Everyone knows about ‘No Stirrups November’ where the entire horse world agrees to add more stirrupless work to our schedule. I actually got a couple months ahead with my August Challenge which explains why no stirrup work is so beneficial. You should absolutely add more stirrupless time into your riding, however I have a different riding challenge for this month as well. In progression from the October Challenge on starting your horse to yield to pressure. The challenge I propose is to ride with a halter.
How To Start
To start, I strongly suggest having your bridle and regular reins in case you need them. Then either under or over your bridle, put your halter on as well. I prefer having the halter under the bridle. Then attach a second set of reins to the sides of the halter down by the horse’s muzzle. To keep your reins organized, just drape your regular reins over the saddle horn. Or English riders can use the Velcro saddle pad keeper to secure the reins in easy reach. The reins you will be using will be those attached to the halter, unless you have reason to take more control, then pick up your bridle reins.
While you and your horse are getting used to riding this way, keep to a fairly controlled setting and only do what feels comfortable. Walk or trot a simple pattern. Practice stopping and backing. Practice flexing your horse each side as described in the October Challenge, or practice some one-rein stops for control. Only progress to canter if you feel firmly in control with all the slower work and are normally confident riding a canter. As you get more comfortable, challenge yourself to see how much of your regular riding work you can still do in a controlled fashion working with your halter.
What You Will Notice
There are a couple things you will come to notice fairly quickly. In the first couple minutes you will notice that your horse won’t be able to tell the difference when you are pulling back on one rein or both reins. Therefore, if you are prone to pulling back on one rein to steer, your horse will show you that your signal was unclear. You will have to take your rein out to the side with contact to make your steering signals clear. Steering this way uncomplicates turning for your horse by allowing space to move his shoulder the direction you are pointing him.
After a little bit of riding you will also notice that you must use your seat, legs and even posture more to give your horse clear signals. Because rein signals will be less sensitive, the rest of your signals will have to be more consistent and clear to get the correct responses.
Trouble Shooting
This can be a wonderful way to encourage a lazy horse to move forward, with no fear of being snatched in the mouth. However, a forward moving horse may be prone to getting a bit out of hand without the usual restriction of the bit. For this horse make sure to take it quite slow and do lots of turns, circles and one rein stops to help him come back to you and understand that the rules still apply – because you control him, not the bit! If anyone has ever had a rein snap, or even your bit break you can appreciate the need for your horse to respect you, whether or not your tack is perfectly in place.
If your horse is fresh or at any point feels out of control and you can’t solve it at the moment with a turn or one rein stop, feel free to pick up your regular reins and school him down a little, then return to riding from your halter. No matter what side of the spectrum your horse starts from – fast, slow or somewhere in the middle, your goal is to finish with a forward moving, calm and respectful horse in every ride.
Moving On
You may find that you like riding with some variety of bitless bridle as part of your regular riding program. There are many varieties of bitless bridles to choose from, regardless of your preference for English or Western style. The key would be finding a system that gives you enough handle on your horse to ride safely, even when the situation is a bit nervous.
If you and your horse are rocking it riding in a halter you can always up the stakes to stirrupless or even bareback. This can be a great test of how much you rely on your tack. But remember that the purpose of a riding challenge is not to go off all gung ho, get crazy and fall off. The purpose is to introduce a new activity or concept to apply to your riding, with the eventual goal of mastering new skills. Be smart, stay safe and have fun!
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