Who hasn’t, at some point, admired the freedom of movement of horses at liberty in the pasture as they play with their friends, gallop and spin, and slide to a beautiful stop, completely uninhibited in their actions? Who hasn’t then, attempted to recreate some of this beautiful motion under saddle, only to find a stiff, dull, unresponsive or otherwise uncooperative horse? But how can we expect a horse to behave and move in the same manner when hindered by a rider on its back, a saddle, a bitted bridle, and even additional encumbrances such as a martingale or tie-down?  These artificial instruments, although useful in the training process and beneficial to the rider, understandably affect the horse’s movement.

The first question: Why do we use a bit? The partial answer: tradition. Appropriately selected and properly fitted, the bit is accommodated by most horses.  Used by kind hands on a horse with the suitable training and conformation, there is absolutely nothing cruel about a bit.  (Of course, the rider’s hands, seat, and attention to feedback from the horse are critical elements in the bigger picture of acceptance and progress.) The bit is one of the means through which we communicate our intentions and cues to the horse.  Physically, the bit can affect the horse’s body in specific ways from the jaw area to the hind legs so that with appropriate training the horse can react quickly, efficiently and fluidly.

Understandably, bit selection can be enormously confusing with the many models featured in tack shops, in catalogues and hanging in tack rooms. Consider the styles available, for example: snaffle, curb, gag or combination; O-ring, D-ring, eggbutt or full cheek; Mullen mouth or broken or French link or Dr. Bristol; copper or sweet iron or stainless steel, plastic or rubber. Overwhelming!  The end result is that frustrated horse owners too often give up and simply pick the cheapest, prettiest, or most popular model. The choice may be totally inappropriate for their mount. The horse ends up in pain and confusion, resentful of contact, evading the bit and hollowing its back, while the rider reaches for harsher and harsher models to control the “unruly” animal.

Let’s step back and examine what is happening too often.  An ill-fitting piece of metal is placed in a horse’s mouth and the reins attached.  Mounted in the saddle, an unskilled novice rider pulls on these lines in an uneven, unsteady, uneducated way hoping to convey to the horse “left, right, stop”.  The metal bit presses against the horse’s tongue, cheeks and jaw, ultimately even affecting the horse’s entire body and balance. On the other hand, in the educated hands of a skilled rider always receptive to feedback from the horse, the appropriate bit is neither abusive nor harmful.  It is an indispensable aid. Too often novice riders do not realize the years of instruction, practice and experience required to produce the “softness” of hands and the balanced seat which allow the horse to perform happily and productively.

Now we ask: Do horses even need bits in the first place?  What are some alternatives?  The first answer is, no, not always. And as for the latter, bitless bridles and hackamores are gaining in popularity as many riders are concerned about the damage that bits have done to their horses’ mouths.  Many horses, due to conformation, the nerve supply to the mouth area, and prior facial injury simply cannot be ridden with a bit. Such horses have traditionally been accommodated with mechanical hackamores and bosals which place pressure on the nose and jaw.  Nothing enters the horse’s mouth.

 

Hackamores and bosals come in a variety of models.  Some can be exceedingly severe and cruel, putting both horse and rider at risk.  To evade the pain of an inhumane hackamore, even the kindest horse often will rear, toppling over on to the rider. Kinder hackamores and bosals are suitable not only for horses, but for novice riders struggling to gain educated hands and a balanced seat.  A well-trained school horse fitted with a bitless bridle is a perfect mount for any rider wanting to build skills and confidence. The bitless bridles, the Nurtural, and the Hadden Hackamore consist of a flat leather noseband and a similar curb strap.  All pressure is light and consistent on the horse’s face.

A gentle hackamore or bosal is not suitable for a horse that runs away, bucks or bolts.  It may not be suitable to use on the trail, but still quite functional in the confinement of an arena. A horse in early training may be started in a hackamore or bosal, moved into an appropriate bit as the work becomes more complex, and then moved back to a hackamore or bosal as the horse masters the desired level of training.

When a horse is going well in a hackamore and its rider/partner feels confident in the level of trust and understanding between them, bridleless riding may be an attractive next option.  Famous reining trainer, Stacy Westfall, made international horsemanship headlines in 2006 when she won the freestyle reining championship riding a high-powered horse completely without tack: no headstall, no halter, no neck rope.... not even a saddle! While her performance set an extraordinarily high bar for the art of bridleless riding, the usual progression in mastering this process requires a similar learning curve for both horse and rider.

 The horse is trained to a level of trust and competence where the rider can consider a bridleless progression. (Some horses never reach this level of trust.)  The rider acquires a level of stability, coordination and confidence in the saddle so that riding bridleless becomes a possible option.  Before going bridleless however, the rider progresses through a pattern with the chosen horse of riding in a defined area such as an arena with a bridle and neck rope, using both at once.  Engaging the seat effectively is essential to the rider’s success; most of the bridleless horse’s aids from the rider are received through the seat and legs.  Gradually, the rider “tests the waters” by releasing the reins progressively while depending increasingly on the neck rope.  Ultimately and occasionally, the rider and horse may achieve such a level of mutual trust and understanding that the neck rope can be dispensed with entirely. Stacy Westfall and her horse met this test with acclaim.

The key to transitioning a horse to bridleless riding is to start with something the horse is comfortable with.  If the horse has been trained to neck rein, this can be helpful when introducing the neck rope. When ready to transition to the neck rope without dependence on the reins, the reins should be tied up securely so that they do not come loose or pose a safety hazard.  The reins should be tied in a way so that if needed they can immediately be picked up and applied for “emergency brakes”.