Thoughts on Bridle-Less Riding

Riding bridle-less is not the end-all-be-all of horsemanship, there’s nothing magical about it, but it certainly is FUN! I think that horsemanship principles set this up to go well for a variety of reasons:

1. A lot is achieved on a loose line or rein without the use of leverage or contraption devices.

2. The leg is typically explained independently of the reins and seat. Your horse is taught to yield just his hindquarters from a standstill with your leg slightly back, side pass or leg yield with the leg neutral, and step the forehand over with the leg slightly forward.

3. Almost everything is broken down into specific steps.

4. Being able to hault and back up is emphasized a lot in horsemanship. This really clarifies letting go of a forward thought and not pushing through the reins.

5. A quiet mind at the mounting block, fence, or mounting from the ground is taught from the very beginning. This ties in with being able to stand on the end of a loose line on the ground. Everything is a natural progression of the next.

These are just a few of the things without going into much detail or comparison of practices. Even though riding bridless is seen as an amazing accomplishment, I think there are still many downfalls to the practice. The seat and legs are a dull aid in comparison to the adjustability of the reins. My primary focus while I’m riding is to help a horse become balanced and soft, while making the smallest adjustments to achieve this. The reins are directly connected to a horses thoughts, and are the best for helping a horse truly let go with the maximum amount of clarity.

Photo: Bud has been my friend for the last year and a half. His owner and I had the arena to ourselves and decided to have some fun. There are still some adjustments that he needs more clarification on via the feel on the reins to achieve more with-you-ness in the bridle less work.