My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
Although I have nothing against bitless riding (I rode my last horse bitless), I rarely see good examples of it on YouTube. Here’s a video of Uta Gräf riding the Holsteiner stallion Le Noir bitless schooling some Grand Prix movements. Very nice riding, indeed! Of course it could be argued that she is an exceptional […]
Read MorePutting an icy cold bit in a horse’s mouth is unkind and uncomfortable. I loved riding Kroni bitless in the winter because it was never a problem. Freedom, however, tends to ignore most bitless solutions, so it’s not really an option. What are some of the tricks to warming up a bit? It depends on […]
Read MoreI could have used this when I first bought mine! I got a bunch of pieces in a plastic bag with no instructions. Sure, I thought, how difficult can it be? I’ve put together any number of bridles in the past. Creating a side pull bridle was a piece of cake. Figuring out some of […]
Read MoreRecently 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 […]
Read MoreLast week I posted a video that showed riders competing bareback in a Puissance jumping class. In the same vein, here is an example of a rider that has trained his horses to perform many of the movements of the Spanish Riding School without using a bit, bridle or saddle! I will not bicker with […]
Read MoreOf all the bitless solutions out there, this bridle is probably the best known. The Dr. Cook’s bridle is a cross under solutions: in addition to the normal cavesson, there are two straps that cross under the horse’s jaw and are then run through two rings on the noseband. The reins attach to these straps. […]
Read MoreThe Micklem Multibridle offers three bitless configurations that offer increasing levels of control. To accomplish this, the bridle uses different pressure points on the horse’s head, rather than simply increasing the pressure on a single area (for example, a hackamore is more or less harsh depending on the length of the shanks). As I wrote […]
Read MoreI’ve been reading recently about the “Comfort Bridle” or “Elevator Bridle” that was developed by Lorraine Greene of Horsesence Saddlers. Variations on this design are now being marketed by several leading manufacturers, such as Albion and Jeffries. The principle behind this type of bridle is that by maximizing the horse’s comfort, you can improve its […]
Read More