How Do I Tech My Horse To Turn In A Bitless Bridle (Western Style)?
I’m not a big fan of the Dr. Cook bitless; I do like hackamores like this one: http://www.nrsworld.com/hackamores.html If you try this light bosal type, you may want to purchase one with a mecate (throatlatch) which is safer ensuring it stays on your horse. Be sure the bosal has only a rope or rawhide core with no metal inside or on the nosepiece. Whichever bitless bridle you use, you would want to start out with two hands one on each rein teaching your horse to give to lateral rein pressure in a similar manner to how you would do so in a ring snaffle bit. Use seat and leg aids to teach him to move away from pressure, back, and stop. If this sounds like work and training or retraining for your horse, it is. Horses who have been ridden in a bit need time to learn different signal systems; if your horse did not do well in a ring snaffle, he may actually do better in a hackamore, but needs extra help to learn to go in on
