The dream of galloping bareback on the beach or through an open, gopher hole-less field is something we’ve all had at least once in our lives; but if you’re anything like me (a control freak with an overactive imagination for worst case scenarios), you’ve wondered what happens when the beach runs out or when the fence line inevitably approaches in that vast open field. 

We all wish we could have the type of synchronous communication with our horse and perfect riding abilities to not need tack when riding, but the hard reality for most of us is, that well, we don’t have perfect unspoken communication and we’re still working on that equitation.

We need the assistance of halters, bridles and saddles to do what we want to do with our horses.

Most horses start in their halter

Most horses start their training journey in their halters- learning how to give to pressure and become soft and supple on the ground before a rider is on their back. So it is natural that when that horse is moved up in its training to understand how to carry a saddle and rider, that the halter stays on.

A lot of smart and capable riders and trainers will only change one piece of equipment at a time so as to not overload the horse.

If the horse knows the halter, that should remain the same while the horse is introduced to a saddle and the weight of a rider. Once the horse is good with that, then a bit can be introduced.  

However, a lot of riders and trainers choose to keep things consistent and instead introduce a side pull, bitless bridle, bosal, or a hackamore instead of a bit. Don’t fix what isn’t broken, right?  A lot of horses go very well without a bit, a lot of horses who have been dulled to a bit find relief in a hackamore and a renewed sense of connection, a lot of riders find a calmer conscience when using a bitless approach to riding. 

Stories of success 

Here are a few examples of how bitless alternatives have benefited horses I’ve managed:

Swapping leveraged bits for hackamores 

When taking over as program manager of a trail ride program for a guest ranch, I was shocked to see that almost every horse was asked to take people with no riding abilities on trail rides in leverage bits. If you’ve read my article, Pressure Points and Fundamentals of Horse Bits, you’re educated in the fact that leverage bits put pressure on the poll of the horse and encourage the horse to put its head down. When uneducated hands are pulling a leverage bit (or any bit), this can also cause pressure to other areas of the mouth ultimately causing pain for the horse. The horses in this program were snacky horses; always looking for an excuse to eat despite being very well fed; which meant they were always putting their heads to the ground trying to grab grass as the ride went on. The guest rider would pull on the reins, which would put pressure on the poll, which further encouraged the horse to put its head down, so the guest would kick the horse with all their might, causing confusion and frustration for all… the cycle was vicious and unnecessary. So I switched out all the leverage bits for either non-leverage hackamores or simple snaffle bits. It was amazing how much better the horses behaved and got along with their job. There was less pain caused to the horse due to advanced bits in novice hands, less behavioral issues from the horses because they weren’t receiving conflicting messages from the riders, and happier riders because the horses gave them nice and easy rides. 

The talented dressage horse

I recently had the opportunity to ride a talented dressage horse who came back to his original home due to his rider not being able to get him to pick up the canter. As soon as I picked up the reins the horse went into a collected frame, or so I thought at first. What this horse actually did was hide “behind” the vertical, meaning he tucked his chin in close to his chest, which is most likely a learned response from years of riders yanking on his face with various bits in order to establish a collected frame (although I’m assuming he was never in true collection, and rather in a hiding place that fooled most people and kept him safe from mouth pain). Although the horse was very responsive to my leg aids, he never sought connection with my hand.

The next day I decided to ride him in a hackamore with no leverage. It was amazing to feel this horse actually reach out and seek the contact with my hands.

Without the need to hide from pain in his mouth, he offered to stretch down through his neck, stretch though his topline, and actually engage his abdominals and hind end. A horse like this needs a bitless alternative in order to rehab his mental and physical state and stay fit. Continued use of any bit while riding will only encourage incorrect usage of the body and speed up the rate of deterioration of his athletic ability. I’d like to mention that he had no trouble picking up the canter when he was using his body correctly and not hiding from bit contact.

Horse with a sensitive jaw 

I managed a horse that had gotten kicked in the head and suffered a broken jaw years before I took over her care. When she recovered, it was advised by the vet to never put a bit in her mouth, so a mechanical hackamore was used. This didn’t change her ability to do her job in any way. The only thing I changed was swapping out a mechanical hack for a non-mechanical hack since most of her riders were novice. She worked just fine for years in this hackamore and was a favorite horse in the barn.

I know many riders who have started their horses in hackamores and never introduced them to a bit- and these horses are just as “controllable” as any horse with a bit in their mouth. Many grand prix jumper horses fly over massive fences at top speeds with hackamores and are frequent winners in their class. 

If you couldn’t tell by now, I am a huge fan of hackamores, as long as they fit correctly and aren’t used as an alternative to learning how to ride with light hands. When a hackamore isn’t properly adjusted to fit the horse correctly, damage can occur, mostly in the nasal bone, which is subject to breaking. So, let’s take a quick moment to talk about the hackamore and its variations.

Different types of hackamores 

There are different types of hackamores: mechanical and non-mechanical. Mechanical hacks can come with various degrees of shank attachments and use various materials in the noseband, causing different degrees of pressure at the poll and nasal bone pressure points (If you haven’t read my article on bits, do so now so you’re familiar with cheek pieces and their function). Non-mechanical hackamores consist of various materials as well, but have a direct attachment between the reins and the noseband with no direct influence to the poll. There are disciple style differences as well, so it’s common to see hackamores identified as either “Western” or “English”. There are a lot of different styles of shank and rein attachments, all causing different types of leverage pressure to the nose and poll. Side pulls and bosals are non-mechanical hackamores and are mostly seen in western disciplines, typically with younger horses, whereas a bitless bridle is more common in English arenas. It is important to pay attention to how the hackamore fits on your horse- a hack that sits too low on the nose will cause more pressure to the sensitive nasal bone and will increase the chance of that bone breaking.

Whatever you decide is best for you and your horse, make sure you understand how that piece of equipment works and make sure it fits your horse properly. And most importantly, always be riding towards greatness.