Bit less options and dressage

[ikelein]

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 telldunking work for us? He is very face sensitive but a good learner, so I’m sure we 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… !

[polkadotedpony]

Unfortunately you cannot compete any rated dressage without a bit, but I believe western dressage does allow it if you still want a competing venue. Regarding just working at home I’d probably suggest a sidepull. I find that hackamores really only address longitudinal flexion and it’s very hard to make any isolated lateral flexion correction in the hackamore. I also think mechanical hackamores can actually be quite harsh so your horse might not be a fan if he has a sensitive face. I think you an get a sidepull pretty cheap-the action is similar to riding in a halter with reins on either side, except it’s more fitting like a bridle so it doesn’t slide around on their face.

[Janet]

My gray has quite large melanomas on each side of her mouth. Bigger than a walnut, but smaller than an apple. They are not sensitive,and the bit doesn’t bother her at all.

But since I am not competing at the moment I have been riding her in a homemade (from a dropped noseband) sidepull, and now a bitless bridle. It encourages ME to focus on using my seat and legs for downward transitions and lateral work, instead of my hands.

Also, with a bit she has a tendency to curl behind the bit (she had that tendency long before she got the melanomas), and she doesn’t curl with the bitless bridle or the sidepull.

ETA that i will have no hesitation putting the bit back in her mouth when Iget ready to compete again.

[Kyrabee]

You might check out Dressage Naturally. That is Karen Rohlf’s business. She does a lot of bitless and even bridleless but her classroom does have a monthly fee.
she does more work oriented specifically to dressage.

Susan

[Scribbler]

I riide horses with dressage training in both bits and bitless.

How well it works for you will depend on how well schooled the horse is, and what your training program involves.

Obviously not competition legal.

My trainer has me work a lot with lateral flexions and lateral work generally. It’s really important to our routine and we do a lot of walk lateral work on green horses, not just taking up trot shoulder in when it’s needed for the next test level. We also emphasize getting the horse to stretch to the bit.

My experience has been that you can get this happening a little with a side pull that allows a direct rein. You can’t get it with a mechanical hackamore or even a bosal. I know the California Vaqueros get excellent performance in a bosal but that is a different balance to the horse working behind the bit in Western style.

I also find that riding bitless makes you more dependent on seat aids for a lot of movements which is good. There is no meaningful contact bitless so you need to have a drape in the reins and not strong contact. If a rider has a habit of leaning back, balancing on the reins, or using hold and spur to “go round” then they may need a lot of adjustment to ride bitless and may feel insecure.

So IMHO you can approximate what you’ve already taught bitless but you can’t make a lot of advance without a snaffle if your program involved a lot of lateral flexions and lateral work.

My other experience is that all horses love bitless and it’s my preference for trail riding.

Anyhow the best way to find out is to just try. Start with a sidepull and stay with it unless the horse runs through in a dangerous way. I had to move up to a mechanical hackamore when my mare started diving for grass.

[KBC]

@Scribbler

I feel like I saw this exact post a few months back?

Deja Vu, all over again? :lol:

[emipou]

@ikelein

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 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… !

Are the tumors in the way of the bit or causing pain if a bit is in the mouth? If they aren’t, you should just go with what works best for the horse. I used to lease a horse with a cancerous tumor in his mouth. He is still able to work (and happily) since the tumor is not in the way of the bit.

Bitless was tried a few times with him and he always did well with the first ride, then rides following that he would take advantage in a dangerous way (he’s an odd sort but we all love him).