06/26/2025
There’s a post doing the rounds that is referring to bitless riding as a “fad” and expressing concern about the prevalence of it.
It questions the value of bitless riding and even makes some claims that bitless riding doesn’t allow for horses to move as correctly.
Before we jump into this discussion — I am not “anti-bit” but I am anti-misinformation.
There is currently no evidence to suggest that bits are in some way more capable of creating correct movement under saddle.
Because of this, I think it is dangerous and gimmicky for trainers to suggest that they do and word it as if it is a fact.
Proper carriage of the body does not come from the mouth.
With a well trained horse, the reins should be the least used of the aids, ideally.
Furthermore, current studies on horse welfare under saddle pretty much unanimously question the ethicality of bits.
There is a lot more empirical research that supports the idea of reconsidering the compulsory use of bits than not.
Our industry is very tradition based and many people ride in bits due to it just being what is done.
There isn’t often much emphasis on the other options.
Riders becoming more aware of other alternatives to bits and choosing to ride bitless may make it feel like a fad but in reality, it’s just an indicator of people finally being able to exit the echo chamber that the horse world has built and realize there’s more options than the mainstream ones.
I think it’s important to maintain an unbiased perspective when it comes to horse welfare.
Currently, based on modern research, there is substantially more reason to question the use of bits in comparison to bitless.
“But bitless can break noses!”
A lot of the cases where people claim this has happened are anecdotal but that aside, if you’re riding with a hard enough hand to break a nose in a bitless bridle, you definitely should not be riding in a bit because you’ll also do damage.
Any damage caused by a bitless bridle is going to be a lot more visible.
Damage from bits can be hidden and many people, even those causing the damage, aren’t aware that it’s even occurred.
So, let me leave you with this:
There needs to be A LOT more research done on equine biomechanics before anyone can make the claim that bits result in a more biomechanically correct horse.
Current research, if anything, supports the idea of more people moving to Bitless because there is reason for concern about the ethicality of bits.
Can bits be ridden in ethically? Yes.
Are they massively misused? Also, yes.
Do they provide any proven benefit for equine biomechanics? No.
Can anyone actually describe by what biomechanical process a bit would result in a horse carrying themselves more correctly? Not that I’ve seen.
Even if they could, it isn’t yet supported by empirical evidence.
So, ride in what you want but be cautious of trainers that discount modern research that criticizes the equipment that they want to use.
Having as much information as possible to make an informed decision for you and your horse is a good thing.
Leaving the evidence of how prevalent oral damage is in horses out of any discussion that tries to discourage people from using bitless options is dishonest, in my opinion.
In order to use a bit correctly, people should be aware of the risk factors and the facts related to welfare studies on their use.
Signed,
Someone who exclusively used bits for years and now rides bitless more often due to both the empirical evidence and my own experience of many horses being more relaxed bitless.
