We rode bridle-less today (with video)

Java and I rode bridle-less for the second time today. I did not transition with a halter and lead or anything like that. I simply took his bridle off and went for it.

Granted, I knew he listened to me enough without using reins and knew I could control him without reins. It's just nice to see the difference.


I just don't know what to do with my hands! Haha! What do you all do with your hands when you're riding bridle-less?

Sorry that the video is so short. The batteries in the camera died. BUT we'll be out there again tomorrow and Friday, so I'm sure I'll have better video.

Doing this has to be one of THE most proud moments of us riding. We don't study Parelli or Anderson or Lyons or anything. I trained him from a yearling and it's simply a bond that we share. I was so happy with him and SO very proud of him.

After the camera died we worked on figure eights with lead changes in between and trotting in circles. We also loped down the center of the arena, rolled back and galloped on 'home'.

Bridle-less on Vimeo

Wow, I need to take lessons from you on how to communicate with leg cues. My horse is trained for leg cues and I have no clue how to make her do things, she can sidepass, I found that out without even trying, but now, I've no idea how to get her into a trot like you do without her head going up to the sky for a couple of strides before it comes down nor do I know how to cue her to canter. ARGH! I think your horse is very pretty and you obviously have a bond together and that is great. You did fine.

Thanks. The trotting without her head going up is because she's unorganized.

You'll get it, eventually. :)

I posted some photos in the photos section as well. :)

He is either crossfiring or overreaching really badly...you might want to get that checked out by your farrier; you can hear it in the video. That also may be why he doesn't like to stay in gait for very long...

Otherwise, you guys look cute together.

I am unsure of what you are talking about? What exactly are you hearing and at what point of the video? Every time he changes gait, I am asking for it. Every time he stops, I am asking him to stop. He has no problem staying in a gait.

I am not sure that you know what crossfiring is. But he is most definitely not crossfiring, and that is apparent in the video.

I believe what you are hearing is my clicking/clucking to him. Because I do not have anything on his face, I communicate by sound.

I'm assuming mom2pride was talking about the back feet reaching and clipping the front feet, which is what overreaching is all about... it tends to happen when the back toes are long... I didn't listen to it with volume on but usually you can hear a click click click each stride if you get what I mean... it's just the hooves clicking together... It can lead to the horse grazing itself on their heel, or little cuts if its pretty bad. I don't know what crossfiring means though. I didn't pay attention to see if your horse was or not, I saw the comment afterwards, and thought I'd explain the meaning, my apologies if you know it already.

I think it's pretty cool what you're doing... I don't think I have the confidence to say goodbye to my bridle completely... I normally just tie the reins up and ride with my legs... but I do this on a green horse, who sometimes doesn't want to turn/gets confused with what I've asked, so I have the ability to pick up the reins briefly if need be.
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He isn't overreaching because his back end doesn't come underneath himself quite as much as I would like yet. He doesn't have shoes on, either. I think she is either hearing me clicking to him, or the bit on the bridle clanking (it's hanging off of our saddle horn) I know what both crossfiring (cantering with one lead on the front and one lead on the back) and overreaching mean. I just don't know where in the world she got it from in the video.


I found it surprising when I took his bridle off, actually. He listened BETTER to my legs. I, too, used to tie up my reins, but then he'd do something and I had to use them for backup to steer. Then I decided I'd take his bridle off, and he did better? Go figure!

And good luck with yours, it sounds like you as well will be riding bridle-less in no time!

I think that's the sound she was hearing.