Is Bitless Better than Bitted?

 

Have you ever considered bitless? Or ever wondered if bitless is better than bitted? I personally don't really agree with bitted bridles... here's why:

Reason number 1: In winter, because bits are usually metal, the metal becomes cold and when you place it in your horse's mouth, it's cold for them too. Because of the cold metal sitting inside their mouth, it can cause horses to stop producing saliva, which can be very dangerous. 

Reason number2: How do you think it would feel to have a metal bar sitting over your tongue in your mouth? It's not exactly comfortable for horses to wear bits. 

Reason number 3: Some people don't know how to use bits; in this case, the horse's mouth gets yanked on really hard and this can severely damage their mouth. In other words, bits can be way too harsh. Also, when it comes to horse racing, the bit in really pushed up into the horse's mouth, causing a lot of pain.  

Reason number 4: Horses’ mouths are designed for eating, swallowing, and breathing, and when a bit is present, it interferes with these basic processes. In some horses the effect is more profound, but all horses are affected by this to some degree. Problems with bits can often be seen with behaviors like running away, head tossing, rearing, and many other negative behaviors.

The majority of people who ride with bits think that a stronger bit equals more control, but that’s not true. All you need to do is look at some of the bits people use when “control” over the horse is an issue, like in foxhunting and eventing; some of these horses look like they are running away with the rider, or completely out of control, even with that big bit in their mouths. Horse's do not learn through pain. Then, you look at some of the other riders and trainers… working with precision and control with only a string around the horse’s neck, or nothing at all! That just proves that the bit does not make a horse a better performer than a horse that is bitless; and that a rider on a horse that's got a strong bit in it's mouth does not have more control over the horse than a rider riding a horse with no bit. 

So now that I've discussed why I don't really agree with the bit, I'm going to get into why I love bitless bridles and what are there benefits on horses: First off, say a horse had been broken into a bitted bridle to be ridden, years back. And yet whenever his rider got on him to ride, he became all grumpy and unwilling to listen to his owner, and so later on in his life, his owner decides to sell him; his new owner gets rid of the bitted bridle he was trained with, and replaces it with a bitless bridle. And then as soon as his new rider places the bitless bridle on him and gets on him to ride, he immediately calms down and actually pays more attention to his rider! What I'm trying to get out is: horses are much more calmer using a bridle without a bit, and usually seem more willing to learn and listen to their rider. For some horses, it can be life-changing. Yeah you heard it right- going bitless can change the rest of your horse’s life forever in a great way! 

The mouth is one of the most sensitive parts of the horse’s anatomy. When a bit is used, even if you’re gentle with your hands, your horse will feel the pressure immediately. This can affect performance and cause a horse to fall far short of his potential. On the other hand, many horses will immediately relax and enjoy their jobs without the distraction of a bit. Therefor, bitless bridles are actually much better than bitted bridles. And that is why I prefer bitless... over bitted.

I hope you liked this article. :) 

PS: Also just one quick little heads up. When I say I prefer "bitless bridles," that doesn't necessarily mean, normal leather 'bridles' that are bitless: in other words, if you want to go bitless, you don't have to get a 'bridle' with no bit, you could even just get a "rope riding halter." They are just like a bitless bridle, but made out of rope! Instead of leather or synthetic material. They can be cheaper, and work the same way as a leather bitless bridle. Here's one I highly recommend: 

Here's the link to this Riding Halter if your interested: 

The Aeron Riding Halter | Natural Horsemanship (wordpress.com)

The Aeron Riding Halter

If your horse is suspected with a health issue, consult your vet straight away.  

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