Bit or Bitless - Why Ride Bitless?
There are many reasons to choose bitless riding. For example, it offers a good alternative if your horse suffers from dental problems or pain in the tongue, gums, or bars, as all these areas come into contact with the bit. Bitless bridles can also be a beneficial solution for horses with little to no space in their mouths due to strong tongues or short mouth openings. If your horse has trouble accepting contact, avoids the bit, and hides behind the vertical, leaving the bit out initially can also provide relief. But bitless riding not only offers physical benefits; it also strengthens the bond between you and your horse. It allows you to receive direct feedback on the quality of your aids and means much more than just leaving out the bit.
It’s your choice – which bitless bridle will you choose?
In the last blog post, we introduced you to various Bits and their effects. There are also differences among bitless bridles. From Bosal to Hackamore, today we want to show you the most common models.
Bosal
The Bosal is mainly used in Western riding. It consists of a noseband, reins, and a headpiece, all firmly connected. The reins, also called Mecate, are often made of braided long hair, making them less flexible and slightly rough. This encourages your horse to yield to pressure. Therefore, you should always ensure the Bosal is adapted to your horse’s anatomy. The Bosal applies pressure to the bridge of the nose and the neck of your horse.
Sidepull
The Sidepull, as the name suggests, features reins attached laterally to continuous rings. It works by applying pressure to the bridge of the nose, so you should make sure it doesn’t sit too low on the delicate part of the nasal bone. The effect of this bridle is not very precise, making it more suitable for relaxed rides than for fine dressage work.
Bitless Bridle
You can think of this model as similar to the Sidepull. The only difference is the crossing throatlatch straps, which create stronger lateral pressure. Additionally, the Bitless Bridle acts on the jaw, cheeks, and poll, making it somewhat “sharper” than the Sidepull.
LG Bridle
You might also know this variant as Glücksrad. The name already reveals the bridle’s structure. Where a traditional bridle would have a bit, the LG Bridle has a wheel with six spokes. Depending on where you attach the reins, the pressure on your horse’s nose and poll increases or decreases.
Hackamore
The Hackamore is one of the bitless bridles with the strongest effect. The side lever-like shanks apply pressure to the bridge of the nose, chin, and poll. Similar to a curb bit, the pressure increases with the length of the shanks. Short levers provide quick and direct force transmission, while longer levers delay the effect, so the aid reaches your horse more slowly. The widespread myth that the Hackamore risks breaking the horse’s nose has long been disproven. So, you don’t need to worry about that. However, due to the stronger effect it has on your horse, this bridle should only be used by experienced riders.
Now you’re #uptodate and know all the common bitless bridles. Maybe this type of communication is also something for you and your four-legged friend. Feel free to try it out and #stepupyourgame with one of our bitless bridles!
