On Wed, Jan 09, 2008 at 09:47:02AM -0800, Judy Ryder wrote: > Is anyone working on bridleless riding?
me. i don't usually do a whole session with the bridle off, but i spend part of each ride with the reins tied off loosely and run through my saddle's carrying strap. i also have my students (of all levels) do the same. (with stjarni or otherwise; there are horses i might not try this on but not any i currently teach.) so far stjarni is quite good at "walk on" and "whoa". steering a cones course is more iffy but somewhat doable. we can also do circles (of moderate roundness and indeterminate size) and change directions (quite well actually). lateral work is totally not there, and i haven't tried any of the other gaits, b/c stjarni is barefoot, our ring is icy, and we rarely have been *doing* other gaits. i have not tried bridleless on the trail yet at all. one of my students (the one with the leased quarab) has gotten a bit further with the gaits without bridle (though not the steering), and can get absolutely the loveliest trot->walk transition that way. (this horse was tremendously head-tossy when i started with them, and we've gotten that down to one downward stretch of the neck on the trot->walk transition with the bridle. but his head is perfectly easy and relaxed when no reins are involved at all, though it may take twenty strides to get the transition rather than three, it is much more beautiful when it happens. --vicka
