Ever wondered if your horse would go well (or even better) bitless? When is it in your horse's best interest to avoid bits? And which type of bitless bridle should you use?
Why Go Bitless?
Some riders and trainers detest bits, while many others are the opposite. Some riders may just want to give their horses a break from the bit every once in a while. Then, of course, there are certain disciplines (like dressage) that do not allow bitless bridle options.
Typically, though, riders choose to try a bitless bridle when they have a horse that has a "problem mouth" and they can't seem to find a bit that works. This is where a bit fitter (like me!) can come help determine the problem and present some solutions. Unfortunately, in quite a few of these occasions, it is that the horse's oral anatomy does not give way to a bit. I've mentioned in other posts, some horses have zero space in their mouths for a bit. Since any mouthpiece less than 10mm in diameter can be quite harsh, this is when I may recommend clients to try a bitless setup.
Common Types of Bitless Bridles
BOSAL
This is the most ancient form still used today, and the original western "jaquima" setup is where the word "hackamore" is derived from. The bosal is specifically referring to the hardened, shaped noseband that is constructed of hardened leather (latigo). This is held in place on the horses head by a leather bosal hanger, which is similar to a plain western headstall, but with an added jowl strap to prevent this from making contact with the horse's eyes.
This is a fascinating setup that is actually more complicated than it looks. The weighted knot at the bottom of the bosal is very particularly balanced so that the bosal never actually touches the horse's face. The rope reins are tied to the bottom of the bosal in a very specific fashion to obtain this, and it may be different for each horse and how far along they are in their training.
The horse is started with a considerable amount of rope wrapped around the knot to add weight to the headpiece, which is lessened as the training progresses. The horse is trained to move in response to the weight shift of the bosal. This is an impressive sight, both horse and rider very in-tune with this balance act. This can be seen in western disciplines today, typically on young horses before/during their transition to a curb bit.
SIDEPULL
This is the most simple of all bitless bridles - in both its construction and ease of understanding. Ever ridden a horse in just a halter, with reins attached to the halter squares on the side? Its like that, but much more stable/secure.
This operates by applying pressure on the nose from the reins on both sides.
While some horses go well in this because there are no confusing signals (at least there shouldn't be if it is fit correctly), there is no "give" in the setup and it can be a bit abrasive to the nasal bone and facial structures that this bridle applies pressure to. It also has to be fit quite snugly to avoid chafing, which limits the motion to the jaw which is not good.
Overall, I don't recommend these often. But those with horses that can neck rein or need little to no contact may do well in a sidepull.
DR. COOK'S / CROSS-UNDER
This setup at first glance appears to be a sidepull bridle, but the throatlatch is actually two long pieces that cross under the jaw and run through rings on the noseband to fold back to connect to the reins. So, pressure from one rein will apply nose pressure first (shifting the bridle on the face a bit), then lower jaw pressure (mostly to the opposite side of the horse's face), and then poll pressure, as it is all one continuous piece.
Because the pressure has to "travel" through the bridle for its effect, releasing pressure has a slight delay to the horse, which is a very unfortunate side effect to this bridle type. It is important to keep this type of bridle well oiled to reduce this effect. This is another reason why these can often be found in biothane material instead of leather, but I do not recommend this for safety reasons (not breakaway in the event of an accident) and they are considerably more stiff than oiled leather.
While some horses go well in this, I don't recommend them often as some horses find them confusing, and if using under direct rein contact (like with a snaffle bit), this will end up putting the horse's head in a kind of "vice grip" with a delayed release.
BLAIR'S PATTERN HACKAMORE
This is what most english riders think of when they think of a hackamore. A bastardized version of the spanish word "jaquima" which is more like a western bosal, so it is a widely incorrectly used term, but hey I'll play along and get off my high horse :)
This bitless bridle type features a metal shank on the side of a leather noseband. There are many shank types, the most common is "Blair's Pattern", shown in this photo.
The best way to think of this setup is like a bitless version of a curb or weymouth. When the reins are pulled backward, the shank rotates which applies downward force on the bridle cheek pieces (translates to poll pressure), noseband (translates to nasal bone/facial pressure), and back strap (translates to lower jaw pressure). Similar to a leverage bit, it encourages (or, more correctly, coerces) flexion over the poll. Also similar to a curb bit, this can create jaw tension instead of intended relaxation if used improperly. Jaw tension impedes proper biomechanics and can have long term phisiological / psychological affects on the horse (this is a long and deeply studied topic that I will not get into on this post, however).
There are countless metal shank types. My favorite are those that are short with swept shanks (see photo below), as they are generally less harsh and more fair to the horse. I have found the greatest percentage of horses going in bitless bridles prefer this setup far more than the others mentioned in this post. During my education, I found myself against this type as the leverage component can be harshly used too easily. However, in practice as a professional, these have become my favorite. The horse will need an adjustment period with mindful use by the rider, however, but most horses and riders sincerely appreciate the "give" and "release" function and feel of this setup.
I do have two big points of caution if you would like to use this on your horse:
If the rider does not use the reins mindfully, heavy hands can too quickly develop which can begin to dull the horse to the pressure. Ultimately this loses its effect and can cause biomechanics/physiological issues over time.
In this same vein, improper use and fit can very easily cause chafing, bruising, and/or damage to the facial structures which it applies pressure to. It is critical that a jowl strap be used and cheek pieces be shortened so that the noseband can be fit above the fragile tip of the nasal bone but not so high that the metal shank presses into the facial crest.
Similar to a curb bit, these should be fit so that the shanks cannot rotate more than 45 degrees. Too tight and this will quickly put the horse's nose and lower jaw in a vice grip. Too loose and the bridle becomes unstable and can apply a high degree of poll pressure.
In summary - a good option but must be fit AND used very carefully to be effective and not harmful.
MECHANICAL HACKAMORE
These are similar in appearance to the Blair's Pattern "Hackamore" but these are considerably more harsh. These have a mechanical hinge system integrated into a metal noseband that is lightly wrapped in metal, rubber, or covered in PVC. These are commonly made with long, thin metal shanks which the reins connect to. Some newer big brands employ mechanical hinge systems that have the benefit of being adjustable and in some cases finely tuned, but this is the only relatively nice thing I can say about this setup.
What makes this unfair to the horse:
Extra long, straight shanks have a more severe and abrupt affect of leverage
Metal mechanism provides a false sense "give" or "elasticity" in the contact for the rider, which encourages the rider to use this as they would a snaffle bit, ultimately leading to insensitive hands and a harsh effect on the horse
Noseband made of metal has a much higher chance of permanent damage to nasal bone or sensitive facial structures.
No option to use as an opening rein for turns or bending.
This type is more often seen in high-intensity sports such as show jumping and barrel racing, where there are more hot-headed horses and less rules around bits and bridles.
Riders and trainers will feel they are being more kind to the horse by not using a bit, and while there is some truth to this depending on the horse, an entirely metal mechanical setup can easily be the worse of the two evils, so to speak.
Use great caution if considering this bad boy!
General Comments
A regular bridle should never be converted to one of the bitless bridle types above. The most common error I see is riders purchasing sidepull or mechanical hackamores and simply attaching them to their regular snaffle bridle in place of a bit. When you do this, the cheek pieces will inevitably be too long which means the noseband will be sitting too low on the horse's fragile nasal bone and/or the cheek piece buckles will be on the highest hole, pressing on the TMJ or pinching the browband against the ears - all of which are no good. The photo below is a great example of how all of this can go wrong when using an existing bridle with a bitless nose piece.
Additionally, all of these options above (with the mild exception of the cross-under bridle) require a jowl strap to aid in stability of the bridle and prevent the cheek pieces from pushing into the horse's eyes.
Another note, primarily for the english hackamores, is that the back straps (often referred to as a curb strap but these will not sit in the curb groove so correct term is a back strap - fun fact!) should never be a chain and should always be padded leather. Anything sitting outside of the fleshy curb groove by the chin should be padded to avoid damage to the mandibles.
All of the other rules of bridle fitting still apply! See my blog post "Bit & Bridle Fitting 101" to read more!
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