Bitless bridle
Bitless bridles are alternatives to bridle to bridle or curb . They are used, for example, in the training of young horses and in horses that have an injury in the mouth area, are excessively sensitive or excessively hard in the mouth.
Bitless bridles are popular with some recreational riders because they are believed to be gentler than bridle bridles. With bitless bridles, a distinction is made between those that work without leverage on the nose or neck, and those that work with increased force on the nose, chin and / or neck through suits , similar to a curb (ideally, these bridles should only be used by well-trained one-handed ridden horses, without constant leaning, can be used). The horse cannot avoid the pressure of the rein by giving way in the mouth (which is only possible with the curb if the horse does not wear an additional halter). Depending on the bridle, the forces are transferred directly to the bridge of the nose or the neck, which - as it should be a matter of course for every taming - requires particularly careful handling of the reins.
Depending on the objective, rider and horse, bridles with or without bits are more suitable. In dressage competitions bitless bridles are not allowed in the jumping but partially allowed. In addition, they are popular with trail riders because the horse can eat during breaks without a bit without having to be bridled.
Cavesson
The cavesson is mostly used for lunging and ground work . It is a bitless halter that is primarily used when training young horses and when doing handicrafts so as not to dull them in the mouth. In south-western Europe, the local cavesson variants (Serreta, Caveçon) are often used for breaking in and often afterwards for riding.
Lunge or lead rope are always attached to the middle of the three cavesson rings, which are located on the nose piece. This will put pressure on the nasal bone when they are picked up. Auxiliary reins or riding reins are hooked into the two rings on the side. In the course of training, the cavesson can be combined with a bit with separate reins in order to slowly introduce the young horse to the use of the bit.
Cavesson at the Spanish Riding School
The cavesson used at the Spanish Riding School consists essentially of a nose iron that has been broken twice. The middle part of this nasal iron is specially adapted to the bridge of the nose for each stallion in order to ensure an optimal fit. The three rings sit on this piece, the two outer rings being rigid and the middle one being circumferential. The nose iron is covered with leather and additionally padded. The cavesson is fastened tightly with a chin strap and a gaiter strap.
Heavy cavesson
The heavy cavesson, which is mostly common in Germany, consists of a tightly strapped, padded nose iron. This should rest well on the bridge of the nose of the horse in order to enable safe and clear guidance and to avoid chafing of the bridge of the nose. The nose iron is usually composed of three hinge-like steel bands of approx. 3 mm thickness, 10 cm in length and 2–3 cm in width. A ring is attached to each of these three steel bands. Due to the thick padding, the effect on the horse with the help of the heavy cavesson is rather imprecise and spongy if it is not precisely adjusted.
Serreta
The Serreta is the classic Iberian training bridle . In the Serreta, the nasal iron consists of a leather-sheathed steel bracket that can be adjusted to the shape of the horse's nose and is often toothed on the inside. The advantage of the Serreta over most other cavessons is that the nasal iron cannot twist when lunging or guiding on the upper ring, which is why this cavesson does not require a cheek strap. The serreta is the sharpest cavesson and therefore belongs in experienced, sensitive hands. In rough or inexperienced hands, the serreta can cause injuries, the scars of which can sometimes be seen on horses imported from Spain or Portugal. Similar to Western riding in California , the horses are switched directly from the Serreta to the curb, with both bridles being used in parallel during the conversion phase. The two side rings of the Serreta are used as rings for the bridle reins. Serretas are not suitable for all horses. Serretas are often unsuitable for warm-blooded animals because they are sized for the narrower heads of Iberian horses.
Cavecon
In the Caveçon in the south of France, the nose part consists of a chain that runs in a leather tube. However, there are also sharp variants with bare bicycle or motorcycle chains as nosebands. The caveçon should also only be used by sensitive, experienced riders or instructors.
Pluvinel
A variant of the caveçon or serreta named after the classic riding master Antoine de Pluvinel comes with a purely leather noseband into which the usual three rings are riveted. The Pluvinel is considered the cavesson with the gentlest effect. However, there is often the problem of the top ring twisting to the side when lunging if the chin strap is not tightly fastened.
California Hackamore (Bosal)
The Californian (also real ) hackamore consists of two parts: the bosal and the mecate . A bosal is made from raw cowhide and rests on the bridge of the horse's nose. The mecate, which consists of a closed rein with a lead rope, is knotted to this under the chin. The Mecate is basically made from horse hair or nylon and is available in different sizes and thicknesses. The signaling of the bosal takes place mainly on the bridge of the nose, under the chin and by placing the mecate on the horse's neck. Depending on the level of training and suitability, bosals and mecates of different thicknesses are used with the aim of continuously refining the provision of help.
In the Californian tradition of western riding, the horse is fully trained with the hackamore before it is ridden through the training section of the two-reins (pencil-bosal and spade bit), only one-handed "straight up in the bridle" with a spade bit. This traditional, lengthy training path is only followed by a few enthusiasts today.
Colombian Bosal
The Colombian bosal consists of two parts: the bosal (nose piece) and a barbada (chin piece). The Colombian Bosal is buckled about four to five fingers wide above the upper edge of the nostril. It should not be buckled too deeply, as the sensitive nasal cartilage can be damaged, breathing obstructed and pain caused. At least two upright fingers should fit between the chin section and the horse's chin. The bosal should not be buckled too tightly so that the horse can chew off. The nose piece and chin piece are made of leather, braided or twisted rawhide, metal or nylon. The width of the contact surface on the bridge of the nose can vary from finger-thin to half-width. The nose pieces are available in different designs, for example with two incorporated wooden balls or metal inserts, which serve to act more precisely on the bridge of the nose. Depending on the texture, the effect ranges from mild to very hot.
In the middle of the Barbada there are two rings for buckling a second pair of reins. The pair of side reins on the bosal are used to bend and give directions. The lower pair of reins on the barbada are mainly used for gathering and stopping. The Colombian bosal can also be combined with a bit, with a pair of reins attached to the bosal and one to the bit.
Mechanical hackamore
The mechanical hackamore is a bitless bridle with suits that is used by some recreational riders. Even with a slight rein pull, hard pressure is exerted on the sensitive chin nerve, the nasal bone and the neck. The suits are held at the correct distance under the horse's chin with a crossbar. That is why it can only be used with one hand, otherwise it will jam. There are mechanical hackamors with curved and straight suits, long and short suits, chin straps with wrapped bicycle chains and other varieties. Long and straight suits look the sharpest. The English hackamore is the softest, with the nose, cheek, chin straps and reins attached to metal crosses on the side with short curved suits.
The mechanical hackamore does not allow any directional signaling and is therefore only reserved for very experienced riders. It was invented at the rodeo in order to be able to control horses that were completely ridden and that had become numb in their mouths. The considerable leverage and the increased risk of injury for the horse with improper handling or accidents refute the assumption that bitless riding is horse-friendly per se.
Sidepull
The sidepull has the shape of a halter , only with a reinforced noseband, which is made of waxed lasso rope and is a loose ring around the horse's mouth. On the right and left of the noseband there are rings to which the reins are hooked. The sidepull only acts on the nose and has its origins in western riding, in which young horses are broken in with its help. The sidepull is used here with a clearly lateral pull - hence the name - which is supposed to make it easier for the young horse to learn the sideways driving aids. Therefore, the sidepull is never used alone, but always with the leg, weight or rein aid of the opposite rein, which is only applied to the neck. Since the lasso rope is rough, it is not suitable for dressage riding, which requires constant leaning on the horse, and it has no place in the hands of a beginner.
Another version of the sidepull is known in the USA, the so-called Training Bridle , similar to the Dr Cook Webbing Bitless Bridle , with a soft webbing noseband.
Lindel
The Lindel has the same shape as the Sidepull, except that the noseband is made of leather and is buckled relatively tightly around the horse's mouth. Since this form of bridle is very soft for the horse, it is also very suitable for beginners. In dressage, however, you quickly reach your limits here, as the aids are too indistinct. However, this type of bridle is well suited for recreational riders and horse rides, although it must be noted that a restless horse in the field can sometimes be difficult to control with a Lindel.
Scawbric
The Scawbrig is an English invention that a recreational rider can easily make himself. On a Hanoverian noseband with shortened cheek pieces, a rein is pulled through the two rings instead of a chinstrap. You can also pull a soft chain through the rings and attach a pair of reins to them or attach the reins to the rings. It is a simple bridle that is good for walking. If the reins are tight, the strap can rub against the chin.
Other bitless bridles
In addition to the best-known and most common bridles, there are also a large number of others that differ more or less in their shape, application and effect. Among other things, the Bändele , a bridle by Fred Rai , which consists only of a thin rope around the nose and neck and has braided closed reins, and the Merothian noseband, which works with the reins crossed under the chin.
Wheel of fortune
The wheel of fortune, also known as the LG bridle, is the relatively young invention of the German horse trainer Monika Lehmenkühler. The nose, cheek and chin straps and reins are attached to a six-spoke wheel. The wheel of fortune turns slightly when you pull the reins and therefore acts like a mild mechanical hackamore. It can also be ridden with suits and two pairs of reins. The wheel of fortune can be handled in a similar way to a bridle. With a chinstrap it looks mild, with a double-row chin chain it is medium hot, with a single-row chin chain it is hot. However, horses often resist the latter version. If the curb chain is not tailored to the horse, the bridle is largely ineffective. In a test by Cavallo magazine , several good riders had problems keeping their horses fine-tuned with this bridle. In a further test by the NDR broadcaster , show jumpers, dressage riders and recreational riders found no difference in handling to normal bridles.
Bitless bridle
Robert Cook, an American veterinarian , argues that dentures impede breathing by stimulating mouth action and promoting salivation. Among other things, this could lead to attacks of suffocation and bleeding in the respiratory tract of racehorses. In addition, dentures could be the cause of a large number of other diseases, such as headshaking . Pathological changes in the jawbones and diseases of the chewing apparatus can also be attributed to it. These results have not yet been reproduced by experts.
Robert Cook sells the Bitless Bridle, which works on the bridge of the nose, the ganches and the neck. The rein pressure is distributed over a larger area than with the bridle, which only works in the mouth. Cook sees this as an advantage. The headpiece corresponds to the usual bridle and the reins are crossed and buckled in place of the throat strap. In Germany a version is made in which the rein runs continuously behind the headpiece of the noseband. A special model was developed for driving . Long winter fur can get caught in the rein straps because they are wrapped around the head. The Bitless Bridle is unsuitable for riders with hard hands, as it can then press uncomfortably in the neck and the horse cannot evade, as with a tethered halter.
swell
- ^ Hiltrud Strasser, Robert Cook: Iron in the horse's mouth . Knirsch-Verlag, Kirchentellinsfurt 2003, ISBN 3-927091-64-2 , p. 13 f .
literature
- Uta Over: Bridles and Bits . Müller-Rüschlikon-Verlag, Cham 1994, ISBN 3-275-01077-8 .
