Although Walker and I had ridden bridle-less before, this weekend was really exceptional. He has gotten so much calmer under saddle that he really acts much more like a left brained extrovert now under saddle then a right brained extrovert. I felt as though he felt restricted with the bit I am using, a very nice double broken snaffle, so I wanted to see if taking off the bridle entirely would make a difference with his rhythm, especially at the trot. And it did! He became smoother, steadier, more consistent without the bit. So now I am going to have to consider using the Parelli cradle bit for the left brained extrovert. Wendy and I are going to train with Kerri Joosten in December, and she said she has one I can try, so I think that is what I am going to do. My dilemma is that it may not be sanctioned yet for dressage competition, so I will have to find out from Cody if that is true for training levels as well.
I will be very interested to see if the bit makes a difference. My gut tells me it will.
I can truthfully say that when I first started playing with Walker over 5 years ago, it never entered my mind that I might feel comfortable enough some day to ride him with no bridle. What a privilege he has given me to become his partner in this way. He is not as happy about it as I would like, especially when I ask him to speed up or move up into the canter, and that is one of the things I want to discuss with Kerri.
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