The Horsewoman is supposed to be one person with other attributes. Although I originally question the artist's need for not having a bridle because of the bow, having always seen a bridle on horses ridden with archers on their backs, the question within the group was the need for a bridle. My answer in the individual case is no, you don't need a bridle.
Some form of the bridle has been around since we weren't just eating them, and separately many cultures also learned that by putting something in a horse's mouth that there was better control over the animal rather than just restraining it by the neck, nose or poll (by the ears). (Carnivores/predators brains work differently and are controlled differently - another discussion for another time)
Horses have open gum areas ('the bars') behind their teeth which is a sensitive area. The bit sits there - metal, wire (shudders), leather, rope... and the horse responds. (Thus the expression "oh no, he's taken the bit in his teeth" is a bad thing).
But the bridle isn't everything and an adult horse with a balanced rider is capable of not needing a bridle, or having it there and using it.
I.e: Change direction - seat bone, eyes and head turn in the direction you want to go in, a verbal cue, perhaps a shoulder touch - would require some additional training there but would but not impossible.
Stopping's easy - whoa.
Mine came with this one command: Stop and stand still because you are doing something you shouldn't: the command is "nein!"
I pulled in my own horse as an example because he was ridiculously well trained in Germany years before I got him. I bought him from the people that who bred him for a song, not a 10th or 20th of his worth at the moment, but he was done and they were looking for an adult rider who he could grow old with now that he was retired from his career as an international show jumper. We are both becoming a bit more crippled, but have our uses, share our experiences with the next generations, he is wonderful with the kids at the barn and in spite of his size, has days even when he can go to a local show and he is safer to be around than a 25 yr old Shetland pony. He still only speaks German though.
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Some form of the bridle has been around since we weren't just eating them, and separately many cultures also learned that by putting something in a horse's mouth that there was better control over the animal rather than just restraining it by the neck, nose or poll (by the ears). (Carnivores/predators brains work differently and are controlled differently - another discussion for another time)
Horses have open gum areas ('the bars') behind their teeth which is a sensitive area. The bit sits there - metal, wire (shudders), leather, rope... and the horse responds. (Thus the expression "oh no, he's taken the bit in his teeth" is a bad thing).
But the bridle isn't everything and an adult horse with a balanced rider is capable of not needing a bridle, or having it there and using it.
I.e: Change direction - seat bone, eyes and head turn in the direction you want to go in, a verbal cue, perhaps a shoulder touch - would require some additional training there but would but not impossible.
Stopping's easy - whoa.
Mine came with this one command: Stop and stand still because you are doing something you shouldn't: the command is "nein!"
I pulled in my own horse as an example because he was ridiculously well trained in Germany years before I got him. I bought him from the people that who bred him for a song, not a 10th or 20th of his worth at the moment, but he was done and they were looking for an adult rider who he could grow old with now that he was retired from his career as an international show jumper. We are both becoming a bit more crippled, but have our uses, share our experiences with the next generations, he is wonderful with the kids at the barn and in spite of his size, has days even when he can go to a local show and he is safer to be around than a 25 yr old Shetland pony. He still only speaks German though.