Question is, can a horse be started bitless and stay bitless for the rest of its life?
I would think if all cues and expectations are clearly established that a horse could easily be started bitless, but I’m curious to hear what others think!
Depends on what it’s purpose in life is? Dressage horse, no can’t stay bit less, recreational horse, yes, jumper yes,
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I guess that would depend on what your ambitions are. If you want to show dressage, that’s not going to work. If you just want a pleasure horse to bop around on, sure, why not?
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I totally read this title as Can a horse be STARTLED bitless and was like “sure, but something that scary might also startle the rider sh*tless”
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Many western trainers start horses in rope halters, and some in bosals.
It works just fine.
Western trainers can get quite a bit of subtlty this way.
However what you cannot do bitless is ride on full contact and there is a lot in basic correct dressage training that you cannot get or maintain bitless.
My mares basic training modality is dressage but I have ridden her in a rope halter, a side pull, and more recently a mechanical hackamore especially for trail riding. I think it’s a nice break for her and actually when I put a western saddle on her for fun, it turned out I had a savvy handy neck reining western horse!
However without a snaffle I can’t do effective lateral flexions or reach to the bit for stretchy trot or do collected/ medium transitions. I am more restricted to the carriage and posture she offers. Which is fine in western, no good for dressage.
As far as walk trot canter turn halt on a draped rein, and even slide and spin, all the western things, there is no problem training these bitless. Depending on the % of whoa to go in your horse, you might be fine with a rope halter or sidepull, or need a mechanical hackamore.
I stopped using the sidepull because once maresy dived for grass in the ditch I was powerless! Hence the mechanic hackamore which rarely needs full use.
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The Spanish tradition is to start without a bit, using a training noseband, and only bit the horse once it has a good level of training. That way the soft mouth is protected. Has to be said, one often sees horses with scarred noses in Spain but very light in the hand.
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I’ve seen U-tube videos of GP dressage horses bitless - but only after they have been trained well in a bridle.
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Sure you can.
A bit is required for some types of showing, but it is not required for any actual movements or progression. I was riding my one mare bitless exclusively, and although clinicians sometimes struggled with the concept, my horse and I were able to achieve the skills asked, it just requires a different feel.
I don’t think I would purposely not use a bit though, unless the horse had health issues that required it, as it will limit the horse’s function and marketability. It is unfortunate that very few disciplines support bitless.
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My daughter leases a horse that has never used a bit (the entire barn is bitless). They do not show other than an occasional fun or schooling show and the judges didn’t seem to care. They jump up to 3 ft and do low level dressage so it works fine for them.
I had an app with a totally wrecked mouth that I started bitless. I actually rode him in a mechanical hackamore though, which helped him work more over his back. He stayed bitless until he was showing and then it was not allowed. But it really makes you ride off the leg, so I found it helpful!
Like others have said, it depends entirely on your horse and your riding goals. Personally, I feel that bitless bridles are a bit of a blunt tool. I had a mule come to me with some bit issues and I rode him bitless for a year. But then I transitioned him back to a bit because I felt that using the bit allowed me to be more immediate, subtle, and understated in my cues and responses.
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Well, there’s really two different questions, here.
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CAN a horse be started in head equipment that does not involve a bit and continue to be ridden without a bit for the rest of it’s working life? The answer to that is yes, of course they can. It is made easier if you are a highly educated rider who knows what they are doing and can teach and then ask for more advanced work from your horse without the aid of a bit. There is a reason the Spanish Riding School does not allow their students to touch the reins until they’ve developed a truly independent and secure seat - they don’t want them using them as a crutch, which is what so many riders do.
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Can you then ride that horse in any discipline, or more specifically compete that horse in any discipline, without a bit? The answer to that is no. Some competitive disciplines don’t mandate the use of a bit, others do.
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Sure you can. Almost all Paso Finos, including show horses, are started on a jaquima (bosal).
We have started our horses bitless forever, so yes, you can.
We also ride them later much of the time bitless.
Then, as trainers, we train for the best interest of any horse and that means, a horse that is versatile so it can go any place, in any kind of gear and be comfortable.
To train a horse only one way, especially a not very common way, is handicapping your horse if and when it finds itself where it has to adapt to other, the more a different other, the harder on the horse.
So, yes to first question, start a horse with or without a bit.
Second question, reconsider if you want a one trick pony horse and hope not knowing to carry a basic bit can be enough for it’s whole life, or do you want to train a horse to be adaptable and so have a more secure future, if it needs to work with a bit at some time later.
A horse that doesn’t know how to work with a bit generally is considered green, uneducated as a riding horse.
Some time down the years, that may end up being a green teenage horse that doesn’t has that much use for many prospective new owners, if those that only want bitless find themselves needing to let the horse go.
We started my Andalusian mare bitless and transitioned to a bit after she understood more about the seat/leg aids.
[quote=“W, a beautiful piece, that I use for training/lunging. I haven’t ridden with it but might try with my new mare. Meg Brauch is a trainer in New England and designed this particular version. She rides in it with and without a bit. Here is one of her horses in the lighter color leather.
[IMG]http://www.oglesaddlery.com/images/training-equipment-and-cavessons/MegsSet4_g6i7.jpeg)
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I’ve started horses in a bosal. It was very effective. I then moved on to bits but don’t see why you couldn’t stay with it.
Hear, hear!
That seems a clear and accurate description of things.
Of course you can. All mine are started in a loping hackamore. I think they relax and catch on quicker initially because they understand the nose pressure of the hack like a halter would. When I’m ready to start them in a snaffle bit I will long line them and make sure they are steering, giving to pressure and disengaging hips when i use one rein or the other.
Of course you can start them. Probably you can keep them bitless too depending on them and you. I start by teaching them to ground drive in a Lindell Sidepull. I do TTouch and we have a very different way of doing things in regards to ground driving. We actually use lines around the chest to teach them to shift their weight back rather than just put pressure on the head. It is a bit complicated but it works very well.
Or you can just use the side pull and and teach them to respond to that. They learn to go forward and stop and turn and learn to have pressure on their sides from the reins and to take direction from someone who is not at their head. It is a super way to start a young horse.
