Interview with Claire Bruff

Riding bridleless all over the moor might sound like a dream...but it's not an impossible one! Claire Bruff, author of Bridleless Riding Using Positive Reinforcement has agreed to answer a few questions. 

A few words of introduction about you...

I have ridden horses since I was young, although I did take a break during my teenage years. Once I’d had my two boys, I picked it back up again. It wasn’t long before I was keen to have another child but my husband very cleverly directed me to buying a horse of my own as he was happy with just the two. I was 27yrs old when I had a horse to call my own. Bella was my first love and still is. She’s an Anglo-Arab who is now 27yrs. Tari later came into my life as a scrawny 3 year old arab who’d done nothing, and later I fell in love with Amber who I met as a volunteer for a rescue centre. She is very complex and needs a lot of time, but I adore her. It's because of these lovely three that I am now a qualified behaviourist and Emmett muscle release practitioner. I also specialise in R+ (positive reinforcement) training and bitless and bridleless transitions.

When did you first try bridleless riding?

I have been riding bridleless with Bella for the best part of 10 years years, but it wasn’t until around five years ago that I trusted my training enough to take the bridle off whilst out hacking. I then started to dabble in training other horses to bridleless and backed my youngster bridleless from scratch.

Did you train your horse yourself? Which method did you use?

Yes I did. I found that the more I got to know Bella and the more I allowed her to express herself, the more she spoke, although her voice was quite quiet at times. I would have trainers in on the odd occasion, but I could see that they didn’t understand her or listen to her so we just found our own way as I couldn't bring myself to stand by and watch her trying to express herself and being ignored. It was actually Bella that helped me to stumble upon Positive reinforcement training and it wasn’t until Tari came into our lives that I was able to train in this way from the very start, so everything I taught was through R+ right up to backing her bitless and bridleless, which is ongoing.

Do you think any horse can be ridden without a bridle or that it takes a certain temperament?

I believe so yes! Bella isn’t straightforward. She likes to do her own thing and on occasions will throw in a bucking fit. I’ve worked with a whole array of horses that have different personalities and temperaments and they have successfully transitioned. I do believe that there are many elements to riding any horse bridleless and you need to lay foundations, just like in any other style of riding. It is the same for bridleless. It's not just about training the directional cues or a stop and a start, there are many other things to take into consideration as well.

Do you think positive reinforcement is the future of horse training?

I do believe that the equine world is so far behind when it comes to ethical and compassionate training and I am passionate about helping others to use a kinder way or training their horses. Positive reinforcement is definitely part of that but whether it is the future I guess depends on whether people will get to a point in their journey where they might lay aside aversives and look beyond the whip, the carrot stick or the spurs. For myself, though, seeing my horses actively willing to participate in our training because they choose to is a beautiful thing and I’m glad its been part of our journey.

Does being a behaviourist influence your perception of horse training?

Yes it absolutely does! When you understand the physiology of the horse and what is happening on a scientific level, the environment surrounding them and various other aspects of behaviour then it makes you look at training in a whole new way. You come to realise that not only does the horses basic needs have to be in place before the horse can get the best out of your training sessions but you also understand that certain methods of training result in the loss of the horses learning on a deeper level.

You ride bridleless on the moor; does that take a specific training?

I wouldn’t say it takes a specific training but as I said earlier its not just about training directional cues and a stop cue. You need to be aware of the horses emotional state amongst other things.

Has riding bridleless ever put you in a dangerous situation? Is safety more of an issue than with a headset?

No never! In fact I would say that the horse listens to me more when we strip everything away. They tune in to the rider on a level that I’d certainly never experienced before when riding in a bridle. It’s almost like there is nothing there hinder the lines of communication.

Do you sometimes face negative comments or judgement from traditional equestrians? What do you tell them?

I’m really blessed to be able to say that I don’t get much negativity from others. I have a wonderful Facebook group where everyone is really supportive and if they do feel negative then they know that saying ‘if you have nothing nice to say then don’t say anything at all’. I have of course had the odd comment on social media, particularly for riding out in the open andon the country lanes, but my response is always this: Everyone has a line they draw. I wouldn’t show jump great heights on my horse because I feel it is too risky. I know some riders who wouldn’t ride on the roads at all and others find being around horses too risky let alone considering getting on the back of one. As an individual we assess risk everyday and for me riding out bridleless is the same as riding out in my bitless bridle. I trust every aspect of my training and believe that I’m in no greater risk or am a greater risk to others when I ride bridleless. I don’t believe that it’s about what the horse is wearing on its face (or not in this case not) its about the training, the horses emotional state and other aspects.

A few words of advice to those who would like to start bridleless riding.

I would say put the training in starting from the ground upwards and then trust that training. I have written a book about combining positive reinforcement training with bridleless riding. Within it you will find a step by step process on how to succeed. You can find it on Amazon or buy directly from myself.