14/12/2023
🤔💭What is the difference between a Bit-less bridle and a Pressure Rope halter? 🤔💭
I had become curious about this question and wanted to know different viewpoints on the answer to this question, so I went around asking, trainers, advanced riders, horse owners, guides, all sorts of people that have experience with horses and training them. 🐎🤓
Now, we all have different methods and preferences, in riding and training, however most of the people that I have spoken to agree that Pressure rope halters and bit less bridles are very similar. 🤔
How so?🙃 Both work on pressure points around the face, but there are a lot of different bitless bridles working on different methods, for example; the Bosal, the Cross Under, Side Pull, Cavesson, English Bit-less ... etc Some focus on one specific pressure points on your horse’s face, and some distribute the pressure evenly, therefore being gentler on your horse. 🐎
When looking for the perfect bitless bridle you have to take into consideration what your horse responds to better, and how soft or hard your hands are, after all you want it to be safe for you and your horse.🐎🥳
As for the rope halters, these are used more for training than riding, however you can ride with them. A lot of experienced riders/trainers recommend riding with pressure halters (or bitless bridles if you have the money for it) if your horse has got past mouth injuries, or just has a sensitive mouth, however you have to have soft hands and be an experienced rider.🤓🫡
For training purposes, trainers try not to use pressure halters on horses that pull back, are wild, are new to halters, and are foals, to avoid nerve damage in their faces. Some trainers like to start out with halter training with nylon webbing halters, and slowly intergrade them into pressure halters, then bitless bridles (Depending on the trainer and horse) or even a normal bridle that has a bit. This way they will learn not to fear the pressure, but to rather feel the riders’ instructions with the slightest touch of the rein. 🥹🐎
If you have different viewpoints on this question, feel free to comment or share this post. Let's share with each other what we have learned about bridles of all sorts.😍😌