What bridle do you use?

I was just interested to see what bitless bridles people used on their horses

TB ex racer- when she is ridden I use either a happywheel/LG bridle or an english hackamore
ID x TB- same as Maddie
Hw Cob- Use either a rope halter/hackamore, western sidepull, crosspull, Happywheel\LG or english hackamore
Arab x Welsh- we use a happywheel/LG bridle
Welsh Cob- crosspull bridle
Welsh Mountain- Sidepull,scawbrig, crosspull, rope halter/hackamore
Yearling Appy- she's not ridden yet but gets led out in either my Dr Cook or a leather sidepull.

Marty 5 y.o. ConnieX started in jointed snaffle (not by me!) is ridden in a DC

What are the features that have caused you to use such a variety of designs?

Fanny uses a Nurtural Bitless. She was started with a bit, but I mentioned the bitless to the breeder/trainer and she switched! She's been bitless ever since.

lightertouch wrote:
What are the features that have caused you to use such a variety of designs?

Mostly its the horses that have swayed me towards the bridles they are using, I have quite a few bridles (and saddles, I am a bit of a collector of tack ) and try each ones actions on myself first, so I know where the pressures are, and then pick which I think would be the most suitable for the horse, then try it on them to see if they agree, I know they like it when they willingly put there head in the bridle the next time I use it.

My boy Shay started off in a Dr Cook, and then another crosspull, but I found he leant on it a lot, and I was pulling his head a lot when I asked for a stop, which I don't like, I want my horses as light as possible, so swapped to a Happywheel/LG, he seems to like this and is a little easier to stop now when he gets excited, I just have to ask for some co-operation from him,lol.

All the horses apart from Ceryn and Kiki have been bitted before they went bitless.

I mostly use a bridle I designed and made.
We also sometimes use the Light Rider.

When Ember first went bitless she was in the Dr Cook and since then she been ridden in at least 12 other bitless bridles (mostly for research).
I have found though as time has gone I have had to lighten the bridle as she has become more responsive.

Thats really interesting, what sort of bridle have you designed?

Ive had a go at designing a few to suit my needs, but have not found one that was good enough yet. I made a pelham hackamore to show in, and modified a combination noseband to make another sort of hackamore, but the noseband shanks wern't strong enough for my liking.

Now that you will have to wait for

Ooh sounds interesting.

I use Nurtural bitless bridles. I have tried everything from dr.cooks to other made cross under bridles, hackamores, sidepulls, bosals, rope halters I made.

I use a Be Kind converted to a sidepull for hacking and jumping and a sidepull of my own design for schooling which I had made. After a fair bit of experimentation we've discovered we both like a simple and very light action on the nose.

Also when I'm in a hippy mood I ride in a Crazy Ropes bridle which is basically a rope halter with fancy binding on the noseband, matching browband and rings on the side for the reins to clip onto. It used to cross under the chin but I cut those bits off when I realised he preferred the sidepull.

I ride Zack (TB) in a Dr Cooks.