[timberline]

Decided to have some fun with my pony a couple days ago and throw the bridle away altogether (I've often ridden her without reins but never actually took the bridle off before).

Well, she wanted to poke around a bit at first and I guess I can't really blame her for that since she'd been at this barn for less than 2 days at that point (I've had her at a neighbor barn a few days in for a gymkhana). I looped a lead rope around her neck to remind her it was still work time and off we went - w/j/l, stop, back-up, surpentines, sidepassing, pivots, etc. It was a blast! The kids who were watching certainly seemed to get a kick out of it, lol!

Pictures! (ignore me, focus on my pretty pony )

[willeys bonanza]

Wow your looking good! last month my horse had a fungus on his back so i couldnt ride with a saddle, so i was working alot on bridless. At our barn the instructor likes to see us riding without a saddle or bridle. He says it helps teach us that we dont need equipment to ride our horse.

[horseychic_001]

Wow, those are awesome pictures! I'd love to do that one day

[Miss Jetta]

My daughter does that quite often scares the **** out of me. She rides without the neck strap, the horse she has now will do a whole horsemanship pattern and even flying lead changes bridleless. I don't think I will ever be ready for that but it does look cool.

[lucky_pine]

I did free style reining demonstration at a barn a couple weeks ago. I was completely at liberty. Spins, sliding stops, flying lead changes..you name it we probably did it. It's hilarious seeing peoples reactions, and it kind of scares me that people forgot you don't need equipment to ride a horse.

[turn-n-burn5477]

Wow, great pictures!! Your horse looks so good!! He's very pretty too!

[SpiritSaddle]

ooh i like! I often do this with my horses too. Apache can go without anything. It's usually because i'm too tired or lazy to go get my saddle from the inside and bring it outside, so i just hop on withough a saddle or bridle/halter. I usually just use my legs or use her mane, she's VERY responsive with the mane i found out!
It's really good for the horse too in my opinion and fun! You look good, although you look a little confused in the 3rd picture, overall you look like you're enjoying it. haha i like how she sticks out her nose though. It just makes me laugh for some reason!

[Teaka_Winnie]

oh my gosh! how do you do that! u and ur horse must be very well trained! lol

[Care To Jazz?]

that's great! I love doing that with my horse he's very responsive and we can easily clear a 2 foot course tackless or clear just one 3 foot jump. It's always fun to see people gawking at us saying stuff like "Omg... does she have glue on her butt?" "Why doesn't that horse buck her off?" "mustn't be very comfortable..." "How does she get him to stop without a bit or reins???" lol some people are so clueless :P they're so attached to their gadjets that they forget that horses can be ridden with the seat and leg (personnally i think every rider should ride with their seat and leg instead of yanking on the reins all the time) anyways nice pics haha she's so funny and looks so proud with her nose sticking out almost like she's saying "Hah beat that!"

[lilrider]

Nope you don't even have to have a well trained horse so much as simply have a connection with your horse. Take my horse Stormy for example.. if anyone else tried to do what I do iwth him... they would be left on the ground. But I can get on him and do this just fine. Its because we are in tune with eachother more than anything else. That and after 8 years of riding him he knows exactly what me shifting my weight means. That is a very nice looking pony you have there... gorgeoius. I hope to be able to do bridleless work with my 5 year old eventully after we get all good and such with the bridle lol.