Elaine Heney - The Listenology Guide to Bitless Bridles for Horses - How to choose your first Bitless Bridle for your horse or pony | Perfect for Western & English horse training

The Listenology Guide

to Bitless Bridles

Other books by Elaine Heney

Equine Listenology Guide

Equine Listenology Workbook

Equine Listenology Diary

Ozzie, the Story of a Young Horse

Conversations with the Horse

Horse Anatomy Colouring Book

Trail Riding Training Journal

Books for kids

The Forgotten Horse for kids 8-12

Horse Care, Riding and Training for kids 6-11

Horse Puzzles, Games & Brain Teasers for kids 7-14

Horse Journal for kids age 6-15

My Sister is a Unicorn for kids 2-6

iPhone & Android Horse Apps:

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The Listenology Guide

to Bitless Bridles

By E LAINE H ENEY

GREY PONY FILMS

Ireland.

Copyright: Elaine Heney & Grey Pony Films

www.greyponyfilms.com

Copyright 2022 by Elaine Heney

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published by Grey Pony Films

www.greyponyfilms.com.

About Elaine Heney

Elaine Heney is an Irish horsewoman, film producer at Grey Pony Films, #1 best-selling author, and director of the award-winning 'Listening to the Horse' documentary. She has helped over 120,000+ horse owners in 113 countries to create awesome relationships with their horses. Elaine's mission is to make the world a better place for the horse. She lives in Ireland with her horses Ozzie & Matilda.

Enjoy all Elaines books:

www.writtenbyelaine.com

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riding & training programs. Visit Grey Pony Films & learn more:

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Introduction to bitless bridles

C hoosing to ride bitless can happen from many different events. Perhaps you have a horse who seems unhappy when ridden with a bit. Or you are interested in the California Vaquero tradition. Or perhaps youve seen someone riding nicely in a bitless bridle and youve got curious.

Either way, there are lots of options out there to figure out, before you decide if you should try a bitless bridle with your horse, and what one would suit. This guide will cover a lot of useful information and help you make a great decision for you & your horse. Let's get started!

Rope halters in New Zealand

I went backpacking to Australia & Zealand in my early twenties. After 2 months of living out of a suitcase, I decided to start looking for a horse job. Up to this point I had not really seen anyone ride bitless, so riding without a bit was not on my radar at all.

I sent emails to a lot of horse treks in Australia & New Zealand, looking for a job. Mt. Lyford Horse Treks in the South Island in New Zealand, emailed me back with a WWOOFing offer. They needed a trail guide for their business bringing tourists on horseback around the Southern Alps. I would work a few hours every day in exchange for room and board. It sounded perfect!

I booked a flight from Brisbane and arrived over two days later. I had ridden horses since I was young, and I loved horses a lot. However, some bad experiences when I was a teenager, trying to pass horse exams had made me believe that advanced riding, lateral work and collection were only possible if you sacrificed your horses health.

I had a few lessons where it was suggested that I needed to apply some heavy handed tactics to perform lateral work. And extra bits were suggested too. None of that sat right with me. So I retired from exams & competitions and resigned myself to doing my own thing.

When I arrived in New Zealand, the horses at the horse treks were beautifully cared for. They lived together in what I can only describe as paradise on the south island. And to my astonishment, all of these horses, from a 12.2 pony to a 17h Clydie cross were ridden in rope halters, all around the mountains.

At that stage, I had never seen a rope halter in my life! And I had certainly never considered using a rope halter, with no bit to take out tourists, some of whom had never ridden a horse. Seeing it in real life really blew my mind. Over the three months I was there, all the tourists were safe and happy. All the horses were happy and healthy. And it was one of the most wonderful places to work in the world.

One day, something really astonished me. Cathy, my friend and the lead trail guide, was riding her chestnut horse in a rope halter. But she was only using one rein. That blew my mind. Back in Ireland I had been told I needed two reins, a double bridle and two bits. And here was a lady riding with no bit and just one rein!

Cathy was cantering her horse, bareback, in a rope halter with one rein, and her horse was totally relaxed and completely collected. My previously held belief that collection was only something that could be achieved with force and pressure - was completely shattered.

Not only could collection be achieved in a kind way, but you it looked like you didn't need a saddle. You didnt need a bit either. And if you wanted to, you only needed one rein!