High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! A bitless bridle is a general term describing a wide range of headgear for horses or other animals that controls the animal without placing a bit in the animal`s mouth. Control is maintained by means of some sort of noseband or cavesson. The term hackamore is the most historically accurate word for most common forms of bitless headgear. However, some modern bitless designs of horse headgear lack the heavy noseband of a true hackamore and instead use straps that tighten around a horse`s head to apply pressure in various ways. These are often specifically patented and marketed as "bitless bridles," usually referencing a particular type of headgear known as the cross-under, though other designs are sometimes also given similar names.