I am curious about when you decided to forget the bit? What lead you up to that decision. I know this is a hot topic, so please no arguing, just trying to get some honest information and advice. I have a gelding that I’m starting to wonder about. He’s a current project that I’m converting to the dark side 
He came from a working cattle ranch and is “delicate” in the face. He’s a very honest horse and I want to keep him like that (and happy).
Many horses are started w/o a bit, only later in training given a bit.
If the horse doesn’t need a bit, I don’t see a reason to give them one.
But some need a bit for better control and what-not.
My mare had a bit when she was a youngster and barrel raced, after that, no bit and only did trail riding. When I got her, she still had no use for a bit.
Hackamores have A LOT of leverage. So you must be very careful with them.
I would always try a rubber bendy dogbone before going to the hackamore.
Hackamores are well suited for the horses who travel with their head’s very high…
(Gina Miles taught us about them this weekend in the bitting seminar)
Is this a horse you plan to event or do dressage with? If yes, than you need to be able to find a bit that he is comfortable in for at least your dressage.
I am not anti hackamore or bitless (I do think people think hackamore automatically means gentle, though, and that’s not the case). But I do think a lot of people jump on that bandwagon because they don’t understand how to properly a bit a horse or don’t have a good concept of what it means to have very good, correct hands so a sensitive horse can stay happy and rideable. I have ridden A LOT of very sensitive and/or quirky mouthed horses over the years and I only thought one of them benefited from a bitless bridle, and that was because he could blow off his over controlling but not always the most educated rider and do what needed to be done 
This is also why I’m an advocate of collecting bits…you never know what will be the very most perfect bit for the next horse to come your way. Having a large arsenal of bits means you can easily fool around and see what works best for a sensitive one.
I tried one on my big guy. He’s pretty much the type Purplnurpl described-- his evasion of choice was to throw his head up and run through my hand instead of shortening his stride. I tried a number of different bits/ combo bits as well as the hackamore and ended up back in a snaffle. He definitely HATED the hackamore.
I have extensive experience riding and jumping both bitless and bridleless. I start horses bitless and am constantly taking bits out of horses I am reschooling. The OTTBs tend to have a lot of issues with the bit. So I ride in any of three or four types of hackamores that I have, I reschool them then later put the bit back in and they are always better. Horses also jump better without a bit and even better without anything on their head at all.
[QUOTE=LookmaNohands;7896921]
I have extensive experience riding and jumping both bitless and bridleless. I start horses bitless and am constantly taking bits out of horses I am reschooling. The OTTBs tend to have a lot of issues with the bit. So I ride in any of three or four types of hackamores that I have, I reschool them then later put the bit back in and they are always better. Horses also jump better without a bit and even better without anything on their head at all.[/QUOTE]
But most riders aren’t as accomplished and experienced as you, nor do they probably read and understand horses the way you do. That being said, I want to come for some bridless lessons with Toby!
I switched my gelding last year for a number of reasons:
- He was retired from competition, so I didn’t have to worry about rules for that.
- He had a tendency to get very heavy leaning down into the bit and I wanted to try him in something with leverage.
- This was partially a preemptive move in anticipation of some dental issues he’s developing.
It did take him a few rides to get used to it, especially in terms of steering, but I really like how he goes in it.
I considered switching my mare, but did not for this reason. I think she would have gone well in a hackamore, but I didn’t want bits to be a “dressage-only” thing since she already has bit issues.
I tried a couple of different hackamores (short shanked English hack and a braided jumping hack with side rings) on my former OTTB mare because she’d had some palate damage earlier in her life, and she didn’t care for French links, etc… She LIKED the hackamores much better, but she was also much more difficult to control (think bucking, rearing, etc…). (She was a rescue project and had lots of issues, too many for someone my age…but that’s another story.) Try riding him in a halter (flat nylon or rope with knots) in an enclosed area and see how he does. He may tell you quickly whether he likes it or not. I also second the suggestion to try a rubber or happy mouth type bit if you haven’t already.
[QUOTE=yellowbritches;7896936]
But most riders aren’t as accomplished and experienced as you, nor do they probably read and understand horses the way you do. That being said, I want to come for some bridless lessons with Toby![/QUOTE]
You will be surprised how much fun and how easy it is and how quickly your horse will take to it. Everyone is surprised. LTJ does this all the time and it is so much fun to watch the transformation.
But bitless is almost a no brainer–much more so than most people think. If nothing else it will show you holes in your training with a bit.
I had one horse who really found bits uncomfortable. He had a thick tongue and a low palate. I got him to tolerate certain bits but he loved going bitless. I used a sidepull style bridle and he loved it. He jumped better, he was easy to control and was happy. I ended up foxhunting him and so there was no need to use a bit.
I also has an OTTB that I restarted who had issues with the bit and his tongue. He was tons better in a sidepull. Night and day. I got him going under saddle and then he was adopted so i don’t know whether the people who took him continued with bitless.
It doesn’t work for every horse. My current OTTB is much quieter and softer with certain bits (not all). He’s okay bitless but he is, shall we say, enthusiastic. My draft x mare can get heavy bitless but I do ride her that way sometimes just to do something different.
I’ve had very good luck with the sidepull style set up --Micklem, LG, orbitless – but my horses did not like the cross under style bitless bridles (Dr. Cooks) which can exert pressure on the poll. I’ve tried some of the mechanical hackamores but I like to ride with contact and don’t want to do that with a leverage bit. The sidepull uses a direct rein and I think it’s the easiest to transition to.
If you want to compete you do need to use a bit for the dressage phase but you should experiment and see what works best for your horse.
I was happy to see this thread. I have been thinking about going bitless with my mare. She had her tongue cut by the trainer that had her before me. I use a Myler comfort snaffle on her, but she is happiest in a rope halter.
I still like the look of a bridle, plus I bought a really nice one for her. I am thinking of trying a hackamore noseband. It might be more like a sidepull. It’s basically a rolled piece of leather noseband that would attach to the cheek pieces of my bridle. My reins would attach to rings on the side. Anyone try this? Tory Leather makes it. I saw it on Horseluverz.com
I am trying to go bitless this winter as a test of my ability to get my horse really listening to my seat and leg. I tend to use too much hand, even though he is nearly 21, he is very forward! If he gets resistant in his body, I try to make bend through the bit instead of off my leg; I try to do that with a hackamore he laughs me off unless I’m really asking with seat and leg.
I am using a jumper hackamore, which is the rolled noseband type not a leverage one.
[QUOTE=Lilykoi;7898934]
I was happy to see this thread. I have been thinking about going bitless with my mare. She had her tongue cut by the trainer that had her before me. I use a Myler comfort snaffle on her, but she is happiest in a rope halter.
I still like the look of a bridle, plus I bought a really nice one for her. I am thinking of trying a hackamore noseband. It might be more like a sidepull. It’s basically a rolled piece of leather noseband that would attach to the cheek pieces of my bridle. My reins would attach to rings on the side. Anyone try this? Tory Leather makes it. I saw it on Horseluverz.com[/QUOTE]
I’ve used one in the past. It gives you basically the amount of control/ finesse you would get in a halter (probably less than a rope halter which is thinner and may have the knots on the nose). I haven’t really jumped in one, but I would imagine it would be ok only on a horse that was very sensitive to nose pressure and did not need much adjustment. OTOH it was fine to trail ride in and my old mare was fine playing polocrosse in it-- but she really responded more to leg/ seat than to the hackamore
Back in the day I rode my ponies in the jumpers in a noseband with reins. They were both very well broke on the flat and I found that it allowed me to start to turn in the air without them sometimes dropping their hind ends a little too early and having a rail behind…sometimes my chestnut in particular would start thinking about the turn and have 4 faults behind with the bit no matter how soft I was being with my hand or how long my reins were. She was very sensitive. With the hack, I tended to win just a little bit more.
My horses schooled on the flat in bits as well sometimes…the chestnut usually in a French link D and the bay in a dog bone rubber snaffle.
Pics:
https://fordtraktor.shutterfly.com/pictures/22
https://fordtraktor.shutterfly.com/pictures/17
My chestnut was a western horse before I got her and was trained in a bosal. She was extremely well broke to the noseband…didn’t ever feel out of control even though she was very “spicy”! try it, you might be surprised to find that your horse is already very well trained to a hack if he was a ranch horse.
[QUOTE=Lilykoi;7898934]
I was happy to see this thread. I have been thinking about going bitless with my mare. She had her tongue cut by the trainer that had her before me. I use a Myler comfort snaffle on her, but she is happiest in a rope halter.
I still like the look of a bridle, plus I bought a really nice one for her. I am thinking of trying a hackamore noseband. It might be more like a sidepull. It’s basically a rolled piece of leather noseband that would attach to the cheek pieces of my bridle. My reins would attach to rings on the side. Anyone try this? Tory Leather makes it. I saw it on Horseluverz.com[/QUOTE]
Some of the “hackamore nosebands” have the rings where you put the reins set too low for my taste. You lose some control that you would get with a regular sidepull. Also, I prefer a sidepull with a cheek strap as opposed to a throat latch. They are more stable on the head and don’t slide around.
I just used a regular caveson and looped a rein around the place where the strap goes back around the head for my ponies. The price is right…you’ve already got them. Then I put a halter fleece on it for shipping to make it even softer, though that isn’t necessary. You don’t need to spend any money to try this. You can see it in my pics above.
[QUOTE=fordtraktor;7899344]
I just used a regular caveson and looped a rein around the place where the strap goes back around the head for my ponies. The price is right…you’ve already got them. Then I put a halter fleece on it for shipping to make it even softer, though that isn’t necessary. You don’t need to spend any money to try this. You can see it in my pics above.[/QUOTE]
I couldn’t quite tell from your pics but you put your rein on the headstall piece?
Sure be nice if I could just use my nice bridle for her.
This is a timely thread… I thought of trying a nice padded hack (short HS shank) for my gelding that is fussy with the bit – he doesn’t headflip and he’s in an eggbutt now that does okay. Once we get to work he is all business but tacking up he can be really fussy about when the bit is first in his mouth. His teeth have been done and the bit absolutely fits… I just wonder if he likes metal in his mouth.
I tried him in the hackamore and he was great at first… until I asked him to stop – boy was he offended by the nose pressure. :lol: I definitely don’t think they are for every horse out there. My guy is pretty tolerant of nearly everything but this he did not like.
My older mare is very petite in her head. I always had a problem with bitting her. She would get very heavy on her front end and lug down in every bit I tried on her. The last bit I used on her was a Happy Mouth mullen. I got a short shank english hackamore at a silent auction for a few dollars. I was starting to do more trail riding and decided to give it a try. Figured it would make it easier for her to drink while out on rides. She loved it! So unless she is going somewhere that requires a bit she wears the hackamore. If I absolutely need a bit, I use the mullen for the day of the show. I never school in it. I have foxhunted her in the hack, hunter paces, stadium in some combined tests I have done. As I get more training done with my young horse, I may go to the hackamore with her as well.
