How to Stop a Horse in a Bitless Bridle

Stopping a Horse in a Bitless Bridle is Easy

Many riders who switch to bitless riding worry about whether they’ll still be able to stop their horse safely and easily. The truth is, stopping a horse in a bitless bridle relies on the same principles as stopping in a bitted one - balance, timing, and clear communication. What changes is how the signals feel to both horse and rider. When taught correctly, a horse can stop softly and willingly without a bit. This article explores how to stop a horse in a bitless bridle easily and effectively.

Understanding How the Stop Works

A good stop starts with our body, not our hands. The horse learns to feel changes in our balance, breathing, and energy - long before the reins ever come into play. The bitless bridle simply adds a layer of communication to reinforce what our body is already saying.

Here’s how each part of our body plays a role:

Seat: Our seat is where the stop begins. When we’re riding forward, our hips move freely with the horse’s rhythm. To ask for a stop, we think of stilling that motion. Imagine we’re about to sit down in a chair, the pelvis tilts slightly under, our lower back softens, and our body becomes still. This subtle change tells the horse that the forward energy has ended.

Core: Our “core” means the muscles in our stomach, lower back, and sides that help us stay upright and stable. To use them in a stop, we gently tighten these muscles as if we’re bracing for a small push from behind. It’s not a squeeze or a tense hold, it’s a quiet firmness that stabilizes our body and prevents us from following the horse’s motion forward.

Legs: We keep our legs softly against the horse’s sides rather than taking them completely off. This helps the horse stay balanced instead of falling onto the forehand or hollowing their back. Our legs are gentle supports rather than brakes.

Hands: When we close our fingers and give a steady, even feel on both reins, the horse feels gentle pressure on their head. When they stop moving forward, we immediately soften our hands to reward them.

How to Ask for the Stop

Prepare first: Make sure the horse is walking forward in a relaxed, steady rhythm.

Still the body: We stop following the horse’s movement with our hips and quietly tighten our core.

Add the rein cue: We close our fingers on both reins so we feel contact with the horse’s face. Hold for just a moment, long enough for them to respond, then release as soon as they slow or stop.

Breathe out: A deep exhale often helps the horse relax and understand that we want to slow down.

Reward: When the horse halts, we keep our body soft and still for a few seconds before asking to move off again.

Exercises to Practise

On the ground: Before riding, we practise asking our horse to stop from light pressure on the lead rope. As soon as they pause or step back, we release the pressure. This teaches them that “soft pressure means stop.”

Walk–halt transitions: While riding, practise going from walk to halt and back again many times. Aim for lightness, the horse should stop from our body cues, with the reins as a quiet backup.

Using markers: Pick letters or fence posts in the arena and plan to stop at them. This helps us prepare early and teaches our horse to respond at a specific place.

Progress to trot and canter: Once the horse stops easily from walk, repeat the same steps at faster gaits. Always reward the smallest try.

Common Problems

If our horse leans on the reins: Go back to using the body first, and make sure to release the pressure as soon as the horse slows down.

If they ignore the stop: Practise shorter bursts of movement with frequent transitions. This builds attentiveness and helps them understand that “stop” doesn’t mean a fight, it means rest.

If they get anxious: Keep our breathing slow and our cues consistent. Horses relax when they feel predictable communication.

Stopping in a bitless bridle isn’t about pulling harder, it’s about teaching our horse to listen to our whole body. When our seat becomes still, our core firms gently, and our breathing slows, our horse feels that the energy has stopped. The reins simply confirm what our body has already asked. With patience and clear practice, our horse will stop softly and confidently, no bit required.

Suzy Maloney B.Eq.Sc.Dip.Couns.

Happy Horses Bitless

Considerate Horsemanship

Email: suzy@happyhorsesbitless.com

Web: www.happyhorsesbitless.com

FB: Happy Horses Bitless Bridles

Lismore, NSW, Australia

Ph: 0401 249 263