A guide to bitless bridles

Some people disagree with the idea of using a bit in a horse’s mouth and some horses are intolerant to having a bit. Horses were probably ridden without bits for many years before they were invented. Luckily there are many types of bitless bridle available, to suit all budgets and horses.
 

The bosal hackamore is the most basic type of bitless bridle. It uses varying degrees of pressure on the nose only through the noseband, which is of varying thicknesses and material. The reins attach at one point under the chin, so lateral control is more difficult and the horse has to be well trained.
 

The sidepull is similar to the bosal, but the reins attach at each side of the noseband. This gives better lateral control than the bosal, but stopping can be more difficult.
 

The German and English hackamores have shanks that attach either side of the noseband and give greater control when stopping. The longer the shanks, the more pressure they apply to the nose. These types of bitless bridle also give some poll pressure, but some horses object to this. English and German hackamores have to be used by a rider with sensitive hands as a lot of damage can be done to the nose if the rider is too harsh and steering accurately can be more difficult with this type of bridle than with a bit.
 

Cross under bitless bridles are a newer design and the idea is that there is more overall pressure on the whole head and less pressure just on the nose than some other types of bitless bridle. When the reins pull taut  the whole bridle tightens and when they are slackened this pressure is instantly released again, rewarding the horse immediately for giving the desired response.
 

The use of bitless bridles in competition is very restricted. Many people who use them suggest that this is due to a lack of understanding of the way they work, and that the same level of refinement and control can be achieved in a bitless bridle as in a horse with a bit. It seems unlikely that bitless bridles will be allowed in dressage competition any time in the near future, although it is true that a bit is not needed to get a horse “on the bit” and that this state of refinement in a horse should more accurately be called being “in an outline” or “working correctly”.