The horse-human bond exemplified: combination jump cross-country – and fire – with no bridle

Meet Jo and Jasper, who jump huge cross-country fences – and fire – with no bit, nor even a bridle.

Jo Gray, aka bridleless_jo_ on social media, shares pictures and videos of herself and her 14-year-old gelding Jasper, with whom she hunts and team-chases, but also gives displays of liberty work and bridleless jumping.

Jo’s cousin bred Jasper in Ireland and Jo bought him as a yearling; 13 years later, they demonstrate the bond that is possible between humans and horses.

“Whenever we go jumping, you can feel him beaming,” she told H&H. “His nickname is Mr Happy; every day is the best day of his life.”

A friend introduced Jo to natural horsemanship about 15 years ago, and she took Jasper to a clinic when he was an unbacked three-year-old.

“It was like flying a kite!” she said. “Everyone else just quietly moved their horses out of the way and I nearly cried. But there were three instructors there and they all said if they could pick a horse to play with it would be him because ‘he’s going to be mega’.

“There were times when I was backing him that he’d be on his back legs; he was everything I needed but gosh, he was a handful! He was so exuberant and into everything.”

Jo backed Jasper in a halter and he did not have a bit until he was seven; they completed a Cotswold Farm Park fun ride in just a halter.

“It was amazing, a real talking point,” she said, adding that she went the whole hog, without even the halter, about three years ago.

“The first time, I was petrified!” she said. “But I’d done lots of preparation and it was awesome. Now, I hack bridleless, and go galloping and cross-country schooling. You can put your hands up in the air and it’s pure freedom; it’s a great feeling.

“You feel like you’re going to die but afterwards, you survived it and you’re on cloud nine. You can’t bottle that feeling, I love it.”

Jo was not allowed to team-chase without a bridle for safety reasons but she is hopeful the hunt might allow it. But she can go cross-country schooling au naturel, and she also schools Jasper across country loose, with her on the ground.

The display work came about after she and trainer and trick rider Freddy Steele connected on social media, and Jo and Jasper have since featured on Freddy’s display team.

The theme of this year’s performances is Olympus, based on the Olympic torch, and tells the story of Zeus stealing fire and Athena, Greek goddess of war and wisdom, or Jo with Jasper, taking the fire back. This was seen at the Game Fair at Blenheim (26-28 July), but at the Kelmarsh Show this spring, they also jumped fire without a bridle.

“That was good fun,” Jo said. “Jasper had never seen fire so Freddy came to me; I said I wasn’t agreeing to it unless I knew Jasper was going to be ok. We used a metal pole with fabric round it, jumped that a few times, then set it on fire at one end, then the other. Freddy left the pole with me and I practised so much, I melted the pole and bent it!

“All the week of the Game Fair, I was feeling sick and so nervous, I thought I wasn’t going to do it. But by the third day, I was really enjoying it. I was so proud of Jasper.

“By the fourth day of jumping the fire, he was looking for it, and if I’d wanted to stop him before the jump, I wouldn’t have been able to; he made a bee-line for it. He’s such a happy boy, and always knows he’s done really well.”

Jo said Jasper still has his mischievous side, and “if he can get up to anything, he will”, such as chasing dogs and stealing things.

“But he’s a bit safer now!” she said. “He’s wonderful. The worst worry in liberty is that your horse will leave during a performance; three of his friends were in the corner but he was absolutely glued to me: ‘No Mum, I’m with you, you’ll look after me and you’ve got my back’ and that’s a great feeling.

“It’s taken years, a lot of tears wondering where I was going wrong, but it’s been a great journey and I’ve learned so much. He has a great life and he was definitely the horse for me. It’s wonderful.”

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