TT Ranch

✨Back to English✨

We have decided to switch back to English riding and focus our business solely on dressage. Western riding was fun while it lasted, but our heart lies with dressage ❤️

Therefore, we have been looking to purchase a dressage horse. Stay tuned for more!

✨Bitless Western Riding✨

Face a Face did her best at the Diamond League Western show! She performed bitless in a sidepull bridle and placed 2nd in Horsemanship and 5th in Ranch Trail.

🐴 This horse has come a long way since we took her in as a feral horse back in ’21. Born and raised in the south of France, at the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains, she hadn’t seen many humans until the age of 6. It took months before she trusted us enough to halter her.

When I started her under saddle, I wanted to train her without a bit. First on a light hackamore and later with a sidepull. And even on the neck rope. I found that our project horses all responded well to these bitless bridles. Out on the trails, the ones that tended to run off were easily stopped with a hackamore. One or two clear corrections, and they could be ridden on a loose rein. But if the situation required it (e.g. busy traffic), we always had a clear and safe stop.

Later on, I focused more on the flatwork in the arena and started to train with a sidepull. When it came to attending Western shows, I found out that bitless riding is still considered rare in the Western world. The bosal is used, but only until the horse is 8 years old. After that, a transition to the bit, and even shanks, is obligatory.

I’m not making compromises to my horse’s comfort just to go to shows. Those 50-cent ribbons are not why I train my horses. The goal is to improve agility, balance, and maintain calmness and control under all circumstances. Busy show arenas are very different from the challenges one could encounter on the trails! So I consider it part of the general training for any horse.

Fortunately, we have found some show organisations that do allow bitless showing for horses over 8. And you’ll find us there occasionally.

But you’ll mostly find us out on the trails, which we love most! 🤠

These amazing photos are by:
Jolijn Sarolta Fotografie