The Horse Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

Bitless bridle??

4K views 17 replies 9 participants last post by  Hoofprints in the Sand 
#1 ·
#3 ·
Really?? I'm seriously considering it...Sandie HATES the bit, chomps on it a LOT all throughout the ride and sometimes she's so obsessed with it that it's hard to get her to pay attention to what I'm asking...which then leads her to start spooking at really stupid things (that aren't even there most of the time lol).

I know most people would say that she just needs more time and she'll get used to it, and she probably will...but I would LOVE something that she would accept more readily right now, as long as it still works as well as the bit.

Does your friend in the barn say anything about bitless vs. bit when the horse is acting up? Is it harder to get control of the horse with a bitless? Do you use one yourself??
 
#4 · (Edited)
It's the only thing I use on my older gelding, and I use it also on my older mare at times.

My gelding used to have some dental issues, so that might be where it started with him not liking the bit.

I finally found a someone that could help his teeth, but, have just continued on with the Dr Cook. There is no need to go back to the bit with him as far as I'm concerned.

When he "acts" up, it's no harder to get him back than with the bit.
 
#5 ·
Sandie's been getting kind of "spooky" lately, not very relaxed in the ring anymore...and she just constantly chomps on her bit all the time. I'm afraid to ride her half the time because she spooked and threw me a couple weeks ago, and she bolts now...this website said it can stop them from being so spooky/bolting, that those are things sometimes caused by the bit.

Have either of you found any of that to be true? I'm just concerned, I don't want to buy a bitless if it's not going to give me any control and she's going to run off with me! lol
 
#11 ·
Sandie's been getting kind of "spooky" lately, not very relaxed in the ring anymore...and she just constantly chomps on her bit all the time. I'm afraid to ride her half the time because she spooked and threw me a couple weeks ago, and she bolts now...this website said it can stop them from being so spooky/bolting, that those are things sometimes caused by the bit.
You might want to get to the bottom of why her attitude has changed.

First, what exactly do you feed her? Hay, what kind and how much. Grain, what kind and how much. Treats, what, how much, and how often. Any supplements? Exactly what brands and what dosage.

Second, how much turnout time does she get?

I'll ask more questions after you answer these ;-).
 
#7 ·
Hi Hoofprints in the Sand,

I replied to your question on the other thread, but just wanted to let you know that I actually feel safer with the Bitless Bridle than with a bit. With a bit, if the horse spooks and you pull on their mouth, their just going to get more scared because of the pain. Then, they just bolt and run through it.

I feel like I have more control with the Bitless, because it doesn't cause pain (making the horse more scared), but yet the horse can't get away from the pressure. Therefore, allowing me to stop the horse, turn, etc. whatever I need to do at the time.

You should really give the Bitless Bridle a try. Hey... if it doesn't work, just send it back!
You can buy it and try it for 30 days, and if you're not satisfied, you can send it back for a full refund.

I think both you and Sandie will be very happy with the Bridle.

I'll end this post with a quote from Joe Camp (creator of the Benji movies) “Forget the no-more-metal rhetoric, forget the pain, forget the cruelty – all of which are true – the darned thing just works better than a bit!”
 
#8 ·
Thanks royalhorse!! i wasn't aware there was a 30-day trial??! That's awesome! I think I may give it a try (and is the 30-day trial through your website too? I might as well buy from you if I'm going to, since you gave me the idea really!) ;-)

Also -- I know the reins are sold separately...do you have to buy the reins for the system to work, or would they work with the plain old English reins I am using right now with my regular bridle?
 
#10 ·
I have used that one and a Nurtural No-Bit bridle. I really enjoy them! No, you don't have as much control as a bit IMO, but most horses still respond well. There's usually not much learning curve if your horse gives to pressure on the halter.

I will recommend that you use your own reins if you go with a Biothane or Nylon bridle. The synthetic reins are just funky and the biothane a "slippery" IME. I just use my own English reins (flat with hand-stops) or cotton braided reins.

I use mine for trail riding, hacking, and when friends ride my mare. She has a nice soft mouth and is very responsive. With the BB, I don't have to worry about noisy hands or accidental yanks on the reins.
 
#12 ·
You know I've known a few people to use this and I hate it. I saw one rider with very heavy hands cause quite a bit of pain to the horse with this bridle as it puts pressure in multiple places across the jaw and face, and just like any bit or hackamore, in harsh hands, anything is truly harsh. I also know a horse that the owner loved this so she tried it on him and he HATED it. Put him in a plain old low port curb and ride him around western and he's happy as a clam...go figure. So while I can see how to some horses it could be good, I haven't met any of them yet though admittedly my experience is limited.

I'd say with this, as with any other bridle or bit, it varies based on the horse's opinion and sensitivity and what feels and works best for them. Try it and if it works great! And if not, well just move on to the next item!

(if you're looking to buy one I know my friend is selling hers on consignment and she's only used it a very few times b/c her horse hated it btw.)
 
#13 ·
Please do not approach using a bitless bridle as if it's just another bitted bridle.
Take the time to re-introduce the bitless bridle on your horse from the ground and then again from the saddle - get him yielding to your rein aids before starting to ride... for a lot of horses, the bitless bridle (I'm talking the cross-action, not a hack or bosal, although those may apply) has completely different pressure points than a bitted bridle, and some horses WILL react to the sensation.
If you search my posts, I have a big long thread about my experience with a bitless on my TB gelding... let's just say I ride in a bit.
 
#16 ·
- First 6 weeks I had her, I rode her almost every day (with a day off every couple days) but nothing too strenuous...things were going very well until a week or two ago when she started spooking at one corner of the arena in particular -- nothing different about that corner, no shadows, objects, etc. so no clue why she is all of a sudden scared of it
This is exactly where I'd take her for more ground training. She's learned if she spooks in that corner...she can get away with it!
I have a bitless...wouldn't ride (this particular horse) in anything else. I do want to stress tho that before you rely on this for control in the saddle...you need to get control on the ground. AND...as was said before...rely on your horse to tell you if this is right for them...or not.
 
#17 · (Edited)
I would ask the vet about hand walking her and working her on the lead line. That will help her from going too stir crazy. Plus you can work on her ground work then.

In order to build a bond, you need to NOT ride her. You need to spend lots of time on the ground with her: grooming, leading/walking, working on ground exercises, etc. If you have access to trails, take her out on "walks" in hand, just the two of you. Lead her from both sides. If you don't have access to trails, then just take her around the property, down the road (if it's not busy), and just sit in a chair in the arena while she's turned out. You need to spend time with her, and in this stage QUANTITY means more than "quality." You don't have to have your hands on her the whole time, just walking with her or sitting next to her is a good bonding exercise.

She needs some kind of turnout daily once she is healed, not just riding and lunging. That's only 1-3 hours in her whole day, not nearly enough. Horses do just fine out on the ice. Have her shoes pulled and make sure she's blanketed. Get some shortening from the grocery store or eventing grease and coat the inside of her foot, on the front and just around it, to prevent ice balls from building up. Reapply every few days.

Don't worry about her in the pasture. She'll be fine ;). The more the horses get turned out, the more they will break up the ice and make the footing better for traction.
 
#18 ·
I would ask the vet about hand walking her and working her on the lead line. That will help her from going too stir crazy. Plus you can work on her ground work then.

In order to build a bond, you need to NOT ride her. You need to spend lots of time on the ground with her: grooming, leading/walking, working on ground exercises, etc. If you have access to trails, take her out on "walks" in hand, just the two of you. Lead her from both sides. If you don't have access to trails, then just take her around the property, down the road (if it's not busy), and just sit in a chair in the arena while she's turned out. You need to spend time with her, and in this stage QUANTITY means more than "quality." You don't have to have your hands on her the whole time, just walking with her or sitting next to her is a good bonding exercise.

She needs some kind of turnout daily once she is healed, not just riding and lunging. That's only 1-3 hours in her whole day, not nearly enough. Horses do just fine out on the ice. Have her shoes pulled and make sure she's blanketed. Get some shortening from the grocery store or eventing grease and coat the inside of her foot, on the front and just around it, to prevent ice balls from building up. Reapply every few days.

Don't worry about her in the pasture. She'll be fine ;). The more the horses get turned out, the more they will break up the ice and make the footing better for traction.
I completely agree with on the turnout issue...the problem is that I board, and the barn manager won't put them out bc of the conditions. One of the pastures has a pond, which is frozen over and concealed with snow, and last year they had a horse walk out onto it and drown! So that's part of the reason he won't turn out. So if I want her out, I have to do it myself (and I work all during the day Mon-Fri)...and then she'd be by herself, which she dislikes greatly...as you'd expect. They do get turned out in the indoor arena a little bit during the day, but IMO it's not enough (esp for a horse like her who was used to 24 hr turnout at her old place!!) It's getting very frustrating.

I do spend time with her every day (I think I've missed 3 days in the last 9 weeks!), even if I'm not riding. I'll just let her out to walk around and roll in the arena (except for now of course bc of her stall rest!!), and most times all I do is go up and groom her/feed her little treats. I do lunge her sometimes instead of riding, and before I ride I always lunge her.

Now bc of her surgery I can't do any of that (vet said no walking around for 14 days or she'll tear her stitches out!), except just to spend time with her in her stall, which is my plan. This will give us a great 14 days of bonding in her stall though, just grooming her and being with her. But she's going to be so stir crazy at the end of all this, it's really frustrating. I feel like we'll be taking a HUGE step backwards in her training and conditioning because she's going to just be insanely stir crazy and spooky now, worse than she already was!!

I can't wait until they're being turned out again, but with Ohio weather, it probably won't be until JULY I heard someone say the other day (bc then the snow will melt and make terrible mud/standing water)! :-( They can't be serious, but if they are, I don't know what to do...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top