Bitless websites

[belle]

Hi,:)

Does anyone know a website which shows all the different kind of bitless bridles, and where the pressure works on each?

Am bringing my horses back into work, at the moment I am just doing groundwork (the Kelly Marks Perfect Manners exercises) and then want to move onto some longreining and then ridden work.:)

[No_Angel]

try this website:)
http://www.freewebs.com/alternativehorse/

[LodgeRopes]

Good luck belle :0)
There are so many options, but as you mentioned Kelly marks, i guess you dont mean to look at leverage action mechanical hackamores. That still leaves a lot of options.
If you google 'handy hackamores' will will get a brief article describing some options, but we have not found any sites recently that will give exactly what you are after. Although a couple of years back we found a site that road tested a range of bitless options but couldnt find it to give you a link, sorry.
Cant wait to see what the forum contributes.
We spend a lot of time playing with bitless bridles and have very firm opinions on some of them.
We look at it this way......we start our horses, we train our horses, we know what we would like to achieve and the techniques are the same on the ground as in the saddle, so we look for a bitless bridle that communicates the same feel as we use on the ground. This enables a smooth transition from line to rein (in theory anyway :0)

It is easier to understand how a bitless bridle works if you have a good look at it with rein pressure on then pressure off. Rule of thumb seems to be simplicity, the more changes of angle in the line of pressure, the more likely it is to fail, confuse or disrupt the ground work training.

As i said, cant wait to see the replies from the bitless riders in the forum
(and i promise not to go into my usual anti Dr Cook/crossunder tirade :0)

Best Wishes with it all
LodgeRopes

[LodgeRopes]

Thank you No Angel, a great site :0)

[belle]

Thanks for the link No Angel!:)

I think for my green horse I will be looking probably at a sidepull, they seem to look the most gentle? My old pony can be quite strong, but I dont want to put something really strong on her face, I think I will see what she is like after doing some more of the foundation exercises with her.

What do you think is the next strength up from a sidepull?

I too am reluctant to use a Dr Cook/crossunder, squeezing my ponies face seems rather harsh. I have never found a bit to suit her, she previously had been ridden in kimblewicks and D ring snaffles. I have tried her in a continental snaffle, rubber mullen mouth snaffle and a full cheek french link. I'm hoping she will work better bitless, as her ground manners are good.:)

[BeachRiding]

bitlessbridle.com is Dr.Cooks I believe, but it doesn't work well on any of my horses that I have tried...unlike the major claims on the website...

[jinglejoys]

Works on my driving mule WillieLove:)

[No_Angel]

I use a happywheel on mine, one is in a sidepull, but my just broken girl seems to go better in the happywheel than the sidepull or dr cook. Happwheel works as a sidepull most of the tme, but can be adjusted to have more brakes if needed:)