Talking trust and transformation with Claire Artis

Very few of us begin our equestrian life outside of mainstream, traditional practices. The journey towards an ethical, perceptive partnership – including, but not restricted to, going bitless – is a path that is unique for every horseperson.

For this inaugural interview, Inca Equestrian's founder speaks to Claire Artis, a British equestrian with a passion for our country's oldest native breed: the Exmoor pony. Claire discusses how one such pony coming into her life changed her perspective on working with horses, and we chat about self-discovery and alternative ways of training horses.

 

Tell me about your history with bitless. How long have you used bitless equipment and what caused you to try it in the first place?

I come from a very traditional world where I competed at high level in the show ring alongside dressage, show jumping and cross country with every bit and bridle combination you could imagine. Knowing what I know now, my early years of horsemanship would have looked very different. However, I attribute my current way of thinking to my past because having tried those traditional practices myself, I now know that they do not work.

Our partnerships with our horses do not come from control in the form of bits, partnerships are built upon a two way conversation between two friends that have trust, compassion and empathy for each other.

A pony came into my life five years ago who had huge trauma around bridles and saddles. After a very lengthy process to help her overcome these upsetting past experiences, I was able to successfully restart her under saddle. At the time, I was not quite ready to let go of some of my previous traditional bitted mindset, so I used a sweet iron snaffle bridle – something I considered a gentle option back then.

Along with constant chewing and tension throughout her body, it was obvious she wasn’t happy and needed something to change. I decided to fully open my heart and mind, embracing a completely ethical mindset. With this change of perspective, I began riding in my rope halter and reins.

This without a doubt is one of the best decisions I have ever made. Our partnerships with our horses do not come from control in the form of bits, partnerships are built upon a two way conversation between two friends that have trust, compassion and empathy for each other.

 

The Exmoor pony is an ancient breed known for their intelligence and steadfast nature.
Photo by Petr Ganaj

 

I think many of us meet one of those great horses that pushes us to discover a better path. I certainly did! How did these experiences change how you work with horses now?

Desperate to expand my knowledge alongside learning from our greatest teacher – the horse – I plunged myself into finding out as much as I could about equine psychology. Not only did I want to understand how to fix issues that arose with my horses, but I also wanted to understand why they existed in the first place and how I could become the human that my horses needed.

My kit bag now contains only a rope halter, 22ft rope and a neck rope (cordeo). I believe in a very simple approach to horsemanship with patience, connection, compassion, empathy and harmony at its core.

 

The physical objects around us can be so important in influencing the way we think. How does your tack choice relate to the core aspects of your training approach and ethos?

So much of good horsemanship comes from our own mindset and it is sometimes hard to let go of what we know in favour of trying something else. This is especially true when we are dealing with such powerful animals, but from experience I can tell you it’s a journey worth taking and riding a horse bitless is extremely liberating.

As much as we want our horses to trust us, we in turn need to learn to trust them.

Cast your mind back to your younger years and, if they were anything like mine, I had many adventures cantering around pastures on horses bareback with just a headcollar and lead rope; I felt free and so did my horse. Those are some of my best memories. Now imagine if you could recreate that in your older years. As much as we want our horses to trust us, we in turn need to learn to trust them.

 

That 'leap of faith' in trusting our horses is one of the biggest mental obstacles I see people face when beginning to stop bit use, but it's also an incredibly rewarding step to make. And it often goes hand-in-hand with wider changes towards a more ethical outlook. Thinking ahead to the future, do you predict that the equestrian world at large will start to take this path in a more mainstream way?

The horse world around us is starting to change. With more and more resources and ethical options available, it is so pleasing to see the growth among the equestrian community.

Wouldn’t it be an incredible life for our horses if being with them wasn’t about control coming from using bits or other gadgets, but one built upon putting the relationship between us first and allowing and welcoming the horse to use their amazing ways to communicate with us?

 

Absolutely! That would be a wonderful world for all of us. Is there anything you've experienced that you feel is a barrier for people to make these changes?

There's still a long way to go in being able to achieve this amazing world for our horses. I would love to see more options and encouragement available for those wishing to go down the bitless bridle route: more classes for those competing in all disciplines at all levels and for the bitless bridle to be considered a normal approach to horsemanship.

We also need more resources available in teaching horses how to be ridden in a bitless bridle if their use is to become more common. I fear some people may become lost or lose confidence along the way without having the appropriate training in place beforehand to support the horse in their bitless journey.

I am also a huge advocate of the non-ridden equine, as not all horses are destined for a life of carrying a rider. The benefits of taking time away from the saddle to enjoy life beside our horses and continuing to build unbreakable bonds are often overlooked in the mainstream equestrian world.

 

If readers would like to keep up with you and your horses, where can they find you?

I enjoy sharing my journey and training tips (among other things) on my social media pages via Facebook and Instagram at Claire Artis Horsemanship.