Cross Breeds

Opinions on driving miniature horses in a bitless bridle?

I am going to start ground driving (and eventually driving my miniature horse when he is older). He is very easy going. I can ground drive him in a halter, so there are no control issues. I was wondering if anybody had used the Dr.Cook miniature horse bitless driving bridle or other mini horse bitless bridles and thought they worked.As I said there are no control issues, but I do want to be able to have control if something unexpected happened. Thanks

Public Comments

1. I would not drive a horse bitless! I had a terrible accident with a horse who managed to get his bridle off between the shafts - a wasp had bitten him, he turned round to bite it and caught the bit ring of a wilson snaffle bit on the shaft, pulled his head up and pulled the bridle off. He bolted, went over the muck heap and over a 5 bar gate, knocked me out, broke my shoulder though I did not realise it at the time, broke my mother's finger and then galloped around the field until he got so tangled up - smashing the cart in the process - and fell, at which point we had to rugby tackle him and cut the harness to get him out, then get the vet to come and check him over!
2. Well, I am a little biased because I am a dressage rider who would not give up my bit collection for anything in the entire world, but, seriously, bitless + driving sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Horses are, as much as we hate to admit it, animals with their own brains that can be completely unpredictable. Even if you can ground drive in a halter (which is great, shows you have a great connection with your horse), would you still want to ground drive in a halter if you were in the middle of a parade, being followed by a firetruck with sirens blaring, with lots of noise, wasps, bees, distractions, etc? Probably not... you'd probably want to have some control over your mini if he ever DID get loose, or do something stupid. I always think, if I wouldn't do it in downtown Toronto in a parade, I shouldn't do it while I'm training. you readdy never know if/when a deer is going to come gallivanting across your hay field, some idiot is going to use your driveway as an area to turn around, or your cell phone is going to ring. All it takes is one incident for you, or your horse, to loose control and get hurt, and you'd never forgive yourself.
3. I have driven my horses and minis in just their halters or at most a sidepull for over 20 years. I seldom "progress" to a bit. Horses, particularly green ones, understand a halter because I have used it for a couple of years leading, tying, ground driving them in it. A bit, until it is trained is not understood by them. I don't show when I drive, so I just keep using the halter. My horses and minis aren't afraid of the cart following them, or of traffic coming up behind them since I usually ground drive them all over (about 4 months worth) before I ever hook the cart. Drive your mini in whatever you want, but be sure you have trained him to it by ground driving for quite some time before you hook the cart.
4. well, i haven't used one. but i hear they do work. and i think your pony would enjoy ground driving! and i'm very happy to hear you are going to use a bit less bridle! Happy Trails!