In Stride Equestrian

09/10/2025

Very well written and digestible piece in the conversation of to bit or not to bit. And to also add to this, that the rider should have enough of an education to understand the importance of self carriage and collection and have enough of a base line understanding so that they can continue to help and maintain their horse under saddle regardless of the tools they use

Bitted, vs Bitless, vs Bridle-less

Just yesterday, I was thinking about interesting horse-related topics to write about. Then today, as if I’d pre-ordered something in the mail via express post, the answer stared me straight in the face! I came across a video today of someone who claimed bitless and bridle-less riding was rubbish. I thought to myself, What an interesting topic for conversation.

I’m not anti-bits; I feel they can have their benefits. However, my preference with my own horses is bitless and bridle-less. What I wanted to talk about today is collection- what collection means to me and why I feel there is no black and white answer in terms of: to bit, not to bit, or bridle-less. The truth is, most things in life are not black or white, but instead all shades of grey.

So what is collection? To answer this, I need to rewind a little further, so just bare with me.

Did you know horses aren’t designed to be ridden? …
In which case, I believe it’s our responsibility as horse owners to work our horses in such a way that not only maintains the soundness they would have had if left to their own devices in the paddock, but also that we can improve on their soundness and make their lives as our partners in dance, one that is positive and beneficial for their bodies.
To do this, we need at least a basic understanding of what's going on beneath a horse’s skin.
Typically, a horse has 7 cervical vertebrae, 18 thoracic, 6 lumbar, and 5 sacral, on average 18 coccygeal (tail). There can be variations; however, I’m not going to go into this right now.

Now is the time to use your imagination…
Imagine each one of these vertebrae is a carriage on a train track.
What we are looking for is what is called Spinal Alignment….
I’m sure at some point, each of you have been on a horse, and you're trying to turn right- the horse bends its neck to the right but falls through the outside shoulder like a derailed train falling off its tracks. This feeling is the horse losing alignment through the spinal column.
It feels messy, and biomechanically, the body's muscle chains have entirely lost their ability to work in harmony with each other. It’s like a train crash within the skeletal system, which has a knock-on effect to all the tendons, ligaments, muscles, fascia, and organs.
This train crash in the body is what many people refer to as a “hollow horse”.

Why does it matter if your horse is hollow?
It matters because a horse does not have a collarbone, which is both a blessing and a curse.
A blessing, because it gives them their incredible ability for movement and speed.
A curse because it means that in place of a collarbone, muscles suspend the sternum portion of the ribcage between the two front legs.

When a horse is using their body functionally and sustainably, the ribcage is suspended between the two front legs rather than collapsed between the two front legs. When the suspension system is working, the skeletal structure has space between the vertebrae, just like carriages on a train track, allowing the spinal column to bend laterally, make rotations, and lift dorsally more easily.
Good range of motion and functionality go hand in hand…. BUT… when the horse is not correctly using their body, the muscles lack strength and functionality, meaning the ribcage sits lower in the chest and the vertebrae of the spinal column are compressed together like a train that just became all sorts of crashed and de-railed.
When there is no space in the spinal column, the body’s ability to move well and sustainably becomes diminished, and as a result, compensation patterns form. Compensation patterns mean that some parts of the musculoskeletal system are not doing their job, while other parts work over time to try to create stability in the body.

The spinal column is the housing for the spinal cord, and off the spinal cord are nerves that feed into various other places in the body. The spinal cord and the nerves are responsible for delivering information to the body from the brain, and back to the brain from the body. Together, the brain, spinal cord, and nerves form pathways of communication known as neural pathways. These neural pathways make all movements possible, both voluntary and involuntary.

So what do you think happens when there is a train crash in the body??
Well… These pathways become restricted or even blocked. Meaning that just because a message is leaving the brain, there is no guarantee the message will reach its desired destination… or vice versa for a message travelling back to the brain. In a nutshell, this also means that poor posture can and does affect the entire nervous system.

Way back when, the purpose of dressage was to help produce a sound, balanced, and willing horse capable of being a brave and reliable partner in war. Dressage was like Pilates for a horse. Every different movement helps to increase the horse's range of motion and strength, which in turn allows them to carry their own bodies at ease, as well as a rider.

On average, 60% of a horse's weight is carried by its front legs and 40% by their hind legs. Collection to me means shifting a horse's center of gravity further back in the body so that they take more weight on the hind end. This can only be done when a horse is able to maintain balance, posture, and rhythm without the rider constantly needing to ‘help’ the horse. This ability of a horse to maintain balance, posture and rhythm is called self-carriage. To ride it will feel effortless and rhythmic.

Once self-carriage is achieved, you can then ask for more collection.
Think back to the train for a minute, say for instance the horse's body is the train- travelling at 60km an hour in self carriage. Each carriage is at an even distance from the next, and each carriage travels at the same speed. When I ask the horse for more collection, I am asking for the entire body to collect, which will require tensegrity of the suspension system, more lift of the front end, and more loading on the hind end. As a result, the center of gravity is moved further back. In terms of train carriages, this would be comparable to all carriages slowing to 40km and maintaining the same distance and harmony between them. Of course, the train is not capable of moving its center of gravity towards its hind end! In this way, the two are not comparable haha.

In my opinion, many people ask for collection too soon. Meaning that the neck contracts, slowing the carriages (vertebrae) in the neck to a speed of 40km, but if the body is not yet capable of achieving or maintaining collection, the carriages (vertebrae) of the thoracic, lumbar, and sacrum will keep the original speed of 60km, causing a train crash in the body. The horse will start to become hollow over the back, step short behind, and paddle with its front legs because there is not enough lift or strength of the suspension system to allow for the lift of the thoracic to allow straight movement of the front legs.

Now the next layer. Bit vs Bitless vs Bridle-less.
Just as you wouldn’t go and buy your entire family a size 12 kids' shirt, there is no one-size-fits-all when deciding whether to ride bitted, bitless or bridle-less.

Some people will find bitless more effective for their horse, some will find bitless less effective for their horse.
There are so many questions you can ask yourself when deciding what's right for the individual horse.
Are there anatomical factors that are influencing your decision?
Maybe someone has a horse with arthritic changes to the TMJ, damage to the hyoid, damage to the cervical spine, and is better able to find functional posture with small movements of the bit, stimulating small corrections of alignment.
Or maybe for some horses, having a bit encourages just enough movement of the tongue, which helps to encourage a release of brace through the ventral line (muscle chain which connects the tongue to the hind leg).
BUT!..

Maybe for another horse, the bit is the cause of anxiety or the cause of contact issues. Perhaps the horse is sensitive and easily overstimulated. Maybe there are teeth, hyoid, or TMJ issues that make carrying a bit uncomfortable for the horse.
Any of the above factors can be the cause of a ‘train crash’ within a horse's body. As a result, the neural pathways become blocked or restricted, the horse becoming unregulated in the nervous system. A horse that is not free and open through the musculoskeletal system can't have self-carriage. If there is no self-carriage, then there is no possibility for shifting the centre of gravity further toward the hind end – meaning no possibility for “collection”.

To me, whether you have a bit, bitless bridle, or ride bridle-less is entirely beside the point.
My now-retired gelding, whom I rode for 7 years, was always bridle-less on each and every ride, whereas my other horses are mostly ridden bitless.
Two years ago, I was given a palomino mare as a rehabilitation horse; all of the work I have done with her has been without a bit. I tried a bit on her for four weeks as I thought it may help to make releasing the restriction in her TMJ and C6 C7 easier; however, carrying a bit only caused her anxiety.

Every horse is different; it is not a question of whether to bit or not to bit. It’s knowledge of healthy function and an open mind that is key.

09/09/2025

Two new training horses to kick off the end of the summer and heading into fall (and perfect weather!). Welcome Ghalia and Khadwick to the program 🥰.

With Khad’s arrival yesterday, we now have a full house for September! Ghalia will be going home at the end of the month and so I will have just one full training spot available for the months of October and November, but am booked again in December.

I did want to clarify what encompasses full training board for those who may be curious as it is a pretty vague umbrella term and doesn’t just cover dressage training.

I offer this package to those who are needing more extensive help with their horses. This could be due to a need for physical or behavioral rehabilitation. Physical rehabilitation could look like horses that have come out of rehabbing soft tissue and are ready to take the next steps, have had bad accidents where there wasn’t an “injury” per se but they still aren’t quite right, the “sound” ridden horse who has been ridden inverted or with improper saddle fit/shoeing for a prolonged period of time and needs to learn how to carry themselves correctly. This ties into movement and postural rehabilitation for horses going under saddle as well. But doesn’t encompass horses with acute injury who need medical attention and care to heal.

Behavioral rehabilitation or training looks more like a horse who may have come to you from unclear circumstances, but has reactivity to being worked with. Horses who seem to have faced harsh training or trauma in the past, shut down horses who go through the motions but have become checked out, or even youngsters who may have not had the best start to life. I like to refer to behavioral training as a form of rehabilitation as it takes time and consistency in a program to bring them back to the best versions of themselves.

And lastly, full training of course encompasses those who wish to continue to work their horses up the levels classically, with lightness, power and refinement to their mounts in a way that keeps the horse’s integrity and pride.

My work encompasses all three of these things, physical and behavioral rehabilitation, and lightness in classical Dressage

09/05/2025

A few weekends back Josh and I went out to visit our friend Avry Jxn. It was short but we managed to squeeze in dinner, dancing and a horse play day. It was so beautiful and inspiring to be in the moment and with him and his horses. How wonderfully they were coming along and how much he puts into them with the work that he does. It’s uplifting to see another equestrian professional work in so many similar yet unique ways and methods. And to show proof once again in the development of wonderful horses through their own expression and movement through their bodies.

Sweet Mmoja was a delight to sit on and a beautifully developed youngster. And watching Avry ride Canterbury was very exciting. The power and fullness of that horse and how Avry delicately sculpted it was 👏🏽. This horse has a big presence in every way and I cannot wait to see where they are as a team in the future!

Proud of you my friend and all that you have brought together on your farm that is a little piece of heaven ❤️

On the process:

There are days and months where the schooling feels off. Where it seems like maintaining a partnership that empowers the equine athlete requires so much unexpressed frustration on my end.

Then there is that one ride at the end of the schooling week where everything comes together. Where the horse retains it's power, surrenders to your collaboration and offers that feeling.

It's that feeling that keeps me in the saddle and doing whatever I have to to protect my time in it. Trust the schooling, allow the horse the time it needs and be grateful when the partnership aligns.

*Photo is a stylized still from a ride on Canterbury.

09/03/2025

I just wanted to share some observations for those who are skeptical yet curious about positive reinforcement training.

I’m not one of those ppl who fanatically defends it with my life nor am I r+ only. I mix and match different methods of training to best suit each horse. I incorporate r+ very regularly in my sessions both on the ground and under saddle. I incorporate it with skeptical horses for every day handling like seeing the vet, trailer loading, the farrier and dentist. I use it with reactive and explosive horses to help them de escalate and self regulate in stressful situations or if something causes them to be reactionary.

The biggest compliment that is also an affirmation of my work is when other professionals have to handle my horses and they smile and say, “I can’t believe this is the same horse”.

Yesterday, Dr. Ashely came out to do dental work and the first horse she started with was Macho. With her only seeing them about once a year, she kept on saying how amazing he looked and was behavior wise. She said he was like a completely different horse. So much more comfortable, friendly and not skeptical of her coming into his space. And he was a certified good boy through the whole process.

With Macho, I mostly trained him with r+ and I’m not going to pretend like it didn’t help him immensely. He went from being super guarded and ready to react to a personable and trusting little mustang because of it.

And this is the best part and something that I don’t think that many people understand, once you affirm a behavior and it’s solid, you don’t have to keep rewarding that behavior. Let’s use trimming as an example. We started with picking up one foot and holding for a few seconds, rewarding and putting it down. Rinse repeat until he understood what was asked. Then the reward moved to the next step which was picking the foot, or holding it for a longer period of time. Then rasping for a few seconds. Rinse repeat until the graduation of being able to have someone trim all 4 feet with a horse standing calmly. R+ horses don’t only “perform” for the treat, the reward is the bridge that helps them understand the task.

09/02/2025

This is a great visual to understand placement of halters and why this is such a delicate area for horses. And also why teaching and working through pull back is so important! It just takes one bad incident to do damage, or worse, end a horse’s life

08/23/2025

08/22/2025

Thoughts on training, retraining and communication.

Much of training horses is a dialogue of non verbal body communication and vocal cues. It is a systematic process where once understood, both parties can agree that the same cue/aid will always mean the same thing. It’s an unspoken agreement between the horse and human. Since as riders we are the ones setting the guidelines for these terms of communication, it is also our responsibility to always honor them and be consistent. To hold ourselves accountable and make sure that we are intentional with what we ask of our horses and not make our communication unclear.

This is why when either getting a new horse or intentionally retraining a horse, we have to take the time to learn what their means of communication and understanding already are, and never assume that they are the same as yours. This is something I am always very aware of every time I sit on an unfamiliar horse. I take the first 10-15 min to see where their means of communication is at. I don’t just jump up and start riding like I do any of my own horses. I don’t like the tone that it sets and I like to establish that the communication can be dynamic. That the horse can give me their input, and that I’m not going to just get up there and dictate the entire ride without taking them into consideration.

Some horses that I get in to rehab or retrain are not used to a quiet form of communicating but rather a loud, harsh and unfair form of being handled that can make them fearful or aggressive. If that is the case, they more than likely don’t know much about communication in interacting with people. They know how to be shut down, defensive and guarded with their bodies. These are not horses that will take a few sessions to “get it”. They need time, they desperately need consistency and to be given the space to unlearn all of the negative that they’ve experienced in being handled and ridden. Once they’ve unlearned, they then can begin the process of learning that communication and learning that it is ok and safe to be themselves.

Aids and cues should always be light, like a whisper and suggestion, with the horse being afforded the ability to respond ❤️

08/19/2025

Come September I will be looking for/offering availability for a boarder who would be interested in working off some of the cost of full care board on our track system in exchange for help mucking stalls in the evenings.

Full care includes hay, feed, stalling (with fans in the summer), fly gear and blanketing when needed in a quiet and attentive facility. We are located less than 4 miles from downtown and there is access to bridle paths as well as a communal riding field and grass riding areas on site. We are a small lesson and training facility with a wonderful group of people who are eager to learn and continue progressing with their horses!

If interested, please send me a pm for more information 😊

08/14/2025

This is why advocacy and representation matters in this industry. Some of these comments are absolutely abhorrent and highlight just how many people are ignorant to the process and legal standing of immigration. While also in the same breath, vilifying an entire group of people who are hard working, diligent, family oriented and compassionate.

There is much to change about this industry, and a big thing is no longer sweeping the racism under the rug and claiming it doesn’t exist. Before making blanket statements on the validity of someone’s existence and safety, please take the time to educate yourself on the process of immigration and how what is occurring now is illegal in so many ways. I will always stand for humanity, empathy and the just treatment of all people and not tolerate ignorance and hate that puts peoples lives at risk.

We need to do better

While finishing her work week last Friday in downtown Los Angeles, Carly Heath checked her inbox to find an alarming email from management at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, where she boards her draft-cross mare. 

08/11/2025

Because visual learning just hits different 👀
Finding the right feel in your reins starts with your fingers. Too loose, and you lose connection. Too tight, and you risk tension in the whole body,
yours and your horse’s.

👉 Let’s break it down:
a. ✅ Correct – Fingers softly closed, fingertips touching the palm. You maintain light, consistent contact without gripping.
b. ❌ Incorrect – Fingers open. This weakens the connection and creates an unstable line to the bit.
c. ❌ Incorrect – Fist clenched. Tension travels up the arm, restricting softness in the hand and communication with your horse.

It’s all about that sweet spot: closed enough to hold, soft enough to feel. 🖐️

( Image found off Pinterest )