For those that ride bitless...

[DingDing]

What do you prefer?

My horse is currently in training (almost done so I can bring him home :D). Mostly in a halter which I ADORE that he can ride so well in one and be responsive. She does some work in a plain snaffle but I can’t imagine that riding so far would be comfortable with metal jangling around in your mouth. While he works great in either type, I think bitless is more comfortable.

So I chose to go bitless. We have ridden in just a rope halter with 2 knots on the nose band and I also have a rope halter sidepull. I’ve been thinking of going with a bosal but I am unfamiliar with them.

[DancingArabian]

My horse likes sidepulls or a Little S hackamore. Bitted he goes in a rotary bit.

[Jackie_Cochran]

You might want to look at the LightRider bitless bridle at [URL=“http://www.naturalhorseworld.com”]http://www.naturalhorseworld.com They have a rope halter option that you can use to tie your horse up on the trail, ones in beta, and even a noseband you can put on a regular bridle.

[cowboymom]

Little S for us. Or a rope halter.

[AmarachAcres]

I have a Nurtural bitless for trail riding. French link bit for training/showing.

[gothedistance]

What do you prefer?

A simple, elegant (pretty) halter/bridle combo that allows the rider to easily remove, or add, a bit as required. When there is no bit, the headpiece acts like a halter; when a bit is snapped on the quick rings, the halter becomes a classic bridle. It takes about 3 second to change from one to the other. If a horse wears a bit full time, the bit can be conviently “dropped” (via it’s hanger) out of the horse’s mouth on one side when the horse is eating, and then instantly reattached when the rider is ready to go.

[saffire_100]

A biothane sidepull with bit hanger options for the rare possibility that my horse needs a bit for a short period.

[katyb]

I ride in what is pretty much just a rolled nose rope halter. All of my horses do wonderfully in that set up. My new guy was started in a rope halter, but has been ridden with a bit since then. I rode about half of my last ride without a bit, and he did pretty well. Brakes were excellent, but we need some work on fine tuning. He needed that with a bit too though!

[katarine]

I don’t like riding in a halter b/c the poll piece always seems to walk down the crest…I use a sidepull or a Little S on a bridle with a browband

[Guilherme]

My young horse has a dentition issue. We’re working on it, but right now I’m working him in a sidepull. We’re into our fourth week, now.

It’s been an “interesting” exercise. The amount of precision and “fine” communication that is surrendered when you move from a bit to a bitless device is profound. You really do lose a huge amount of “control.” You really MUST make the other natural aids (leg and seat) much more effective. You really MUST ensure that a sound training base is laid.

When he was working in the bit he was not as relaxed as he is now. Since we’ve not yet completely resolved the mouth issue I can’t say that the sidepull makes him, by definition, more relaxed than he was in the bit. The answer to that question will come when the issue is resolved and we go back to the bit. Even then we’ll have to “redo” the “which bit works best for this horse in this discipline” thing. My bit wall may get some new residents.

G.

[DingDing]

I much prefer to utilize my seat and legs rather than my reins in any case. It is harder work for me but makes the horse happier IMO.

I was looking at side pulls with adjustable nose bands because I feel that the halter type side pulls tend to ride up into their eyes.

[cnvh]

I use the Freedom Bridle from Moss Rock Endurance, configured as a plain sidepull. It looks basically just like a bridle, stays put on the head where it belongs, and my horse is generally as responsive with it as he is in a regular bridle. In the winter, or when we’re schooling dressage for our occasional summer schooling show, I use a French Link, but 90% of the time in the summer (of which we trail-ride 90% of the time), we’re in the bitless.

[Cindyg]

[QUOTE=gothedistance;7544708]
What do you prefer?

A simple, elegant (pretty) halter/bridle combo that allows the rider to easily remove, or add, a bit as required. When there is no bit, the headpiece acts like a halter; when a bit is snapped on the quick rings, the halter becomes a classic bridle. It takes about 3 second to change from one to the other. If a horse wears a bit full time, the bit can be conviently “dropped” (via it’s hanger) out of the horse’s mouth on one side when the horse is eating, and then instantly reattached when the rider is ready to go.[/QUOTE]

You know, this post got me thinking that the Micklem Multi Bridle pretty much meets this description. And I JUST ORDERED ONE!! I’m so excited!!

[wylde_sage]

My OTTB is happiest in the DR Cook I bought used off ebay. Who would have thunk it… I used an english hackmore, various bits and this is the best solution for this particular horse so far.

[Simbalism]

I ride my TB mare in an english hackamore.

[katyb]

I agree that you can’t be a lazy, ride-by-your-hands rider when you go bitless, but I see that as a positive. I do a lot of our riding without reins in my hands, because after years of bitless, my horse and I are connected on a really basic level through seat, hands, and voice.

Edited to add - reins are always linked on my saddle - not insinuating I ride with nothing on her face!

[sublimequine]

My mare, when going bitless, goes in a mechanical hackamore - the ones with the giant shanks. It looks scary, but the hacks with the shorter shanks (s-hack, beetle hack, english hack, etc) annoy her. She can feel the shanks brush against the sides of her muzzle and she tries to bite them. The long shanked one she goes in now, the shanks hang down past her face so they don’t annoy her. I also use hardly any rein cues at all with this.

If I want to direct rein or ride with any semblance of contact, she goes in a hollow mouth snaffle.

OP, I bet a nice halter/bridle combo (with no bit) or a sidepull would work perfectly. I’d use one on my mare, but without the curb strap she can occasionally get a touch strong… especially riding through a big open field, LOL.

[candysgirl]

My Arab wears one of these bitless when we’re on trails/conditioning/endurance rides. http://www.runningbear.com/catpages/Smart-Bridle-Photos-SP.html
Its basically a glorified halter. Its very soft (neoprene padded noseband)

I also use it as a regular snaffle bridle for arena work. I do like using a bit for arena work, but trails I like the bitless option.

[Lisa_Preston]

I’ve used scawbrigs, IH, side-pull and bosal, but my fave is the cross-jaw. You can make it (or any of these) for about 12 bucks. Your first one might take an hour. After that, you could do it under 15 minutes. And you get to choose exactly the thickness, color and feel of the tack.