Thomas was incredibly resistant and sensitive to bits,
right from the get-go. Despite training, dental exams
and the use of different bits, the New Forest gelding’s
frustration went unresolved. He would endlessly fight
having the bit put in his mouth, and once it was in he was
super sensitive to any rein movement. He even resented
certain types of rein attachments. So his owners tried riding
him in a bitless bridle. It was a fairly easy transition, thanks
to the groundwork they had already done with the pony,
and Thomas was significantly happier.
Riding bitless rather than in a traditional bitted bridle is
becoming more and more popular. Through the process of
helping riders make the transition, I have discovered the
importance of several basic groundwork exercises to help
ensure your first rides will be successful, and assist in more
advanced under saddle work later on.
Under pressure
The majority of bitless equipment works off three main
pressure points (some bridles may use additional points, or a
variation). The first is against the bridge of the horse’s nose,
with the noseband. The second is against the side of the
horse’s face, and the third is often minimal poll pressure.
We do not want our horses to resist or avoid pressures from
the bridle (this goes for any type of equipment we use on our
horses). Horses that resist become tense and often hollow,
and are unable to relax physically or mentally. This can lead
to a rather exciting first ride, and if left unaddressed can
result in behavioral and physical issues.
Obviously, the pressures from bitless equipment are not
the same as those from the typical bits most horses are used
to. I therefore suggest spending as much time introducing
bitless options to your horse as you would any other
type of equipment. It makes sense that we ensure our horses
know how to give and respond to the pressures from equipment,
whether it is a hackamore, sidepull, rope halter, bosal
or the more recent leather bitless bridles. As with anything
we do with horses, safety and preparation are keys.
Ground work success
I ensure each horse knows and understands four main
groundwork exercises before attempting to ride him bitless.
While these exercises are fairly simple, many horses do not
know how to do them properly.
1 Teach your horse to softly lower his head in response
to poll pressure.
2 Help him understand how to
tuck his chin or flex vertically in
response to noseband pressure.
3 Teach him to back up softly from
noseband pressure. He should
back up with his head lowered and
chin tucked, not hollow and braced.
4 Your horse should understand
how to give/flex laterally to
pressure against the side of his face.
You may want to enlist the help of
a professional to make sure you are
doing these exercises correctly. Each
horse is different and learns differently.
It is often easiest to teach your
horse these exercises in a regular or
rope halter first, then start working
on him in whatever piece of bitless
equipment you intend to use.
Is he ready to ride?
Once your horse is comfortable with
the pressure of the bitless bridle on
the ground, how do you know if he is
ready to ride? Take a look at where he
is that day, mentally and physically.
If you are riding a horse that tends to
be a little spooky on cool windy days,
then that is probably not the best kind
of day to try out a new bridle. You
want to set both yourself and your
horse up for a positive first experience,
so factor in everything you can
to make that happen. Take a look at
your groundwork, and make sure it’s
all working for you – if you ask your
horse one day to lower his head and
instead he throws it up in the air, you
must fix that before hopping aboard.
Safety tips
Some horses may take to bitless riding
naturally and are completely fine with
it on their first ride, but I prefer to take
the “better safe than sorry” route. The
first time you try bitless riding, consider
the following:
•Ride in a familiar enclosed area with
no other horses present until you
know for sure you have full control.
•Check your groundwork first, and fix
any rough areas before mounting up.
•Have someone supervise you,
or at least tell someone what you
are doing so they can check up
on you mid-ride.
•Have someone walk beside you
for the first few minutes while
you make sure you can do a
successful stop, backup, do a
few upwards and downwards
transitions and test out some
patterns (to check your steering).
•Wear all your safety gear!
First rides
Keep your first rides short and simple.
Only do things you know you and
your horse can successfully do. It
is better to take things slow and be
successful than push the limit and
create a wreck. Always make sure you
still have control over each part of
your horse’s body through numerous
patterns and transitions – the most
important of which will naturally be “halt” and “stand”.
Riding without a bit can be an enjoyable
experience for both horse and
rider. In certain cases, as with Thomas,
it’s the only option people can turn to
when faced with certain physical or
behavioral problems in their horses.
Provided you keep safety in mind and
ease your horse into the transition,
he can perform just as well bitless as
he did bitted.
Published in the July/August 2009 issue of Equine Wellness Magazine
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