Interview with Sue Thomas

Mr Don and Riviera, owned by Heather Jones, wearing their Transcend bridles

This week's interview is with Sue Thomas, creator of the Transcend bitless bridle, who has agreed to answer a few questions about this bridle and bitless riding in general. 

How did you have the idea to create the Transcend bridle? 

I had tried many different types of bitless bridles and had not found one that I felt really communicated with my horses with subtlety. Because I tried so many, I had learned how each different type functioned, and how they impacted on my own horses. I work with the mindset that #lessismore and every bridle I tried just didn’t feel quite right, so I set about creating my own, initially just for my own use. There were many prototypes tried out on our own horses in the efforts to make a bridle with minimum negative impact, clear communication, no mixed messages, no leverage, no squeeze and no poll pressure. 

The initial idea was to create a very soft means of communication without capacity to cause pain or discomfort, remove the potential for pain and thereby improve the communication and trust relationship. 

After those early prototypes, either made myself or by local crafts people, I identified a saddler in Walsall who was prepared to make transcend bridles and work with me to improve the functionality, practicality and design. It has always been important to me to have high quality bridles, which can be made to measure, or bespoke. I am lucky to be able to work with a traditional saddler who is very happy to be making a bitless bridle. 

In the last 4 years the simple side-cue bridle is also available. Both bridles are now also available in biothane 

In what way is the Transcend bridle different from other bitless bridles on the market? 

Transcend double bridle has two distinct cues, first is a side-cue (a term I prefer over side pull, side-cue was coined by Lynda Cooke) The side-cue has a pound for pound instant release, to the wide, soft, padded noseband but as the term implies, it shouldn’t be pulled. The second cue is to the curb strap which is designed to just touch the curb groove and to fall away when the lightweight rein is released. The curb strap is inhibited from pulling tight, and does not squeeze against the noseband, unlike a scawbrig. The bridle being as soft as it is, can only deliver gentle cues. 

Transcend is individually made and hand finished in the UK from top quality English leather, (also high quality biothane from the US) and can be made to measure or bespoke. 

A few tips to teach a horse to respond to cues given by the Transcend bridle. 

#takingthetimeittakes is the key to successful transitioning. Learning the cues from the ground gives the horse time, using positive reinforcement is a good plan. 

Using communication via body weight, energy, voice, rewarding the smallest try, backed up by rein contact is the subtlety to be aimed for. 

Some horses who have been previously ridden bitted and tight contact/tight tack may need time to readjust, some may have become almost dependant on the tight contact. Some horses may be in learned helplessness and need more time to trust. 

Many transition immediately as if saying, at last, what a relief that the rider gets that the horse doesn’t need hard contact. 

The biggest tip, is time.

Where does the name Transcend come from? 

When I first designed Transcend bitless bridle it was just for our horses, and then I decided to try and launch it. The name we came up with was really a joke, that the bridle transcended every other bridle, so it was a tongue in cheek notion which stuck. When I relaunched in March 2016, I thought about changing the name, but soon realised that Transcend was already inextricably linked to me on the Internet, and of course there were already bridles in use from 10 years earlier. So the name stayed.

Originally the company I formed was called Transcend Equine. As I learned more about websites and SEO, I realised that the name needed to contain “bitless bridle” so I added the domains for Transcend bitless bridle.

Altivo, by Larri Davidson-Bowes

Did you always ride bitless? If not, what prompted you to make the transition and how did you make it? 

No. I started riding at a local riding school (many years ago) and had never heard of bitless. It wasn’t until we had our own horses, and I had a mare who was unhappy in a bit, snatching, pulling, and throwing her head, I had been trying different bits, generally moving softer and softer, when one day I forgot to take her bridle, and being lazy I decided not to go back home for it. So, I rode in a headcollar, all around the local bridleways, in open fields, and it was like riding a different horse. The changes in relationship and communication were immediate. I never bitted a horse again. 

Of course, I then felt very guilty for the horses I had ridden bitted. And that began an ongoing long and steep learning curve, about riding, tack, horse care, training, barefoot, 24/7 turnout, rugs, feed, everything about horse world. (did I mention people?) 

What is your opinion on bridles such as mechanical hackamores? 

I have never used a hackamore of any kind, so I have no first-hand experience to call on. The reason I never tried hackamores was because I saw little point in taking the metal out of the mouth and putting it on the face instead. Given that I was aiming for a soft connection, mechanical hackamores didn’t appeal 

Do you think all horses can be ridden bitless? 

Yes, I do, I also think not all people can ride bitless, not because they physically can’t but because they don’t believe, or want to believe, they can. The desire to compete in a discipline which does not allow bitless is also an inhibitor. 

Even horses with serreta scarring have transitioned to transcend. 

Do you think that bitless is the future for the equestrian world? 

I would really like to think so, based on the belief that it is very clear from the riders we can see out with their horses, doing every activity imaginable, bitless, that bits simply aren’t required. Time, relationship, trust, listening to your horse, are key to kinder riding #lessisalwaysmore 

To conclude, a few words on your riding philosophy. 

Riding, I believe, should be a genuine pleasure for both horse and rider. Bitless isn’t just about taking the metal out of the mouth, it’s a whole mindset change, requiring a positive relationship with mutually agreed communication, and an understanding of horse behaviour. Only doing what the horse is happy to do with you seems important, making sure the horse is fit enough, muscled enough, not hungry, has no pain, and is willing to engage in the ridden activity. 

I thank everyone who supports Transcend, and me, the people who have taken the plunge and bought transcend and the trainers who honour transcend with their belief in how it works. #walking the talk 

Jack, by Maddy Gralak