Just recieved my bitless bridle, has anyone got any advice???

[tbosborn]

After asking yesterday if someone would kindly lend me there bitless bridle, i have now recieved it today! Kindly lent my 'caddiesmum' thankyou very very much

It is a be nice very similar to the Dr cooks. I have never used a bitless before so i was hoping someone could give me some pointers because im really hoping this will work for Meg!

So if anyone can help please or has some inspiring storys of how they have worked, it would be much appreciated??

 

[No_Angel]

Groundwork first to introduce your horse to the new cues

Lots of transitions when you first get on.

Don't ride on a constant contact as it will desensitize the pressure on the nose.

 

[tbosborn]

Thanks no angel

When you say some groundwork for the new cues, could you explain a bit more on that please?

 

[No_Angel]

Leading work on the ground Go and stop touching the reins so the horse gets used to the tightening pressure around their face, as some horses do not like it,backing up etc. I suppose its more NH type groundwork

 

[tbosborn]

Leading work on the ground Go and stop touching the reins so the horse gets used to the tightening pressure around their face, as some horses do not like it,backing up etc. I suppose its more NH type groundwork

Ok thats great thanks

Is the steering alot more harder to master with a bitless? And im also so worried about being to heavy with my hands?

 

[No_Angel]

I do most of my steering from weight aids and neck reining so I don't have any problems, it might be worth teaching your horse to go from weight aids if they don't already as it saves having to pull the horses head around with the bitless, I only use my reins as a back up for brakes really, I mostly ride on a loose rein or the buckle

 

[Zani]

Long reining is good too to get them to recognise the different cues!

That way you can get the voice commands to go with it too and then that helps when you get on board.

Try somewhere nice and quiet, in field or school first.

I am still not brave enough to hack out in mine, but we will one day!

 

[tbosborn]

I do most of my steering from weight aids and neck reining so I don't have any problems, it might be worth teaching your horse to go from weight aids if they don't already as it saves having to pull the horses head around with the bitless, I only use my reins as a back up for brakes really, I mostly ride on a loose rein or the buckle

I have been trying to do mostly my weight aids but she is so forward going and whizzy that she just tends to not listen and rush off

 

[Peaches]

It takes time for them to learn weight aids, particularly if they're of the mentality to rush forwards and not listen to you. My boy is exactly the same lots of walk and halt and walk and halt transitions should help, and turning whilst in the walk, maybe some rein back etc - begin the weight aid training at a walk when they are less likely to get whizzy, and build it up the paces as the horse learns to listen and focus more. This applies to bitted work as well anyway. They do get it eventually =]

Depending on the type of work you want to do bitless, you may find in time you want to gradually increase the amount of contact you are able to take, not to a heavy contact but to a contact which allows a constant communication between you and the horse. Lance can be ridden virtually almost without contact from the bridle hacking out but he also needs to be able to accept a light but steady regular contact from me for dressage work.

Bitless has worked wonders for mine, good luck with it =]

 

[tbosborn]

It takes time for them to learn weight aids, particularly if they're of the mentality to rush forwards and not listen to you. My boy is exactly the same lots of walk and halt and walk and halt transitions should help, and turning whilst in the walk, maybe some rein back etc - begin the weight aid training at a walk when they are less likely to get whizzy, and build it up the paces as the horse learns to listen and focus more. This applies to bitted work as well anyway. They do get it eventually =]

Depending on the type of work you want to do bitless, you may find in time you want to gradually increase the amount of contact you are able to take, not to a heavy contact but to a contact which allows a constant communication between you and the horse. Lance can be ridden virtually almost without contact from the bridle hacking out but he also needs to be able to accept a light but steady regular contact from me for dressage work.

Bitless has worked wonders for mine, good luck with it =]

Thanks, its great to hear a positive outcome Do you have good breaks in the bitless and have you found that he relaxes more?

 

[Peaches]

My breaks bitted used to be disastrous - we were the pair on the xc courses (actually in dressage too) with god knows what going on in the mouth, because no matter what schooling I did, lance could not relax and would fight the bit.

Transferred to bitless and he was a different horse. I even competed in national xc finals with him bitless, with the organisers going 'uh-oh - we've got a bitless one here!' and comments about me being very brave and maybe a little mad. I had more than a few comments from people coming over after our round to say how lovely and controlled we had looked, and he must be 'such a well behaved horse' - them saying how they wished their horses weren't so strong...

Thing is Lance was one of those really strong horses bitted - infact even my RI, who has competed around burghley, said he was difficult to lighten and hold whether jumping or on the flat. He's a dream bitless as it's just completely allowed him to relax and settle making him much more aware of my other aids - he no longer fights me the whole time!

This isn't the case for every horse (and maybe not to this extreme) but it really for some it is a real break through. He now works bitted in a snaffle too, but still not as relaxed as bitless.
Our youngster goes through phases of 'testing the boundaries' being 4yrs old and when he does, he sometimes gets a little cheeky and strong. He responds fantastically to the bitless too.
My sisters horse on the other hand is much more the type to go 'do we really HAVE to go forwards?!' - the bitless for him wasn't really effective at all. So it's horses for courses.

Here's Lance in his not long after coming off box rest (which explains the bit of tenseness there - as does the fact our stallion who doesn't get along with him w as parading along the fence line in the background ) but thought it might be helpful to show that bitless can still mean an outline and doesn't just have to be for hacking.