have a feeling that there is more to what you are doing than you are aware of. So it is hard to try to learn from just words and stories.
Good stuff to chew on…….
Ever since viewing Alexander Nevzorav’s inspirational film, “Haute Ecole”, I’ve been searching for a trainer who actually teaches a systematic method for collecting a horse without using a bit or bridle, as Nevzorav does. While there are individuals on youtube.com who have trained their own horses to bridleless collection, I haven’t found anyone who has put together a system for teaching others how to train their horses in this way. This includes Nevzorav, who has an online forum similar to this where people can express their ideas, but no direct sharing of his training methods. As a member of an excellent online equestrian dvd rental service I’ve watched many training dvds and visited various trainer’s websites. Many bridleless training dvds and clinics are available, but none that teach bridleless collection. Conversely, there are many dvds that teach collection, but none that teach bridleless collection – none that I’ve found.
Nevzorav maintains that the horse should learn to balance in self-collection before bearing the weight of a rider, so that later on collection will protect the horse’s back from injury when carrying the rider’s weight; and that once this is learned the horse will naturally revert to collection as the most comfortable mode of self-carriage. This seems logical, but how are we to do it if no one is teaching? I think many people would be interested in training their horse to collection without a bridle, or at least without a bit, if training methods were made widely available through dvds. So far there’s been a lot of interest, a lot of talk and innuendos about natural collection, but no one has put together a systematic, step-by-step program that an ordinary person could repeat and successfully implement with their own horse. So, if Carolyn is going to teach this information, it would be an extraordinary contribution to the equine community because many people are talking about it; a few are successfully practicing it for themselves, but no one is teaching it. Please teach us, Carolyn!
Thank you.
Dona
I have seen in Panadero’s video Carolyn just rode him in a halter with leads attached. I like plain side pulls with a wide leather nose or rope nose. And they are nice in the Hybrid design with the bit integrated as well. I also use plain rope halters.
I can’t even imagine what it is like to ride IN a bit anymore. I have been riding bitless for over 9 years now. Everywhere. In the show ring, yes…..local shows..where I ride bitless, or the horse carries a bit, while the reins are attached only to the halter/bridle rings, not the bit at all. Technically he is “bitted”, so they can’t discount you. More shows are allowing bitless in many classes here in Canada, or at least don’t disqualify you for it, as long as the horse is well controlled. Oddly enough many judges I have ridden past do not even know I am riding bitless! I use a side-pull type or halter bridle, which is really a glorified halter without a bit. I spend lots of time developing my bond, cues and trust in and around the yards before I venture out on trails. I ride long distance trails all the time and have never felt I needed a bit for control. Many who have ridden with me did have control issues, with their bits.
Yes, it is a honed skill and does take time, but your horse is worth it. I feel infinately safer riding without a bit than with one. Why? Because a horse with mouth pain in a panic situation is far more likely to overreact when pulled back than a horse in sidepull. Plus when you have the control over the whole horse – body and mind, you don’t need a bit…just a bit more training,trust and you can go anywhere, anytime…with a horse who never has to carry metal in it’s mouth for your convenience.
Barb F
Yes, i would also like suggestions. Could it be so that some bitless bridles *could* cause too much pressure? I was thinking about going in a Dr Cooks. Seems like the kindest option here in England, but i still think it can potentialy put the horse in a bit of a head-lock if used in the wrong hands. Just riding in a headcollor or halter means that it can slip about on the head….hmmm
Enjoyed watching your youtube Farah, really nice ‘n easy connection with your horse.
Anyone have suggestions of a good Bitless Bridle? I’ve been considering a Light Rider Bitless Bridle from Australia. Thank you.
I am a competitive rider and coach of other riders and feel it is my personal mission to show that this type of work is possible in the show ring. I have just now felt it appropriate to ride my gelding bridless. I also single line with corderos as opposed to ropes on the horses face. I have been able this year to jump without a bridle. A long time fantasy and goal. It was an incredible free feeling! I ride predominantly bitless when I use a bridle but teach my horse to be comfortable with a bit as well. That is why I am so drawn to Carolyn’s method. I appreciate the balanced approach. I have learned dressage movements and collection can easily be taught with out anything in the horses mouth. People just need to be shown how. It is up to us to show them. I wanted to share my recent bridless jumping video. See link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57ViTuhZA4Q
Nice article, I look forward to learning more about this topic as I have as a goal to ride my horse bridleless someday. The horse I leased when I was fifteen was like an unstoppable train the first time I rode her, leaning heavy on the bit and all, but after about a year or two I barely used the reins at all when riding her as she had learnt to listen more to my seat.
I’m having to do some serious soul searching on the subject of bitting, or not. On the ground and at liberty, my horse and I are in a very good place. Mainly because I participated in the Inner Circle clinic that just finished up. After riding for 30 years, I realize that I have probably been a passenger on some very well trained horses. The horses that I rode that weren’t obedient, I realize now how lucky I have been to not have been hurt. I think a lot of people ride that way and are perfectly, and blissfully unaware of the potential for disaster. I am starting to realize that I can either stop riding, and find something else to do, or I can take this to the next level. I can’t stay where I am. It isn’t safe, and it isn’t horsemanship. I’m going to start riding with a very good trainer, and hopefully I will be able to learn how to dance with my horse and be the leader she deserves. This isn’t about a bit, this is about horsemanship. Right now, I don’t trust that I will not do damage with a bit. I feel like I shouldn’t ride her until I get the right kind of help.
I wonder if it’s the long road to better horsemanship that is frightening for some individuals. I remember when i started the journey on the natural path 7 years ago. I realised i had to change not only what i was doing, but how i was feeling – that i could not get a better responce from an action alone, that the energy status in my body had to change. I rememeber taking my pony out on two long lines for the first time and spending the session working on how i felt in my belly, that i could not get a responce by flapping the reins, that i had to feel grounded and with calm clear intent in my body language. 7 years later i am much better but still working on my mind and body language and haven’t even begun transferring this to the saddle yet!
I guess competition riders work really really hard every day to achieve what they do. And for them to realise that these achievements – whether they’ve been burying their heads in the sand or just didn’t understand the full impact of practices like rolkur – are not always achievements and even sometimes abuse. So to change the complete synthasis of their communication, to start again like a child from scratch – boy that is tough.
But as Stina’s lovely quote sums up, it just takes one person to have a go, to be that anoying mosquito that says ‘Oy! I’m here! I’m here! And i’m not going away!’
I guess we can all be small pebbles in the water also.
Good Proverb Stina
Very good article!
It is only my perception, as I have not yet entered (and may never) a show-ring, but I certainly have worked around quite a few up-close and personal – that as you say it is convenience that the bit gives and security, but as you describe there is no true foundation/partnership between rider and horse. The horses are stiff, frustrated, running on the forehand with their hind-end strung out and head jammed up – I see it too often even at Olympic level.
I have to admit I get offended when I see trainers boasting (not including Carolyn – I mean conventional “trainers”) they can ride bit-less/bridleless in reining, Dressage, no matter what discipline, yet all it was was a horse de-bridled after rigorous, harsh training-methods to subdue the horse into bridleless riding…that to me is not an art of any sort.
I think it would be so great to see riders warming up bridleless/bitless only to use it for the actual class and to then remove it again at the end, what a Show that would be present at, and what encouragement….some day
Why can’t we expect the equestrain world to ride bitless!
Because there would be very few riders left. But that says it all – if a rider cannot ride their horse without a bit then I question their riding ability, and subjecting a horse to cruelty and abuse with a bit and forcing them into cooperation or frames such as rolkur is just plain ‘poor horsemanship’.!!!!!!!!!
If they were interested the horse and not about the horse building their ego then they would never put a bit in its mouth. If I can’t learn the skills to train my horse to the standard of dressage competition then so be it, I am not going to inflict suffering on my horse because of my lack of commitment to learning!!!!
I, like most people, were horrified by the latest videos on Rollkur and have given more thought to riding occasionally without a bit. I ride an ex-racehorse who thankfully, has a very soft mouth. He is light to the aids and needs little suggestion with the reins. He does however work with his mouth a little open. He does this when I ride him on the buckle with no contact, and even at liberty. He came to me like this and I haven’t found a way to change it. Of course some people have suggested that I put a tight nose band on him – that will never happen. As he does this through all his work, with or without a bit in his mouth, I’m not sure that changing his bit would help. If I were to look into a new bit, who would be the best person to tell me which bit would be most appropriate for his mouth?
Very good article, its ok to be romantic but maybe more important to be realistic around the use of bits. I think the way you write about using bits is the way we like.
Meanwhile we are training without the bit and thus improving our horsemanship skills every day. There is so much to learn.
It’s good people are waking up to more soft methods to work with horses and yes we can make a difference
Here is an african proverb for you guys in the classroom today.
If you think you can’t make a difference in the world try to sleep in the room with doors closed and one mosquito inside.