Anyone go Bitless?

[brockel]

All I ride my mule in is a hackamore

 

[Akicita]

I'm a Bosal and Mecate guy - My family has been starting, finishing and refining our working saddle horses with Bosals and Mecates for 5 generations now and will continue to do so unless future generations evolve to something else. It's what has proven best for our horses, style of riding and work, but is not necessarily the answer for everyone.

 

[fort fireman]

I ride and start my horses in a true hackamore. The rawhide braided kind, not mechanical. I then move up to the two rein and hopefully onto a solid bit. Maybe someday I'll be up to ride in a spade but for now just a frog mouth bit. However all my horses are completely reliable if I drop back into the hack or two rein. That being said I don't ride to much in the backcountry simply because of where I live.

 

[1760yds]

I ride my broke horses in a mechanical Hackamore. I ride green ones in a snaffle. My broke horses can be ridden in a halter and I have in an emergency but I have more control (better handle) with the mechanical hackamore.

 

[aggieland]

Rode bitless today and it went pretty well. Keep ya updated as I progress with it..

 

[1signguy]

The only time my horses are not in a bosal is if I am in the show ring or roping. A set of spurs is far more valuable than a bit.

 

[MesaHorseCo.]

I would simply use whatever offers you the most comfort and the best control of your horse. For me its a simple d ring snaffle usually.

 

[Stefan]

I usually ride in either a D or O ring snaffle. If I am feeling a bit spunky I will just use a rope halter and lead rope on my crazy mare but that is just for the arena or round pen.

 

[mcseal2]

I feel It takes a well trained horse and rider to go bit less. My personal preference was the Jim Warner hackamore.
Jim Warner Hackamore – Rope Nose | Reinsman
I love this setup because it offers enough control to get a there attention but it's at the same time very gentle. It's also so nice not to have to find a way to warm up freezing cold bits in hunting camp on cold mornings. I bought a very well trained gelding from a ranch in Darby MT and the cowboy that raised him us this hack. Eventually I trained my other 3 to go in into as well. Make sure you try anything at home first before you head out on the trail.

I use this same one on my good ranch/roping horse. He is really soft and it's all I've needed since he was 5. I compete team roping and ranch rodeoing on him as well as do ranch work with just the hackamore. I liked it so well I tried it on some of our other broke horses. I ended up buying 2 more. None of the older ones we use in the winter need anything to harsh and this way we don't have to put a cold bit in their mouth or warm it up. Just don't tie them near the water hydrant, had one break the rope when he snagged it rubbing on one once. Glad it didn't break the hydrant!

How the horse is broke and how you use your hands are more important than what's in their mouth. The bit or hackamore is important, but how you use it is more important. I see novice riders put to much pressure on our broke horses and have to work with them. Always remember to give the horse a release from pressure immediately when he/she is doing what you are asking and they will keep getting better. Holding the pressure even when they are doing right they can't learn "do this and I get release" if that makes sense. Always make the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard for a horse.