Had this wonderful mail in from Kathy:
“My beloved horse Ebony is a TB and was injured on the track, his racing days cut short Thank God! When I got Eb, was when I was diagnosed with MS, in 2004, and he had a fracture to his front left sesmoid bone. He needed healing, and so did I. My Lifelong Dream came true in this 17 hand high gentle giant! Eb never liked a bit and I do only therapeutic riding, having to “start over” many times over the years, but getting up and out of bed and out of a wheelchair and tossing aside walker and cane each time as I built muscle and gained balance and confidence.
I always wanted to go bitless, but everyone around me thought I’d have no control and it was too risky. This past year, all opinions were ignored and I got Eb his first bitless bridle! He loves me so much and respects my inabilities so easily and compensates so well for my inadequacies that we had built a perfect bond on trust by now, and the least I could do was make our rides as comfortable for him as they are for me!
I have a friend who half leases and rides dressage, keeping him well exercised and trained and for her he must endure his bit but has finally stopped flinging his head and leaving his mouth open so some of the more restrictive parts of that other bridle have come off thankfully. Would he do as well in the bitless bridle???
Who can say, but for me it is my way of telling Eb how much I love and respect him and it is our special treat. I love it and so does he, and I’ve had no “run away” horse incidents…not even close!
Kathy and Eb”
Thanks to Kathy for sending that in. I have quite a collection of these now – but please keep them coming.
Best
Al
Touching story. Kathy , you and Eb have a special bond…you go girl.. 🙂
Awesome 🙂 I have a QH filly I’ve been training for a few years now 🙂 I’ve had her under saddle since last spring when she was 2 1/2. Right from the start I had her bitless, in just a rope halter with side rings for reins actually.
With my plans to start showing her in 4-H this fall I’ve been getting her used to a bit, but every chance I get I put her back in a rope halter 🙂
I’m not against using bits by any mean (as long as they’re humanely used) but in my opinion, if you have to have your horse in a bit to be able to control it, you need to go back to basics 😛
While it is nice to ride in the pasture or arena with a halter or bosal, there are times where a bit is extremely important. After riding Friesians, Arabians, Irish sport horses, many drafts and breaking to ride futurity Quarter horses, I have found that a bit is an important tool.
I have spent time in the show jumping ring where horses love their job and have to be restrained to prevent them from speeding and over jumping. Without a bit, these horses would run right through your hands and yank you out of the saddle.
With my QH, who I compete in Cutting and working cow, a bit is required for the safety of rider, horse, and cow. The horse becomes so focused on their job that they can become aggressive towards the cow. The bit is needed to remind them to play nice and that it is time to stop.
I can ride my 4 year old Futurity QH mare bridless and almost complete a perfect reining pattern. I started her with a bit and I do all of her training with a bit.
A bit is not a weapon. It is a source of communication. It is the rider’s hands that determine whether or not a bit is humane. A bit is not in the horses mouth to inflict pain. Rather it is a precise communication tool. It is very difficult to teach a horse to lift their shoulders, disengage the hip, bend the rib cage, break at the pole and move off of and stop on the hocks without a bit. I have tried. The use of a snaffle, and in some instances a curb, made my life much easier and eliminated my horse’s frustration.
I have trained race and show horses for years. In reschooling Thoroughbreds you first need to unschool the experiences they have had(part is that they are taught to lean into the bit)You may not have known it, but that down time establishing a trust was the first big step,going totally soft or no bit at all is another major step.My best lead ponies were retired runners, they all wore Hackamores.Always give it time and go soft if you can.
Young horses are unpredicable and I would suggest either a training hackamore or a rubber snaffle bit for a young horse. If you plan to show the young horse, you could be putting yourself and other people in danger at the Show grounds. You need to learn the basics first. HERE IS YOUR FIRST BASIC LESSON!!! 2 YEAR OLD HORSES ARE NOT TRAINED LONG ENOUGH FOR BITLESS RIDING AND SHOWING. YOU NEED TO GO BACK TO BASICS YOURSELF. Kathy has a horse that is already trained and he is older, plus she is riding him along with a trained dressage rider.
I have a ten year old horse, I have only had him for three months. He just recently started biting. At first it was just when I was trying to saddle him, now he nips at me constantly. How do I correct this?
I rescued a saddlebred 3 years ago….he HATED bits, so I thought…ok, we’ll go without them. He has been wonderful since then. He listens to my voice, hands and legs…I totally trust him and I believe vice versa!!!!
The subject of bitless bridles appears to be very controversial judging by the comments made on this page. It appears that it is very much ‘if it works for you, go for it’. There are good arguments for both sides but I think that it is up to the individual person and horse. The owner will know whats best for their horse. What works for one horse does not necessarily work for the next horse. If the horse is happy in a bitless bridle then that should be more than sufficient proof for its rider.
I like that very much. I am busy to adopt a horse, his name is Santigo. Oh, I really love him so much. He is quite old, but he is a real sweetheart. So I like it to hear that there is such a lot of people who does not only love their horse friends but have a passion to make life worth wile and pleasant for them too. Well done Chatthy 🙂
great job Kathy! So glad he is a good boy for you in the bitless, I have an OTT too and she would be a runaway on me so bitless is out of the question, but I am so glad that you have had success 😀
has anyone heard of happy mouth bridles?
One of the horses that I’ve ridden had a hackamore and thats what he was trained with. We switched him to a bit and he became more focused and was not as distracted. One of the other horses I rode did really well with a hackamore and behaved wonderfully with an experienced rider. It depends on what works for your horse. Bits don’t have to be cruel.
When I started training my paint 10 years ago, I started using a bosel. He did so well, I never put a bit in his mouth. When I started trail riding him, I switched to a hack only to teach him to neck rein. He is so light mouth, I am glad I never put a bit in his mouth. I ride with a bosel now and occasionally use a hack. If you train them from the start, you don’t need a bit unless you are showing. Well he is now 13 and is still happy to ride at anytime.