F.R.A. Bitless Bridle Janosch

F.R.A. bitless system 4: bitless harnesses are not new! For centuries a bitless harness was taken for granted, before it was ever thought of putting something in the horse's mouth man simply put something around it. A rope as a halter was sufficient in those days and thus the first bitless optoming came into being. In combination with the supporting weight, leg and feel aids, the rider's hand maintains contact via the reins, not with the mouth, but with the horse's head. Principle of operation: pressure on the nose and cheeks, kingcross reins. Construction: In this system, the noseband ends on both sides with a ring to which the cheekpieces and both chinstraps are attached. These straps find their cross-guidance through a ring at the end of a short piece of leather which itself is then attached to the rings of the noseband. As a result, the cross-strap hangs a bit lower than in jaw-crossed harnesses (see system 5). The reins are attached to the ends of the cross-braces. Furthermore, this bridle is simple in design because of the lack of a browband, a throat strap and the bump and buckle that we normally find on a noseband. On the left side you will find a buckle connection in the buckle, it is the only buckle that is needed to make the bridle fit. Once the bridle is adjusted, you simply slide it on the horse's head and there is no need to fasten it anymore. For the series of F.R.A.® cotton bridles from system 4, essentially the same as described here applies, of course in that line of bridles there is no buckle connection or other leather related descriptions. Positioning: As with most bitless bridles, the System 4 bridles require the noseband to be positioned on the hard part of the nose, approximately where the nasal bone begins. The special construction of these bridles ensure a good and firm position on the horse's head without the need to fasten anything. Effect: The kingcross straps ensure that when you ask for left or right hand, the horse gets pressure on the other side on nose and cheek and then follows the hand of the rider; turns as a result of pressure. Simultaneous holds on both reins close the noseband and provide opportunities for halts or changes in tempo. The aforementioned asking of left, right or both reins will always have a certain degree of dosage in it due to the indirect rein action, it is this dosage that determines the degree of discriminating effect. This has as a consequence that a desired change in the degree of discrimination will always come about in a flowing effect. It goes without saying that the rein aids are supported by other aids. The bridle strap that connects the rein rein to the noseband and the buckle ensures a low position and a free passage of the crossbar which is very beneficial for the release. Extra attention with this type of bridle will always need to be given to the maintenance of the crossed chin straps, proper maintenance will give the leather the suppleness to permanently experience proper release in the rings. The bridle does not lend itself for lunging with the single lunge and therefore not for pessoa lunging. For lunging on the double lunge, take off the reins and use the released rings for attaching the long lines. Suitability: The bridle is used in combination with light rein contact and is very suitable for sensitive horses. Therefore, the bridle is particularly suitable for young horses that need to be broken in and for sensitive animals that have a high percentage of blood. Besides that the bridle can be used as a lead halter, it also gives full mouth freedom, which can be an advantage on outdoor rides.