The Art of Natural Dressage

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 Post subject: Re: Bitless Dressage????
PostPosted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 12:21 pm 

Joined: Fri Nov 07, 2008 2:02 pm
Posts: 1072
Location: UK Worcester/Hereford border
Poor Donald, mouth, fingers and toes, those bits are so sensitive, hope you feel much better today.

Josepha, absolutely well done, brave decision when running a tack shop to not stock bits, but what a clear message.
I have bits in my tack room that I will not offer for sale on Ebay or elsewhere because I just do not want anyone to use them, so they will remain as past reminders and museum pieces.
I am so aware of how much better my pony collects without tack, thanks mainly to reading the websites of this sites founders, and Daniels halt is wonderful, he thinks back to stop, so with no rein he is not tempted to seek contact and fall onto the forehand.
Simple and logical really but not accepted in most training yards.
Susie xx

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 Post subject: Re: Bitless Dressage????
PostPosted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 4:05 pm 
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Quote:
Daniels halt is wonderful, he thinks back to stop, so with no rein he is not tempted to seek contact and fall onto the forehand.
Simple and logical really but not accepted in most training yards.


Oh, Susie, I really like how you said that! I'm going to steal it and quote you in my diary...

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 Post subject: Re: Bitless Dressage????
PostPosted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 4:21 pm 
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Joined: Tue May 15, 2007 2:40 pm
Posts: 4733
Location: Belgium
Thanks Susie :)

Well, as soon as someone asks for a bit, I've got them cornered so to speak :green:
No, but seriously, with 75% of the people, you get a conversation going because they often come with the question 'why' and then I get to tell them and for a lot of people, it hits home.
If not now, than later.
I of course keep pleasant, logical and non-judgemental.

25% does not know how fast to get away from me :sweat: after they hear we do not sell bits.
Guess with them it hits home as well but has an other effect. Well, at least for now.
I have patience and time on my side :)


Even when we still sold bits, we never ever sold things like draw reins and sharp spurs.

In all, with my shop, the articles, websites, fora, clinics, lessons, readings... I think I can not count how many people started bitless because of my work.
And with bitless for the logical reason... a whole other road starts as well, as we here at AND all may know :)
This keeps me going 24/7

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 Post subject: Re: Bitless Dressage????
PostPosted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 6:05 pm 
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Joined: Thu May 17, 2007 11:57 am
Posts: 1983
Location: provincie Utrecht
Donald Redux wrote:
I have to wonder if there aren't people hiding out where I live who do or would like to do this: bitless riding.


there are lots of them :-) even over here, but you wont find them easy because they keep the secrets for themselves. It is their journey with the horse. They dont need a competition,.... it's simply there.....

Quote:
I'm inspired, as I just finished a session with Bonnie, a short one, where after she had her wild time, running down the dirt roads through the deep dark woods, kicking and bucking and sliding and turning, we took a little break then I asked her if she would let me lead her by the halter (she was not ever really haltered until just a few days ago). And what did she do? She said to me, "tease me with a treat and I'll not only go with you, I'll let you tug on the halter first." What a thrill. For me.

Heck, instead of "competitions," let's just have "meetings," "seminars," (in the academic sense where we all share and learn from each other), and guest "lecturers," in the old sense of "university," that came out of Europe during the Age of Enlightenment.

From my point of view "Competition," is dead dead dead. We can go so much further by other means. And gain so much more.


complety agree with you

Quote:
When the orthodox can take of their horse's bridles and ride with a cord around the horse's neck I'll be more inclined to be more attentive to their boundaries. I think I'll have a long wait, don't you?


yes you have to wait very long :D

We go for a try to confice some jury people to ride bitless with their own horses. The KNHS give us the accomodation and we have the bridles. So let them ride and find out.
i hope they get a different point of view for those who wanna compete bitless and so they may compete and dont have to fight against the jury also. then they have a fair change between the bit people.....i hope.....the more open minded jury the better for the horses.


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 Post subject: Re: Bitless Dressage????
PostPosted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 6:11 pm 
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Joined: Thu May 17, 2007 11:57 am
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Location: provincie Utrecht
PiePony wrote:
I am so aware of how much better my pony collects without tack, thanks mainly to reading the websites of this sites founders, and Daniels halt is wonderful, he thinks back to stop, so with no rein he is not tempted to seek contact and fall onto the forehand.
Simple and logical really but not accepted in most training yards.
Susie xx


yes we know...but they dont and thats the problem ;) and they are blind


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 Post subject: Re: Bitless Dressage????
PostPosted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 6:48 pm 
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Location: Belgium
yes, but I was just as blind once, and maybe sometimes blind still.

So who is to say, others will not follow opening up to the horses' ehtics and intelligence?

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 Post subject: Re: Bitless Dressage????
PostPosted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 7:27 pm 
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Joined: Thu May 17, 2007 11:57 am
Posts: 1983
Location: provincie Utrecht
i am ;) after several meetings and discusions with those. tho it seems for now and a few years further.
maybe after several years the change will come??
a small part those who compete at high level or try to copy those are blind and will be blind because their ego is much bigger then their feelings. they dont have a real horse heart..... :sad:

but we keep fighting against all those :rambo:

and still proud on my ponys who can have their own will and preformance even i dont like it all the times. :love: i give them their freedom as much as possible. And join them for a play :cheers:


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 Post subject: Re: Bitless Dressage????
PostPosted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 1:39 am 
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Joined: Fri Sep 21, 2007 4:10 am
Posts: 3688
Location: Pacific Northwest U.S.
Josepha wrote:
yes, but I was just as blind once, and maybe sometimes blind still.

So who is to say, others will not follow opening up to the horses' ehtics and intelligence?


This path, the one of ethics and knowing the true horse mentality, is and always has been the only path left.

All others keep turning back on themselves, with more injury to the horse in my view.

We once knew him as food, and later our beast of burden. We still work him, and we still eat him.

Only now are we learning that we can know him as our friend. Once only a few knew this. Now many are finding it out for themselves. And ...

It is the only path left.

Friendship is more important than "winning;" more important than owning; more important than using.

Donald

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So say Don, Altea, and Bonnie the Wonder Filly.


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 Post subject: Re: Bitless Dressage????
PostPosted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 3:31 pm 
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Location: Belgium
Well I so agree with you Don (don't I always, it gets borring :funny: )
But then again, we can only decide for ourselves what's right, right?

Anywho... because ya'll did not know we was a bitless tack shop
(ha ha ! I am in this strange mellow mood...)

Ralph put it on the front page!

Also pics of 1 floor of our shop to see now:

http://www.equihof.be/catalog/index.php?language=en

thought you might like to see :)

Am I proud? Heck yeah!

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 Post subject: Re: Bitless Dressage????
PostPosted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 11:14 am 

Joined: Thu Apr 01, 2010 11:15 pm
Posts: 31
Location: manchester, UK
I take my horse to a few little jumping classes (not British Show Jumping Association affiliated, since they don't allow bitless bridles i am naming them the Big Stupid Jack Asses) in my bitless bridle, and i get a few disaproving looks from the judges but they can't say anything since local shows never have any proper rules on what tack you're allowed and if i jump clear in a fast time, they can't say "sorry, were going to invent a new rule on the spot and not let you get a rosette becuase your bitless" exactly can they? the only sports i know of (that are under an association) that allow bitless bridles are Endurance and Jumpcross, endurance becuase it's well... endurance and jumpcross because it's only been around for 7 years or something. Competition shouldn't be the main goal in riding and working with your horse, it's always fun just to go and have your horse see new places and to show everyone that you don't need your gadgets and bits to do well (and if your me, to see the looks on the faces of some of the others as one of those silly natural horsemanship people completely thrash them). I also think that you alienate people a bit if you go round screeching "YOU SHOULDN'T COMPETE YOU EVIL PERSON!!!!!!" and instead of discovering your methods they resent you and start to really nitpick and find methods that are even crueller towards their horse. it can be also better to show people the result of the kinder ways rather than to just share the theory with deaf ears (although some people can be a little blind to good results :sad: ) .
am i going a little offtopic?

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