Indian Bosal and other bitless

[Bek B]

I'm toying with going partially bitless with Ollie.

When we go on longer hacks, where we won't be schooling , I'd prefer to give his mouth a rest (a few hours with metal draped over your jaw must get a little irritating?).


Any recommendations for bitless bridles and suchlike?

I'm interested in the bosal because it can be used with the normal bridle.
My query with these are how easily does the nose piece release when the pressure is released from the reins.

[Tiaki]

Do it do it do it :D:D:D

I ride my horses bitless.
Kiwi is ridden in an english hackamore. It's one of the stronger bitless around but after trying him in several he prefers this one to them all. Kiwi is bitless 90% of the time, the other 10% he is bitted.
Abbey is totally bitless. I was recently trying to bit her in a suitable bit to allow us to do some local dressage but she is not happy bitted so bang goes that idea. Abbey is ridden in a Cross under type (like Dr Cooks) for faster work but 99% of the time I ride her in an Indian Bosal which she adores :)

Here's a picture;

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs217.snc1/8424_144716118680_792548680_2539686_384656_n.jpg

It's lovely :) I find the release very quick and spot on, better actually than my leather cross under bridle.

I would recommend to everyone to try. Indian Bosals are the simplest and softest of all bitless bridles and as you have said, they can be used on a bog standard bridle. Plus they come in funky colours :lol:

If you haven't ridden bitless before with your horse, I would suggest trying it out in an enclosed space first, or better still use a slip head with a second set of cheek and ride it with your bit to start with (with two reins like a double bridle only one bit and one bosal)

Hope this helps.

oh and there is a lovely lady who you can hire the Indian Bosals from before you buy. They are not expensive anyway but it may be worth hiring first and try a couple to find which suits him. If you want a link to the site then PM me :)

xxx

[black crow]

I used to ride my old mare in an old western bosal most of the time. They are really good, but your horse needs to be trained to them. See too many people haul them around and use sheer force to turn their horses head, rather than the horse actually responding to the pressure, instead of actually training your horse to one.

There are a lot of different bitless bridles out there, so i would say it is your choice and how your horse would respond.

Hackamores are much closer fitting and more direct contact to the horse. I know someone who broke her horses nose using one of these, so you must take absoloute caution.

A nice inbetween bitless bridle would be something like the dr cooks or IV bridles, Rowan has one of these and it is lovely.

[Bek B]

Thanks both.

Sam, can you PM the link to the lady you speak of.

He's light in the mouth and I use my seat and a little pressure of the rein on the neck for turning so the change shouldn't come as too much of a shock. Although I will introduce it in a safe environment for us both and teach him the new language.

[Teej]

We ride both Baby and Chip in Dr Cooks bitless bridles. Chip's an ex racer and having ridden Baby in a Dr Cooks first, I had no hesitation in riding Chip in one from the start. They are both happy little bunnies :)

[Tiaki]

PM'ing you now :)

xxx

[CityLights]

Not used an Idian Bosal but i imagine they are very similar to western bosals and i used to ride my old mare in one, was a very handy thing and she went very well in it although if you have a bucking horse not the thing to be wearing as it pulls the head down into the chest if you pull on both reins and they buck bigger then!

there are quite a few things out there the Sidepull, the Dr Cooks and the standrad parelli rope halters, there is also the rambo miklem multibridle which is a bitless and a bitted bridle in one and you use in conjunction with a bit or totally bitless, there is also of course the english and mechanical hackamore

[Aeia]

I use the light rider bridle with Neo. It's great as you can put it on as a headcollar then clip the reins to it when ready to ride. I've now bitted him but will probably still use the bitless for long hacks.

If you google Bitless Horse you'll find the place where you can hire them to try before you buy. If you decide to buy you just knock of the price of the hire from the purchase price.

Andrea