TheRedFox
Registered: 01/07/08
Posts: 5
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Reply with quote | #1 |
Hi all,
I just wanted to put across my own opinion.
I agree with insurance companies when they say that they will not cover (or the cost will be higher) when riding bitless on a road.
My reason for this is that even though riding in a bitless bridle may work for you and your horse, you still cannot be sure that nothing will go wrong.
Insurance companies are there to cover you and your horse/pony when they are tacked up in a proper bridle and saddle. To them, if you do not fit the requirements then you are a risk to others and yourself.
I myself would like to ride bitless, but due to insurance i cannot. But I do see why and I agree,
The RedFox
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"The Spirit of the Wind Horse is in every horse and pony. When the rider connects to this she will also gain it," Monty Roberts and a Cheyenne Elder (2007) |
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Claire
Registered: 02/04/04
Posts: 173
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Reply with quote | #2 |
I read through my insurance documents when I first started riding bitless.....and in mine it states that you should ride in a bridle and be able to control your horse.
I checked and double checked and nowhere did it state that you have to ride with a bit....it just says you should ride in a bridle (a bitless bridle still being a bridle of course) So in my eyes and I'm sure in the eyes of the law you would still be covered as you have a bridle on your horse.
Would they not cover you if you were to be riding in a hackamore?? After all that is a bitless bridle right? But it's still classed as tradtional riding equipment.
Even if you were riding in a traditional bridle (i.e with a bit) who is to say that you are in more control or that you are safer than someone riding in a bitless?? Who is to say that something won't go wrong if you have a bit in your horses mouth? Horses are wild animals.....you can never be sure that something won't go wrong....bitted or bitless....shouldn't make one bit of difference!
(My pony has never had a bit in her mouth and is a hell of a lot safer on the roads than most horses who are ridden with bits....it's all about the training....NOT what you have in the horses mouth)
Just my two cents on the subject....lol
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TheRedFox
Registered: 01/07/08
Posts: 5
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Reply with quote | #3 |
lol
See, i would ride bitless but I find a hakamore too severe. Reason being the amount of pressure (so i have been taught)
i just think its safer with a bit 
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"The Spirit of the Wind Horse is in every horse and pony. When the rider connects to this she will also gain it," Monty Roberts and a Cheyenne Elder (2007) |
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Claire
Registered: 02/04/04
Posts: 173
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Reply with quote | #4 |
So does your insurance actually say that you have to ride with a bit??
I know you have to have bitted bridles for some types of competition but for just hacking out I'm sure you'd still be covered in a bitless, like a dr.cooks. I know some insurance companies don't see rope halters or things like the dually as safe to ride out in but they are fine about dr.cooks type bridles and sidepulls etc... as they tend to "look" like a regular bridle.
Maybe you should ring a few insurance companies and see what they say. I was looking through the rules and regulations on my insurance company's website today and not once did it say you have to ride with a bit....it made comments about using saddles and bridles, about making sure that you or anyone riding the horse is capable to ride at the level the horse requires but never mentioned anything about the bit.
Maybe you should change insurance companies?? hehe!
Have to disagree about being safer with a bit though....if a horse is going to bolt off with you or misbehave it'll do it regardless of whether there is a bit in it's mouth or not.
My pony handles the same in a headcollar as she does in a regular dr.cooks type bitless bridle....she has never once bolted with me...you can ride out in heavy traffic, woodland...in fact any setting you can think of and she is as easily controlled as a horse with a bit. (okay, she's not perfect and we have had disagreements in the past, but nothing that a bit would have cured)
As I said before...it's not the bit that controlls the horse it's how well trained the horse is and how much trust it has in it's handler/rider.
Just my point of view of course...I know everyone has thier own opinions.  )
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jinglejoys
Registered: 30/03/07
Posts: 52
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Reply with quote | #5 |
There are other bitless bridles besides hackamores though
At present I'm at the stage where I'm riding Malaga in the rope halter and one rein to teach him to yield and me not to rely on both reins.
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God created all equines equal(He just trimmed the ears on the dumb ones) |
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Savvy_Sofi
Registered: 28/07/09
Posts: 3
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Reply with quote | #6 |
Hmmmm while I have nothing against riding in a regular snaffle bit (as long as you only use one rein for control and two reins only for communication) I still don't see why your any safer in that than a rope halter. In my experience I've had a 100% success rate in stopping horses that are bolting with a rope halter compared to about a 40% success rate before when I always used to ride in severe bits and try to use two reins for control.
Just for insurance reasons I would probably just ride in a snaffle on the roads as I would use it just the same as I would the rope halter. I think that as long as you know how to safely perform a one rein stop and pushing passenger it doesn't make too much of a difference whether you are riding bitless or otherwise, although I personally feel much safer riding with the rope halter or rope hackamore (same as halter just with two reins).
Hopefully though insurance companies will change their policy soon because as long as you use one rein then you have a better chance stopping your horse in a halter than a double bridle or dutch gag. Plus we'll feel much more comfortable doing things the way we like them with our horses without having to worry about insurance problems.
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