When you work holistically and get permission to ride from your horse.
Riding bitless and with a bareback pad is the kindest and most connected way to ride your horse. It’s also the best way to learn how to ride with a balanced and independent seat.
When done correctly, both bitless and bareback (with a pad) develop the level of connection, communication and partnership needed to ride with confidence and safety – for both you and your horse.
I am a horse and safety advocate. This means you and your horse’s safety come first. If I don’t think your horse is ready to be ridden in a bitless bridle and bareback pad, I won’t ride, and neither should you.
I’ve got nothing to prove to you and everything to prove to your horse. If your horse doesn’t think I’m worthy of protection and keeping safe, we won’t ride.
It doesn't make any sense to ride a nervous, scared, or disconnected horse. For one, neither of us is going to enjoy the ride and isn't that our goal?
Riding with a bit and saddle won’t give you the level of control you’re looking for either, neither will they keep you safe. That’s because bits are used to control the horse through pain and we all know that horses have one of the highest pain thresholds. A spooked horse can run right through your hands, aids, including a bit.
While saddles are designed to keep the rider in place, they aren’t designed to develop a safe riding horse.
In the end, your safety depends on three core training principles: relationship, regulation, and flow (skills that develop harmonious partnership).
Our industry has done us, both we and our horses, a huge disservice and worse, they have caused us so much unnecessary pain, injury, and trauma when it comes to riding.
Why would we ride a horse that is not emotionally, mentally, or physically able, capable, of being in control of themselves?
We ride because we've been told, and taught, to use excessive pain, pressure, dominance, and force to control our horses while riding, that's why.
Well, I'm here to give you permission not to ride. Not until you get permission from your horse and your horse is in their PNS – parasympathetic nervous system.
When you get permission, your horse not only wants you to get on (it feels amazing to connect this way), but they also consider you and that means they care about you and want to keep you safe.
If you don’t believe a horse can choose to keep you safe, take a look at wild horses. Wild dams will do anything to protect their foals, their families, and the foals will do anything to stay with their dams.
We can have the same relationship with our domesticated horses, but first we must learn how. While my three core principles of training seem simple enough, the teachings run deep between mechanics, skill and feel.
"Anything worth having doesn't come easy and anything that comes easy is usually not worth having." - Zig Ziglar
The reality is too many riders, and horses, are not prepared for riding. The accidents that we experience could have been prevented had we known better. When you know better, you do better.
Riding accidents happen for two reasons: we, and our horses, don’t have a riding foundation (education & training) and our horses are trigger stacked.
A riding foundation is a base of knowledge, education, skills, experience, practice and problem solving strategies designed to create a strong and solid riding partnership between horse and rider. When done correctly, foundations last forever.
Trigger stacking refers to a phenomenon in which a horse (any sentient being) experiences multiple stressful or scary situations within a short time span. As a result, the horse overreacts to any, or all, minor stressors, or stimuli because they feel overwhelmed, over-faced.
Has this happened to you?
I know so many students whose horses have exploded at the mounting block or during their ride and without any warning, at least they didn’t see the warning signs.
This leaves the student totally perplexed, feeling unconfident about their horse, their ability and all because they didn’t see the warning signs.
It doesn’t have to be this way. If you’re tired of feeling scared and ready to truly enjoy riding your horse, you can…but first you must learn how.
If you’re not ready to ride, or your horse isn’t ready to be ridden, it’s time to do the work that will make riding feel amazing and safe for you both.
I only ride when a horse gives me permission to get on and that means they are connected to me through heart (relationship), focus (mind) and movement (body).
This means we’ve done the necessary foundational work together and, on the ground first, so we can develop a strong level of connection, 2-way communication and consensual partnership - one that is then transferred over to riding.
The level of connection I am talking about when I get permission to ride involves a responsive horse to both the subtle and soft feel of a bitless bridle’s contact, and the weight of my seat on their back.
This level of connection involves learning both the mechanics, technique, of riding and the feel of riding as one with our horses in heart coherence, mind (intention) and body (movement).
Riding this way, especially bridleless, bitless and bareback are the kindest ways we can ride with our horse. This means we learn how to ride our horse's movement and before we ride, and from the ground. This is what I call embodiment. Aligning ourselves with our horse's rhythm and through energy connection, and communication we move together, as one. Working this way is as natural and free as it gets for the horse. No force, excessive pressure, submissive tactics, or pain is involved to control them or make them do what you want.
It also means we don’t compromise them for the sake of our ego. Rather we take the time it takes to put the foundation in that’s needed to truly be what our horse needs and wants to take care of.
In the end, our riding equipment will not keep us safe. Only the depth of relationship and consensual partnership will keep us safe.
Time for Reflection...
Re-imagine your horsemanship, your relationship, and your ride with your horse.
What would it look like, feel like and how would you get there? If you don’t know how, I’ve got a complete and thorough roadmap that will show you how to develop the dream relationship and ride with your horse, click here for details.
Tips and Treasures...
One of the gifts I want to give you is the ability to connect with horses and in a way that enriches both of your lives. This level of enrichment is full circle meaning what you give is what you get back.
Put in the time to learn how and you will create a foundation that lasts forever!
I promise I can teach you how to achieve it all with your horse and in a way that feels great for you both. Join my free miniseries below to begin!
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May you always be one with your horse,
Caroline Beste
Founder, Tao of Horsemanship