Bit less options and dressage

[kielsine]

Hello!

I have a 13 year old gray Andalusian cross, and unfortunately we have found his first melanomas in his mouth during his dental.

He’s only had a few, tiny, unchanging ones up to this point, but they are in spots that are less concerning. I have no idea if these are super old and slow changing or maybe not.

He has one on each side of his mouth, one is very small but the other is already the size of a dime or so. Fairly flat still. They dont quite sit in the corner of his mouth, but just in front of where the bit would rest, towards his nose inside the upper lip area. So right now they do not interfere at all with his bit, which is just a basic o ring single joint snaffle.

However, I like to be prepared. I dont know what his future will be like. I worked with a small animal Oncologist on her team for a few years, so I’m pretty familiar with the protocols there but melonoma seem to be less aggressive in horses.

I would like to keep working on our dressage goals until it no longer is benefiting my horse. However, it may come to point where a bit will no longer be comfortable (size of tumors, or surgery perhaps) but he really enjoys having a job. He is my first horse and I only entered the horse world about 10 years ago now so I still am learning so I don’t really know much about bitless options. So I am beginning my research now before I need it. I thought hearing from other dressage folk might lead us in an appropriate path.

Any recommendations of systems that might work for us? He is very face sensitive but a good learner, so I’m sure we myloweslife can adjust to anything. Hoping to find something we can start to play around on the trails to start before introducing it as arena work.

My apologies for being long winded… !

[Lucassb]

You’ve had a lot of post views but no reply and my guess is because one of the core tenets of dressage is the notion of contact from the rider’s hands to the horse’s mouth. Obviously with a bitless set up that is just not going to be something you can address.

However, that certainly does not mean you cannot successfully school your horse nor enjoy him in a bitless bridle. Horses are generally very adaptable and with kind, consistent, patient training they can learn all sorts of cues.

[Texel]

@Lucassb

You’ve had a lot of post views but no reply and my guess is because one of the core tenets of dressage is the notion of contact from the rider’s hands to the horse’s mouth. Obviously with a bitless set up that is just not going to be something you can address.

However, that certainly does not mean you cannot successfully school your horse nor enjoy him in a bitless bridle. Horses are generally very adaptable and with kind, consistent, patient training they can learn all sorts of cues.

I’m not sure where you’re pulling your “core tenets” from, but doing at least some of the horse’s training bitless was a pretty substantial part of the schools of thought of the ODGs that modern dressage says that it still apostolically succeeds from. To quote Cavendish:

The Cavezone is to Stay, to Raise, and to make the Horse Leight; to Teach him to Turn, to Stop, to Firm his Neck, to Assure and Adjust his Head, and his Croup, without Offending his Mouth, or the place of the Curb; and also to Supple and Help his Shoulders, and his Leggs and Feet Before. Therefore I would Use it to all Horses whatsoever; for they will go much Better with the Bitt alone, having their Mouth preserved, and made so Sensible, as they will be Attentive to all the Motions of the Hand: So that there is nothing for the Exercise of the Mannage like it…The Cavezone being upon the Nose, preserves the Horse’s Mouth, and Barrs, and place of the Curb; and it is so Effectual, as it will Dress a Horse without the Bitt, which the Bitt shall never Do without the Cavezone; for the Barrs and the Curb are too Tender

[Scribbler]

Has this been posted twice?

[NJRider]

@Scribbler

Has this been posted twice?

Yes, but with a slightly changed user name.