I ride my horse Ash in a Mylar snaffle - I tried the bitless and he hated it! I didn't want to go harsher so I worked on what the real problem was - speed! The faster he went the worse he became, so on rides where he'd get too hot and act like a madman, slinging his head, showing his temper, I got off and walked! Many a ride have I been asked if something was wrong when riders would go past. Nope, just looking for an Ayrab brain we dropped somewhere. It took a good season of getting off and walking when he tried to take control, but it has paid off as we can now leave camp on a fairly loose rein and when the urge to take over gets to him, I can still rate him fairly gently in his snaffle. I know snaffles can be dangerous in the wrong hands too, so I prefered to make him learn that if he didn't listen to me then he had to walk on the trail with everyone passing him. I am still prepared to get
off and I've had to do it in the beginning, at the 12 mile mark and even around 30 miles. It's kind of nice to stretch you legs about then anyway!! When I'm on the ground, I know he's getting it when he asks to take a bite of grass or quits listening for horses in the distance. (I talk loudly to him while he's listening - it makes him mad but distracts him from his purpose! - I think he might think I'm so annoying it's just better to behave yourself!)
