BITLESS BRIDLES – Where to start and which ones to choose?

BITLESS BRIDLES – Where to start and which ones to choose?

Successful bitless riding depends upon you and the relationship you have with your horse combined with the correct training too.

• All bitless bridles work on different pressure points around your horse’s head such as the nose, chin or poll areas, and sometimes several different pressure points at once. The pressure is applied to these points when the rein is pulled / restricted and released when the rein’s tension is reduced.
• Whatever your reasons for deciding to ride bitless the safety and welfare of you and your horse is paramount.

Things to thinks about when choosing a bitless bridle:

• History – Past experience with bridles can influence what sort of pressure a horse is willing to accept.  If your horse hasn’t used a bridle before they may be uncomfortable in closer and firmly fitted bridles. If your horse has had some negative experiences with being trained in a tight noseband they may prefer a loose fitting bridle, as will horses who’ve had any facial injuries.
   
• Sensitivity – Very sensitive horses may prefer a loose bridle or, if not very sensitive, may be more open to most styles of bitless bridles.
   
• Education - A well-educated, trained horse should accept any type of bridle because it will be listening to seat, leg aids and voice instructions more so than the reins. However their past history may also dictate the level of comfort they are prepared to tolerate - a young horse will generally do better with a side-pull style bridle and may have problems with mechanical hackamores and cross-under styles until they have an understanding of directional pressure.
   
• Controlled area – A safe, calm and controlled area when starting to ride bitless is always a sensible option. A fenced off arena or small paddock are ideal before you venture out hacking. Start off slow with your horse and build up from there.

Bitless Bridles Models:

The Side Pull - 

• Applies pressure predominantly to the nose and cheek area when the reins are applied.
• Instant release when the rein is released.
• Side Pull bitless bridles are available from Urban Horse.
• Most popular Side Pull bitless bridles available from Urban Horse – Pardoes, LightRider English (can be either a Side Pull or a Scawbrig version), Rebecca or Diego (western).

Horses are generally trained to lead with a halter from a young age and so are familiar with the pressure applied by a halter and how that pressure feels on their nose. Moving on to a Side Pull bitless bridle can therefore be a natural progression. A Side Pull bitless bridle is one of the most popular styles of bitless bridles and is a very good mild pressure example to start with on your bitless journey with your horse.

Disciplines – Everyday hacking, schooling, showjumping, endurance, eventing, driving and lunging.

A Rope Halter – 

• Applies pressure predominantly to the nose area when the reins are applied.
• Instant release when the rein is released.
• Rope Halters are available from Urban Horse.
• Most popular Rope Halters available from Urban Horse – Rope Halter Basic, Capal or Dually.

Rope Halter will work well in the hands of a confident skilled rider and they must fit well. There tends to be two types of Rope Halters. One version with 2 knots that sit either side of your horse’s nose, a large knot beneath the chin and 2 loops that will connect either side of the nose to connect the reins too. The second version like the Capal Rope Halter tends to be more padded on the nose and poll areas. 

Disciplines – Everyday hacking mainly.

Bosal - 

• Applies pressure predominantly to the nose area when the reins are applied.
• Instant release when the rein is released.
• Bosal bitless bridles are available from Urban Horse.
• Most popular Bosal bitless bridles available from Urban Horse – Macanta, Bradur Nosepiece or Ladurod.

A Bosal bitless bridle has the reins attached at a single point behind the horses jaw and neck. With some designs it can be used both for ground work as well as riding and can be made of rope or leather depending on the style. In general, the Bosal offers good opportunities for use in sensitive horses and in particular when riding young horses. The Bosal and mecate reins were traditionally used by the Indians and are of Spanish origin.

Disciplines – Everyday hacking, schooling, showjumping, endurance, eventing.

Hackamore – 

• Applies pressure predominantly to the nose, chin and poll area when the reins are applied.
• Instant release when the rein is released.
• Hackamore bitless bridles are available from Urban Horse.
• Most popular Hackamore bitless bridles available from Urban Horse – Love, Rose, Build a Calli Bridle or Flower Attachment.

A Hackamore works on a leverage system and puts pressure on the nose, chin and poll. The side shanks put pressure on these 3 areas of the horses face when the rein is restricted and instantly loosen when the rein pressure is reduced. The longer the hackamore side shank the more potential force could be applied to your horses nose, chin and poll when the rein is tightened.

A hackamore used in combination with a light rein contact can be suitable for sensitive or young horses in the right skilled hands. Various hackamore side shanks have different settings where you can clip your reins too, to give you more or less potential pressure on the 3 areas of your horses head if needed.

Disciplines – Everyday hacking, schooling, showjumping, endurance, eventing, driving.

The Cross Under and The Scawbrig -

• The Cross Under applies pressure predominantly to the nose, jaw and poll area when the reins are applied.
• The Scawbrig applies pressure predominantly to the nose and jaw area when the reins are applied.
• Instant or slight delay on release when the rein is released.
• Cross Under and Scawbrig bitless bridles are available from Urban Horse.
• Most popular Cross Under and Scawbrig bitless bridles available from Urban Horse – LightRider English Side Pull / Scawbrig, Zilco Side Pull / Scawbrig or Rambo Micklem Multi Bitless Bridle (3 in one version bitless bridle).

The Cross Under and The Scawbrig bitless bridle lend themselves to riding less sensitive horses in all disciplines. The Cross Under also having potential poll pressure when the rein is restricted means that it can potentially be a stronger bitless bridle compared to the mild pressure from the Scawbrig. Both bitless bridles will work well in the hands of a confident skilled rider and they must fit well.

Please note - The LightRider bitless bridles can be used as a simple Side Pull bitless bridle as well as a Scawbrig model. Therefore the LightRider model bitless bridles are 2 model versions in 1!

Disciplines – Everyday hacking, schooling, showjumping, endurance, eventing, driving.

Neck Rein / Neck Ring -

• Applies pressure predominantly to the neck area when the neck rein is applied.
• Instant release when the neck rein is released.
• Neck Rein / Neck Ring are available from Urban Horse.
• Most popular Neck Rein / Neck Ring available from Urban Horse – Chiron.

Riding with a Neck Rein / Neck Ring is a form of subtle communication which requires a certain amount of experience. It is a simple tool for the experienced rider to stabilize their body aids in any situation in a very balanced way. It gives them the opportunity to build a very refined communication with their horse.

Disciplines – Everyday hacking in a safe controlled environment and schooling.

In Conclusion - 

Overall, if you feel your horse would work well in a head collar then a side pull is all that you need. If you need extra control, and you are willing to do some training, then the hackamore bitless bridle is a great option, as the hackamore models distribute the pressure around the nose, poll and chin of your horse’s head and this makes it a stronger bridle than the side pull version. Ultimately it really is an individual choice based on the knowledge and experience you have with your horse.

Also instant release bridles enable horses to be given clear signals as the pressure is dropped instantly when the reins restriction is reduced. Overall achieving a very light, non-pressured yet safe experience when riding and working together with your horse.

Urban Horse spend a lot of time talking and advising customers on bitless horse riding and adopting a more natural approach to horsemanship and horse keeping. All our bitless horse bridle range can be viewed at www.urbanhorse.com or simply call us on 01434 422700.