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Question:
I have heard some discussion on riding without a bit or what I have
heard called “bitless riding.” What is bitless riding and what are
your thoughts on it?
Answer -
Part II: As I said last month, for me, riding bitless is
neither right nor wrong. It depends on the horse and the type of
riding you do. Each type of equipment has advantages. A bit has
more communication value as commands can be more specific. It is
important to remember that it is not what you put on the horse’s
face, it is what you do with that piece of equipment.
I personally
think a horse’s nose is more sensitive to pressure on the outside
than a snaffle bit is in the mouth. I designed a bitless apparatus
to start colts because I can pull on it and it does not have the
bite of a hackamore. It is designed so that I can get a hold of
the horse’s nose without it over reacting. I can then do the ground
work needed to teach a horse to give to pressure. The apparatus is
not a harsh piece of equipment. The advantage of using a
traditional halter is that it is not as harsh as a cowboy or string
halter. A cowboy halter is not a harsh piece of equipment if used
properly. It is made of one-eighth inch string and does have more
bite than a leather or web halter but it does not have the bite of a
hackamore that is nine sixteenths or five eighths. Some horses will
over react to even that much pressure. I have started many colts
with a cowboy halter and have ridden with just the halter the first
three or four times as colts are sometimes frightened by something
abrasive or something in the mouth.
As I work
horses, I like to change from a snaffle to a hackamore as it gets me
out of the horse’s mouth for a while. I can pull on the face
without having to pull on the inside of the horse’s month. It gives
me an opportunity to get some work done where a snaffle bit would be
too harsh. I am talking about taking hold of the nose. Here again,
we must be careful because the outside of the month and the jaw can
be very sensitive as there is no padding at those spots. Another
thing I like about a hackamore is that if I have a horse, like an
Arab that can move his parts in six different directions at once, a
hackamore can align the horse’s body from nose to tail. This is
because of the shape of a hackamore. A hackamore is designed so
that a horse learns to stay in the middle of the hackamore. I like
using a hackamore even with a horse who is normally ridden with a
bridle because it gets the horse off the forehand. Some horses
learn to lean on the bit but a hackamore teaches the horse to stay
off the pressure both laterally and vertically. As a trainer, the
hackamore is an excellent tool for me.
Most people are
happy if they can walk, trot and canter their horses. Not everyone
is an over achiever and expecting more of the horse. If you, for
example, are going into reining, you need more control as the horse
needs specific cues. A snaffle permits a more specific cue. I also
use leverage bits and other types of bits for different jobs. The
type of equipment to use also depends on the personality of the
horse. If your horse is not listening and is laying down on the
bit, a more severe bit may be needed. You may go to a twisted wire
mouth piece for a few rides and when the horse is listening, go back
to a smooth mouth piece. Once the horse learns to respect the bit
we need to release the pressure and use a regular bit.
Some bits are
designed with a single purpose that can help in training but there
is no magic bit. And elevator bit, for example, helps to keep a
horse’s shoulders from dropping. A bit with a twisted wire mouth
piece, a leverage bit or a bit with a high port may be needed with a
horse that is pushy. Even if the horse learns to yield and be soft,
a pushy horse may always need that type of bit. Knowing your horse
and using the right equipment is important but you need to watch out
for the “bigger bit” syndrome. People often rely on a bigger,
heavier bit to get a desired response. When the desired response
goes away because the horse has learned to deal with the bit, the
rider may then get a bigger bit with a higher port or maybe add a
chain chin strap. It is the rider who needs to change. If the
rider does not know how to use the equipment properly or does not
understand the concept of pressure and release, the performance will
not get any better. The horse will continue to lean on the bit and
remain dull or pushy. The change must be in the riders hands
teaching the horse how to yield to the pressure.
As your
horsemanship abilities expand, you will recognize that there is more
involved than the type of equipment and you will find that it is
more what you do with the equipment. Safety is always of primary
concern. Just because you put a big, heavy, severe bit in a horse’s
mouth, does not mean it is going to be a safe horse. The horse must
know how to yield to the piece of equipment. When I get a horse in
at the barn to re-school, I lunge the horse and do some in-hand work
first to determine where the horse’s head is. I want to know what I
am getting on before I mount. The horse will tell me what I am
dealing with before I get into the saddle. If the horse is not
listening to my hands, I am not going to get on until I get the
horse to response to me on the ground. When you get on any horse,
there is always a certain amount of risk. Even the most calm horse
may act up when taken out of a closed environment, like an arena,
and into the open. The horse is out of his comfort zone and he will
act a little different. When I start a colt in the round pen and I
can’t get the colt to go forward, I take the colt to the big arena
because the space creates movement. No matter if you are starting a
colt, re-schooling a horse or riding your own horse, you have to
know that the horse will accept and yield to your hands. Then,
eventually, the horse will yield to your seat and legs.
Current
articles about the benefits of going bitless are interesting but we
must use what works for the horse. It depends on educating the
horse and the owner but it does not happen over night. The more you
ride, the more you get in touch with the feel of the horse. Any
horse can be taught to yield to any type of equipment. It doesn’t
matter what piece of equipment you put in the mouth or over the
nose, it is what you do with that piece of equipment that is
important.
Charles Wilhelm
It’s Never Ever the Horse’s Fault
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