How to Ride With a Bitless Bridle

A bit is a small metal piece held in the mouth of a horse by a bridle. This tack allows the rider to control the horse's movement. The rider manipulates the bit through the use of reins which the rider holds in his hands. Some argue that the bit can hurt the horse and is not the most effective way to communicate. A bitless bridle is an alternative to using a traditional bridle with a bit. This specially constructed bridle applies controlled pressure on various parts of the horse's head for direct conveyance of direction and motion by the rider. With a properly adjusted bitless bridle and a little work, you can be riding your horse without a bit.

Things You'll Need

  • Bitless bridle
  • Set of reins
  • Other riding gear (saddle, pad, girth)
  • Safety helmet
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Instructions

    • 1

      Open the buckle on the chinstrap of the bitless bridle. The chinstrap is the round loop of strap with the attached O-rings. Spread open the noseband.

    • 2

      Slip the bridle over the horse's ears like you would with a normal bridle. Adjust the browband so it is not pinching the base of the ears. Make sure that the cross straps (with attached O-rings) are underneath the jaw, and the noseband is over the nose. Buckle the throat strap loosely for now.

    • 3

      Loosen or tighten the buckles on the cavesson. These are on both sides of the horse's head closer to the eyes. Adjust these buckles until the noseband is sitting 2 inches above the corners of the mouth.

    • 4

      Adjust the buckles on the cross straps under the jaw to adjust the placement of the O-rings. The rings at the ends of the noseband must be 3 inches away from the rings at the ends of the cross straps, where the reins are attached.

    • 5

      Buckle the chinstrap and adjust for proper fit. Attach your reins to the O-rings at the ends of the cross straps. Tack up the horse with your saddle pad, saddle and girth. Put your helmet on before mounting.

    • 6

      To steer with the bitless bridle, pull the left rein lightly to steer the horse to the left. Pull the right rein the same way to make a right turn. This bridle works by putting pressure on the sides of the face. The horse will move away from the pressure and towards the direction you want to turn.

    • 7

      To slow down or stop, pull both reins back at the same time. Experiment with different amounts of pressure for turning and stopping until you and your horse are comfortable.

    • 8

      Use your seat, legs and voice to aid you. Strive for an independent seat and hands while riding. You should never hang tightly onto your reins for balance or security. However, if you do it in certain situations, the bitless bridle will not hurt your horse's mouth like a traditional bridle with a bit.