Recently I got this comment/question from Valerie L. It’s a good one so I thought I’d answer it in a post rather than in the comments.
I’m new to all this but have been thinking of using a bitless bridle on my 10 year old as the idea of having a steel bar in the mouth doesn’t really appeal to me. I’m a novice happy hacker/small jumps but my son loves to hunt him. I’ve been advised that if i make the change it has to be complete. Is there an issue with loss of control in hunting conditions as safety is my main concern.
Valerie, good question!
Riding bitless can be rewarding and it’s a whole lot easier in the winter. I wouldn’t worry about changing between bitless and bitted. It’s no different from changing bits (many people “bit up” to hunt or event).
My experience with riding bitless is that horses either “get it” within a couple of rides . . . or it just isn’t that appropriate for them. Even then, you sometimes do need to increase your level of control for more exciting activities such as hunting.
My Trakehner gelding loved being ridden bitless. For most activities all I needed was a simple side pull bridle. I also hunt and can tell you that it wasn’t enough control for riding first flight. You might look into the bitless bridles that offer different levels of control. I’ve used both the Micklem Multibridle and the LG bridle with success. My Trakehner got pretty exuberant out in the hunt field and I appreciated that extra bit of control!
Not all horses do well bitless, however. I’ve tried riding my TB bitless numerous times (with several different bitless solutions). He’s made it pretty clear to me that he prefers his loose ring snaffle.
Enjoyed visiting your blog!
Julie
http://www.ridingaside.blogspot.com
It absolutely doesn’t have to be all or nothing!
I ride my horse in a conventional bit for dressage – a stubben egg butt snaffle with a copper lozenge. On the trail I alternate between 3 bits- a mechnical hackamore, a myler kimberwick, and a baucher french link. During an endurance race I’ll alternate between on 3 depending on how she’s acting, how responsive she is etc. She has had no problem switching. I only use my egg butt for dressage so she knows what is expected of her (it is NOT a race). During an endurance race my goal is to ride her in a hackamore as soon as I can, but I usually start in the myler because she pulls, then switch to the french link. If she’s calm and responsive in the french link, then we go to the hackamore for the last half or so. I think the important thing is to be consistent and have a plan on when you go with a bit and when you go bitless to eliminate any confusion.