The bit debate.
The bitless battle.
Call it what you may, we’ve all seen the argument of bits versus bitless across the equestrian world in a variety of disciplines. And while I know this post will definitely spark some controversy with folks I’m here to tell you a simple truth: neither bits or bitless is better or worse than the other. Neither one is “kinder” or “harsher” than the other inherently, it all depends on the individual situation.
A lot of people who preach that bitless is better, only do so from the perspective that it’s a softer or more humane choice simply because the horse is not holding a bit in their mouth. But most don’t realize that in some cases, bitless bridles or hackamores can sometimes do more damage than good. For a bitless bridle or hackamore to fit properly it needs to sit up high enough on the face (at or two fingers below the facial crest aka the little “bump” they have on their cheeks/cheekbones) so as not to crush the horse’s nasal cavity. An ill fitting hackamore or bitless bridle that sits too low on the nose can actually not only cut off air flow but can potentially break their nose. How can we expect our horses to perform as athletes if we cut off their airflow?
Hackamores come in all different styles too, and in my personal opinion I think some of them cause way too much pressure on such a delicate part of the face, for example hackamores with thin and twisted nosebands that never truly release or ones with a covered chain-like style nose piece. Another potential issue with hackamores in particular is that they need to use a form of curb strap, whether leather or biothane or a chain, and if that curb strap is too tight or otherwise improperly fitted, you’ve got a recipe for a piece of equipment that never releases it’s pressure and causes nothing but discomfort. And going off of that point, that’s a major problem that a lot of bitless bridles have as well: they do not properly release their pressure. Whether it be the design of the bridle itself or simply the material they’re made of where individual pieces just don’t slide properly, that is a huge issue with a majority of bitless bridles out on the market.
Bits obviously have their issues too, but to be quite frank, some horses simply prefer them! Riding horses isn’t natural, period. But we all do it anyways. So, in my opinion, why not strive to find what equipment the horse works best in regardless of discipline. Some horses will do better with pressure on their noses or jaws (bitless), some will do better with pressure in their mouths, some might work similarly in both and can be worked interchangeably between being bitted or bitless.
Some bits however I believe no matter the hands they are in, are far too harsh to ever be placed in a horse’s mouth. In my personal opinion these include wire twists, Tom thumbs, Waterford’s, sliding gags (where the gag is a part of the entire headstall with no stopping point), the grasshopper bit, you get the gist. Bits like those are designed to give you the results you want by reinforcing pressure and eventually pain on your horses with no release of said pressure. They are merely a bandaid for a wound that needs stitches, whether it be for a headset, having no brakes, not turning, and so on, then you have a hole in your training that needs to be fixed. You should not need to up the pressure and force your horse to do something based on consequences if they don’t.
As you can see, there are good and bad elements to both horses being bitted and bitless. In riding or driving it’s not one size fits all, and the horse should be treated as an individual when finding equipment that works best for them, not going off of the latest training fad or simply what everyone else in your discipline uses. Don’t be afraid to try new things, even if it’s not the norm.
(originally posted on my personal equine Instagram @fourthtimesequestrian)
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