Gate Training Bitless and Bareback with Clicker Training and Positive Reinforcement

I spent two sessions training River to open a gate with me on his back using clicker training, completely bit-less and bareback.

When River came to me at 2 yrs old, he had never been ridden. He has since only been started using clicker training and bit-less riding.

The first several youtube videos I watched showed riders wearing spurs, horses ridden in bits, with bodies held so tightly in equipment that compliance was physically enforced. The level of pressure being applied was surprising.

Training, when approached as relationship, becomes a living language. It becomes a way of listening, responding, and co-creating movement together. Through this language, a bridge forms between horse and human, grounded in trust and presence.

Some people say we should never train horses at all, that they should be left completely wild. Others say training is necessary to keep horses manageable and safe. What this work is really addressing is something deeper. It is addressing centuries of domination, control, and disconnection from the sacred bond between horse and human. That old paradigm is crumbling.

Bit-less riding and clicker training reflect partnership and attunement. This way of working restores ancient codes of connection and speaks to the hearts that sense that another way of being with horses has always existed.