Why bitless? Out of respect!

Deeply rooted in man, man wants control over what he does and preferably as soon as possible.

Man doesn’t have time and has a lot of expectations. Intuitively he feels that a big and strong being, such as a horse, cannot be controlled instantly. And most of all he is afraid to lose control. This makes man tempted to think of a quick and mechanical solution.

For me that is the fundamental reason why the bit has been invented and why people are still using the bit today. I think it would be better to go for the friendship that is offered to you.

For me, the horse is a beautiful and pure-hearted being that lives now. It is a being that has shown that it can become the friend of a human and can connect to a human deeply. It has helped humans spiritually and on many other levels. But throughout our history with horses, man has merely offered to suffer in return and the horse has received little empathy from us, humans. It is very forgiving.

I have a bond with my horses and I have a connection to my horses.

My horses have learned to look at me in the basic work. They have become a friend of me partly because of that. It goes beyond that: they are part of our family. And knowing that collaboration can be reached with knowledge, friendship, respect, and empathy, I don’t want to control my horses with a piece of iron in their mouth anymore. To me, it doesn’t matter which well-meant, which fine aids you can reach with a bit, what advantages of this piece of iron may have and which knowledge has been acquired using it in the past.

A friend, a trustworthy friend, does not need to be controlled with a piece of iron in his mouth. Definitely, if you know that you can go without. Authenticity, honesty, and profundity in the relationship have to surface.
But also structure, techniques, and dressage are necessary to keep a horse healthy up to a good age. With common sense, the necessary knowledge and self-reflection we will come a long way. In return, there will be pleasure, harmony, peace, and relaxation. The feeling that you progress in your development.

What else do we need in times of stress and hastiness? Back to the essence, becoming aware of the values of life and doing something with that.

 

"The only BIT we need is a BIT of knowledge."

"Life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived forwards."