A rider who gained a dressage check and not using a bridle on a horse who has been educated from the beginning on this approach mentioned she is immensely happy with what he has achieved – and that he’s demonstrating what is feasible.
Mia Rodley and her seven-year-old Boogie gained and got here second in a “do dressage in a different way” present run by Equi-Enjoyable Membership at Plumpton Faculty on 6 July. As founding father of The Coronary heart of Horsemanship, which affords pure horsemanship coaching, liberty work and shows, she rides often and not using a bridle. However Boogie is the primary horse she has educated with out one from the beginning.
“It was wonderful; immense,” she advised H&H. “I’m so happy with him, he’s an incredible horse. We’ve simply moved and haven’t received an enviornment in the meanwhile so he’s been hacking for six weeks. We went to the present with no expectations, simply needed to see how we went.
“We have been about to depart and I assumed I’d higher get my sheets, they usually mentioned ‘You’ve come first and second’. I couldn’t consider it.”
Mia mentioned she was delighted with the judges’ feedback, which praised the harmonious partnership.
“I cherished that, as a result of it’s completely my objective,” she mentioned. “That beautiful feeling of full synergy along with your horse; on the bottom and driving as a result of with liberty, you’re simply tapping into your horse’s thoughts, each millisecond, you’re with them on the bottom, holding that incredible psychological connection. Bridleless is strictly the identical – it’s liberty driving, mainly.
“What’s actually particular with Boogie is, I’ve had him since he was a foal and his first ever journey was bridleless, and bareback, on the seashore! It’s been a problem for me to coach assortment and not using a bit or bridle in sight, so he’s not worn a bridle, apart from when a good friend rode him on a hack the opposite day, in any of his coaching.
“I’ve completed it the place I’ve received a really extremely schooled horse, taken off the bridle and journey them bridleless, however the body and assortment have come from the reins and never from the horse’s true self-carriage. Boogie’s body and self-carriage is fully taught and not using a bit or bridle.”
Image by Wildair Portraits
Mia, who has been driving bridleless since she was a teen, mentioned it took a superb 18 months to get Boogie to this stage. She taught him, ranging from the bottom, {that a} contact on the neck rope meant he ought to raise and interact his thoracic sling.
“It was gruelling and incremental, the tiniest little adjustments,” she mentioned. “I simply went with it, I trusted the method. I taught him that once I put a really feel on the neck rope, it nearly received him to sit down again. While you ask your horse to again up, their entire physique adjustments of their flexion earlier than they really transfer their toes; they shift their weight again, nearly raise their again, then take a step backwards. That was actually what I used to be on the lookout for within the early days.
“Then I took it to driving, and received it to the place he may do it at halt, stroll, do just a few strides, trot. And now he’s constructed as much as having the ability to preserve it for seven minutes and an entire dressage check. It’s phenomenal.”
Mia added that she has completed many performances at exhibits bridleless, with different horses at liberty.
“That’s actually cool however I used to be so intrigued by ‘Are you able to educate assortment with no reins; can it’s completed?’” she mentioned. “And Boogie’s proving it may be completed.”
She added that the problem has been discovering present organisers and venues that may enable individuals to compete bridleless, as there are sometimes issues about security and management. However she has full insurance coverage to cowl all her shows.
“I used to be actually fortunate that this was a ‘do dressage in a different way’ present so you possibly can do it in tack not allowed by [British Dressage] BD, you possibly can do it bareback or bitless. A few individuals did it bareback, and one girl did essentially the most lovely check bitless.
“I’d emailed the organiser, Rebecca from Equi-Enjoyable, despatched her movies of what we do, and mentioned, I’m absolutely insured to do that, please, please, please will you let me do this bridleless? And he or she mentioned sure. I’ve received a good friend I used to be serving to with a difficult horse just a few years in the past who organises dressage at Weston Lawns and she or he says I’m welcome to do it there, in order that’s actually wonderful too.”
Mia mentioned she and others who compete bridleless, equivalent to younger showjumper Thea Harkness, hope to encourage different riders – and venues to permit them to compete.
“I’d actually like individuals to see that you simply don’t want a bridle, it’s not a obligatory piece of apparatus to have the ability to carry out,” she mentioned. “A great deal of individuals do that recreationally, for enjoyable, however having it in competitors – I believe the message is you must have the horse’s thoughts earlier than you’ve their physique. I believe we’ve all ridden a horse the place you don’t have their thoughts and might’t get their physique, even with reins or a bit. It’s important to have that psychological reference to them.”
Mia mentioned each she and Thea warmed up with a bitless bridle for additional security, and she or he is aware of there must be stringent well being and security danger assessments to permit extra bridleless competing.
“Most of us are thorough in our coaching, and we gained’t put ourselves or our horses in a state of affairs the place we don’t suppose they’re going to do properly anyway,” she mentioned. “And it’s showcasing that you are able to do it bridleless, and it’s the final check of that psychological connection. Particularly in mild of every thing taking place within the equestrian world in the meanwhile, it might be spectacular if extra individuals have been allowed to compete bridleless.”
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H&H information editor
Eleanor is an skilled journalist who spent over eight years working for native and nationwide newspapers earlier than becoming a member of H&H as information editor in March 2016. Obsessed with equine welfare and exposing the reality, Eleanor has reported on all elements of the business, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage guidelines to mules. Her sport of alternative is showjumping, by which she competes her personal horses, and she or he additionally enjoys reporting at native leaping exhibits via to worldwide championships.
