Training Mustang Horses with Bitless Bridles -

Bitless Bridles

We decided to go metal-free with our mustang horses - no shoes and no bits. It's more natural for the mouth and feet and creates less health problems. For this first post on training, I have included some images of Nevada modeling bitless bridles from bitlessandbarefoot.com, a small company in Wales, U.K., operated by Susan Duckworth.

Nevada modeling the Hackamore and Scawbrig bitless bridles. The lever action of the Hackamore applies more pressure to the nose and poll. In the Scawbrig, gentle pressure is applied by the sliding chin strap. Based on trials conducted by Susan Duckworth, both of these bridles are readily accepted by her Arabs. As you can see, Nevada is very relaxed, almost bored! He also responds well to the pressure exerted by these bridles during training. Photos by GA Lager

Refer to the links below for articles on the health effects of bits and training with bitless bridles. I thought these could serve as a starting point for a discussion of bitted versus bitless bridles. The first article is by Australian trainer Janene Clemence (postgraduate Diploma Psychology), who focuses primarily on how the bit works and its effects in the mouth. In the second article, Dr. Amanda Warren-Smith, an Australian veterinarian, discusses her research on foundation training using bitless bridles.