There is more awareness and openness to a different approach to the horse-human relationship, the organiser of a bridleless display event believes.
Equine chiropractor Jess Harkness organised the Beyond the Bridle event, an afternoon of displays followed by an evening performance, at the Unicorn Equestrian Centre in Gloucestershire on 13 June.
The event was a sellout, and Jess told H&H the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, including an email from a non-horsey dad, dragged by his daughter to major equestrian events but said “this was the best”, paying tribute to the “fascinating and engaging” demos and the horsemanship displayed.
The presenters included Jess, British Bridleless Competition organiser Mia Rodley and natural horsemanship experts Lynn Henry and Jodi Bament. They were joined by Jess’s 15-year-old daughter Thea, who has been competing bridleless in showjumping, and Thea’s 16-year-old friend Bella Forster.
“Thea’s got loads of online followers and a lot of kids say they don’t know how to get started,” Jess said. “A lot of demos are professionals doing it, and it looks amazing but it almost looks out of reach. So the professional world came in and did a bit of what advanced looks like, where you’re aiming for, then we brought a pupil in who was just starting the journey, and showed what the start looks like too.”
The evening show had an Alice in Wonderland theme, with all the costumes, lights and effects.
“I wanted something a bit theatrical,” Jess said. “It’s not a circus, but I wanted to make it a story, make it magical, and make the kids go away thinking ‘This is really magic’, but also ‘It’s something I could do’.”
Jess said the Beyond the Bridle performance also demonstrated to the crowds that bridleless riding is almost a by-product, of the training, the relationship-building and time that has to go into the horse-human partnership to make it possible.
“You don’t have to do that all the time,” Jess added. “Sometimes I ride with a bit, sometimes in a bitless bridle, sometimes in a halter, sometimes bridleless, depending on the situation or what I want to work on. It’s not one or the other, and that was the other thing we wanted to get across.
“You can do this and develop your relationship with your horse, whether it’s liberty work, groundwork, and still go out and compete in eventing or showjumping, or whatever it is, with a bridle on. It’s only going to improve your relationship with the horse which then makes other things easier for you. It’s not either/or.”
Jess added that everything was arranged with the caveat that if any horse or pony was uncomfortable at any point, there would be an immediate cut-off, but there were no issues, again indicating the quality of the training and relationship.
“It’s about setting them up for success, rather than throwing them in the deep end and saying ‘See if you can swim’,” she said.
“And the horse has a say in it; you have to listen to the horse and if he’s not ready to do it, don’t do it.”
Beyond the Bridle: the younger generation
Jess also cited the fact that although among some older equestrians, she feels she may have to justify or explain her choices, the younger generation showing such interest in another way is different.
“They just want other people to understand how important it is to have a kind, empathetic relationship with your horse,” she said. “I think there’s loads more awareness and openness to it now.
“Wiith anything in the horse world, it can take a while, but I think the bridleless competition was brilliant for reaching a wider audience. I can definitely feel there’s a desire for change in terms of horse welfare and a desire to do things better. Certainly the younger generation seem to be really strongly up for it. I’m hopeful.”
Jess is hoping to run another such event in future, and it is hoped another British Bridleless Competition will run this year.
Next month, Wellington Equestrian Centre is hosting a horsemanship masterclass (11-12 July), featuring demos from international showjumpers and brideless riders Brendan Wise and Serena Kullich, liberty specialists Kaleigh Marie and Will Rogers and Mia Rodley.
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