Magic Bit Dressage Legal

[Louella Kammann]

Fortunatelyhorse owners have lots of choice now in terms of bits that are precision engineered, offer targeted bitting solutions, and are precisely designed with a particular equine challenge, conformational issue or sensitivity in mind. And best of all, many are also dressage legal!

The Buster Roller is a great bit for schooling; the link in the middle is shortened to 40mm, increasing bar and tongue pressure, making the bit sharper than conventional link bits. The increased pressure on the bar will lift the head and the roller will increase pressure on the tongue, tucking the chin in.

NOTE: This is a long read, but totally worth it. If you want to listen to it go to Episode 7 of my Horses In Harmony Podcast on my website, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

It can be a hot-button subject with people who use bits arguing fiercely against people who don't and vice versa. I can speak from decades of experience training horses to the upper levels of dressage - both with bits and without. I am both pro-bit and pro-bitless without being against either. It's ultimately up to the individual horse.

This article seeks to shed some light on the pros, cons, and uses of some tools we have available. This topic also requires that we ask ourselves what we are really doing in dressage. After all, it is easier to know what tools to use if you have a very clear idea of what you are trying to create. Hopefully it will spark some questioning about whether the current rules of competition truly reflect what we would like to do in dressage.

Now, in my Dressage, Naturally system I move freely between bits or no bits depending on the horse, with the ultimate goal still being dressage; the good kind... The kind that is about harmonious education, happy athletes, healthy biomechanics, and the partnership between horse and rider.

This description of my history may have already triggered some reactions. There is a huge range of images you may get from the term 'natural horsemanship', and there is a huge range of images you may get from the term 'dressage'. So to keep it simple, let's say that I put a priority on creating happy horses with healthy movement.

Let's also establish that neither bit-less or bitted is inherently more gentle or harsh than the other; it is totally dependent on the heart and hands that are at the other end of the reins. It is possible to be cruel and unfair in a rope halter, (or regular halter for that matter), and it is possible to have the most magical and gentle connection in a double bridle.

As far as disciplines go, dressage has some of the most gentle, horse-friendly rules regarding bits that are allowed, and I really respect that. Not every rider uses the equipment well, but at least the rules are written in a way that sounds nice. I think some of the basic intentions regarding the bit and contact really need to be refreshed in our minds. I will attempt to give my vision of the contact and my humble opinion about what 'real dressage' is, as I think it is critical to making a decision about whether bit-less is a viable option.

The bitless I designed (pictured above) is a simple, comfortable nose-piece with reins attached on the side, with no leverage, and is made so the nose piece does not have to be tight on the horse in order to fit and be secure; it will not twist into the horse's eye. I call it a riding halter because I don't like the term 'side pull'. (You can purchase or learn more about it in my webshop)

It is totally possible to do completely correct dressage up through Grand Prix without a bit. Some horses will do it better without a bit, and some will do it better with one, depending on their particular comfort level in carrying a bit.

"Bits are painful to the horse"... Not necessarily, if selected, fitted, and used correctly. Some horses never feel comfortable in a bit even if they aren't necessarily in pain. Some horses practically put the bit in their mouths themselves when you come with the bridle!

"Bits are harmful to the horse"...Not necessarily, if selected, fitted and used correctly. I agree, though, that the potential for physical damage is greater with a bit due to the delicate nature of the tissues in the mouth, and the sensitivity of the Temporomandibular Joint.

"Bits are not necessary"... I agree. A bit is a tool of refinement, which means it should take something that is working well and make it feel even better. So no, they are not necessary, but for some horses a bit offers a level of refinement that is too amazing to miss!

"It puts too much pressure on the delicate mouth when you take contact to ask the horse to be 'round'."... I agree that happens when you take contact. In an excellent, healthy contact, it is the horse who should be taking it. This kind of contact can feel amazing and is an honor to feel, because the horse is trusting your hands with his mouth; the hands just receive the feel that the horse offers. The roundness and softness in the jaw and poll ought to happen as a result of a horse moving in balance and self-carriage. The balance is so good, and the rider's hands are so trust-worthy that the horse allows himself to go in this posture of trust. To take the contact and pull the head into a 'round shape' is not the role of correct dressage contact.

Whether bitted or bit-less, the contact must be excellent and achieved as a result of the balance of the horse. In my experience many horses who are described as 'hard-mouthed' are horses who have experienced too much contact and they brace their jaws, necks, and shoulders to protect themselves. Too often the 'logic' of the rider is to put a 'stronger' bit on, which just perpetuates the problem... (Oops, I was supposed to be talking only about skilled riders!). For the record, a horse or rider that leans on a bit-less bridle can also cause damage due to the contracting of the neck that can still happen.

"You can't achieve real collection without a bit"... I strongly disagree. Horses can collect themselves all by themselves. Dressage is about enhancing movement that is natural to a horse. Nowhere in Article 417 of the F.E.I rule book describing collection, does it even mention a bit or the contact. I realize that earlier, in Article 401 it states that all horses need to be 'on the bit' and I'll talk a bit about that further along in this essay, but I think it is clear that collection is primarily about the body and balance of the horse. It is fair to say competitive dressage has decided that contact with the bit is something they want to be able to judge, but it is not fair to say that it is required in order to meet the description of what collection is. This is a big subject... Hang in there, I'll come back to it!

"Dressage is all about the contact with the horse's mouth."... I strongly disagree. Dressage is about biomechanics and communication. The quality of the biomechanics and communication will show up in the reins, and it is certainly part of the circuit of energy, but it is not the main part of dressage. Issues of the body will show up in the contact, and issues caused by bad contact can inhibit what is trying to happen in the body, but that doesn't make "dressage all about the contact".

"You can't judge dressage unless there is a bit in the mouth because it is the most important part of dressage. Without a bit, it is not real dressage."... Unfortunately it may indeed be true based on today's rules for judging, but we can still debate whether 'today's rules' are the determination of what makes 'real dressage'. Keep in mind that the Dutch spent 3 years testing bitless in competitions and decided there was no reason not to allow it. So as of April 1, 2014 they allow it in the lower levels.

I just have a hard time believing that the bit is the most important part of dressage. I do agree that contact and connection through the reins is an important piece of the horse/rider connection; for me it just doesn't have to be in the mouth.

In order for bit-less to comply with the rules, all that would need to happen is to change the word 'bit' to 'reins'. The acceptance of the bit is just one part of one part, of what is looked for. It doesnt' even get its own sentence here, but is intimately wrapped up with throughness, and lack of tension or resistance. With or without a bit, lack of throughness, tension or resistance will be apparent. I really have a hard time believing that a judge would not be able to tell how good the performance of the horse is if he was unable to see the horse's muzzle.

This brings me to my biggest question to today's dressage: If contact with the bit is so important in judging 'real' dressage, then why are nosebands allowed? Take off the nosebands and you will learn a lot more about the contact.

Keep in mind also, that much of the tension in horses' jaws are created by uncomfortable, or poor use of bits. Most supposed 'jaw suppling techniques' I see being used are not really suppling the horses' jaws and would likely cause a gaping mouth if the noseband were not on.

The technique to actually soften and relax the jaw is a specific move which involves raising the hand up and forward, so the bit acts upwardly in line with the line of the mouth, not against the jaw. This puts no pressure on the jaw itself, and so creates no additional tension or brace reflex. It causes the horse to unclench his jaw, allowing a relaxed release and opening of the mouth. I rarely see this technique used in 'normal' dressage. Philippe Karl teaches this well.

If I am riding a horse without a bit and there is tension in the jaw that is the source of problems with his biomechanics, I will choose to use a bit to help him relax his jaw. Some horses have formed habits of tensing their jaw or holding tension there even once the reason for it is gone, the same way humans may need to be reminded to breathe or relax. In reality, this is a small percentage of cases, and is usually used for moments of refinement. Most jaw tension arises from the bit itself, or somewhere else in the body/mind. If the horse has tension in his jaw and the source of that tension is imbalance in his body or mental anxiety, then I don't need a bit; I need to solve his balance and anxiety issues.

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