Why bitless? Up until a few years ago, I laughed at bitless. I wouldn’t mount Panda without a Pelham, whip and occasionally, spurs. Bitless was for foolish hippies not competitive riders, besides my nutter of a horse couldn’t possibly be ridden bitless. Could she? She was far too strong and hot headed. She was too big, too loopy and too damn well unpredictable, she barely had breaks at the best of times. Then I took up a debate with Rachel Stock. Who simply pointed out to me, if I have little/no breaks in a pelham, then what have I got to lose with bitless, if I can’t stop anyway it must be worth a shot. So after a good hour of the traditional excuses “Why don’t you come ride her bitless and see how you get on” to which she replied, why don’t you? “Bits don’t hurt in soft hands” Rachel responded with “if your hands are so light, and so soft you won’t need a bit then. She’d had her teeth and back checked with no issues, I had it in my head she was just a complete psycho. So the very next day, I made a makeshift bitless bridle by attaching the cheek pieces to the noseband. Climbed on, and very nervously set off for a hack. We passed a flashing truck with a huge lift on the back & some work men fixing a lamp post, that she’d normally have danced sideways past. No reaction at all. We got into the woods and about 30 pigeons took off from a bush next to us. Usually after something like this she’d be in a high speed gallop. But no, nothing. We encountered almost everything. Dogs running from owners barking at her legs. Bounced castles & trampolines in gardens, even rode past a game of cricket at the local pitch. Not one single jolt. The real test would be the "canter field” as we called them at the stables. (Where the before photos of me in the burgundy polo were taken) Here she would buck, rear then usually bolt. But on that day, she relaxed, waited with little rein contact and steadily cantered across the field, coming straight back to trot when asked. I thought I had a different horse. Since then she’s been bitless, and is calm enough to take even the smallest of riders around a show ground & still place highly! So, even me the most skeptic rider, and Panda the lunatic of a horse can go bitless. I won’t ever deny my past use of bits. Which is why I have the experience to speak about them. We weren’t all born bitless. Let’s not try and deny what we’ve learnt from.