Why a Bitless Bridle Could Be Better For Your Horse

Bitless horse bridle consists of loops wherein one runs over the poll and the other one goes over the nose. The cross-under bitless bridle is most popular. The reins connect to the noseband and form a cross under the chin. Hence, the pull is exerted over the entire head of the animal making it less stressful for him. A bitless horse bridle offers the same level of control over the animal as the other type. 

What is wrong with the bit?

Since horses have been trained with bitted bridles for centuries, it may seem pointless to go for a bitless bridle. Nevertheless, from the point of view of the animal, the bit may have never been comfortable. For an animal, having something in its mouth all the time could well be a cause of trouble. Using its mouth, it is supposed to perform a variety of actions crucial for its survival like eating, swallowing, and breathing. Now, when a piece of metal is placed in its mouth, it may become a cause of a host of troubles like infection in the mouth, problems in teeth, breathing trouble and so on. The possibility of occurrence of the problems heightens even more when an unclean bit is placed in the animal’s mouth. 

Research and random data show that bitless bridles are somewhat better

Training a horse means domesticating it, which does not have to be painful or troublesome for the horse. When a horse is introduced to a horse bridle, he naturally finds it awkward at first and the bit just makes the bridle wearing even more awkward. Trainers have confirmed horses accept bitless horse bridle better than the other type. 

In a research conducted in New South Wales, Australia on 4 horses aged 2 years old by Dr. Amanda Warren-Smith and Jessica Quick, the result showed better behavior in the 2 horses that were trained in bitless bridles. The four horses were introduced to bridles for the first time. During the initial stage of their training, the ones wearing bitted horse bridle developed the habit of chewing for longer duration than the other two and kept their mouths open while running. These behaviors subsided in the later stages of the training. However, a few of other mannerisms did not subside, which included more frequent head shaking and faster heartbeat than the other two. According to the trainers, the horses wearing bitless bridles understood commands faster than the ones wearing bitted bridles.