The last bit I’ll ever own.

I don’t usually involve myself in the bit vs. bitless debate. Despite having strong opinions regarding it, this is a topic I usually just address with clients in person, or people that ask for my opinion, where nuance can be expressed.

However, yesterday, I rummaged through some old tack and horse bits and bobs and spotted this one.

This bit represents the start of something huge for me. It was the last bit I ever owned, it was the last bit I ever used.

Going bitless was a catalyst for my journey into force free horsemanship.

Having played around with different bits and bitless bridles over the years, there was a moment I decided to take the plunge. We just moved, and I decided the move was a good moment to just say “F*** It” and just take the bit off my bridle, chuck it in a bin and replace it with a proper noseband.

It was around that same time I had another “F*** it” moment and decided to use food to try and solve a training problem I had for years, despite everyone saying “never use food”. At that point I had nothing to loose anyway.

The change I saw in my horse from then on, pushed me down the rabbit hole, and resulted in where I am now.

Now personal journey aside, I have become a huge proponent for going bit-less for nearly everyone. At this point there’s not a single horse on our homestead that has a bit, and hasn’t for years. I encourage all my clients to go bitless too, and try to support that journey as best I can.

And honestly, the primary reasons for it are simple.

• You don’t need a bit to do anything with your horse. You just don’t,  not for steering, stopping, fine riding, collection, etc. So why not go bitless?

• The max potential of pain and discomfort is way lower for a bitless bridle compared to a bit of the same order

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note that I am saying potential, yes you can absolutely cause pain with a bitless bridle. Riding bitless doesn’t fix unkind riding, but it minimizes the amount of pain you can cause, either by accident, or by ignorance.

Could you be kind with a bit? Yes, you absolutely can be. However, the reality is that very very few people are skilled enough to truly use bits in a manner that never causes the horse discomfort or pain. And even in those cases, there are unpredictable  moments where you’ll accidentally hit that bit with enough pressure to cause discomfort and pain. A level that is much much lower on a bitless bridle.

So while it is vital to ensure we educate ourself to become soft, clear, effective and kind riders no matter whether you use a bit or not, bitless can be a wonderful change for your horse, and I notice that if you do it right, it actually makes us better riders, trainers and horsemen too.