Dr Cooks
Bitless Bridle
English Bridles
Manufacturer: Dr Cooks
Model: Bitless Bridle
Category: English Bridles
Purchase: I bought the English leather version of the bridle from bitlessbridle.co.uk. It cost £98 (I later added the matching reins, which cost another £60). Not a cheap purchase, but one I've never regretted.
Likes: I was motivated to write a review after reading another negative review on the website that suggested that 'serious horsemen' wouldn't benefit from a bitless bridle. I disagree; anyone who wants to work in partnership with their horse, and has any interest in natural horsemanship would, in my view, benefit from this bridle.
My own horse is particularly spirited and came to me with emotional baggage. He had a reputation for being highly strung, and head-strong. I was actually warned never to give him any rein, as he would ‘take off’ on me. The first thing I did was get rid of Bobby’s martingale as I quickly learned that Bobby is indeed a very spirited, forward going horse, but that rather than ‘taking off’ when you give him some rein, he’s more likely to fight back when you fight him. Subtle request work much better with him than aggressive ‘demands’ – he knows he’s strong! Our perceptions were reinforced when the dentist noticed how worn his back teeth were; he was simply grabbing hold of the bit and ‘going for it’ when people pulled back. The bitless bridle has been of huge benefit to us and Bobby is softer to handle, more responsive, and safer to ride than ever before. He’s become a great all-round horse – well behaved in traffic, and great to hack out on.
The first day with the bitless bridle we spent some time in the arena and it went well. Understandably, Bobby tried snatching the reins a couple of times and threw his head as he tried to work out what was going on but he settled quickly. On day two, he responded to the bridle so well that we tried some practise jumps in the arena. This went so well that I took him out into the fields where we have a series of jumps set up. He was much better than usual and I rewarded him with a half mile gallop; he came back to walk at the end of it well. I couldn’t believe we were doing this so soon; I’d expected a couple of weeks of gentle schooling, getting him used to the feel of the new bridle.
Six months on and In wouldn't even consider going back to a bit or a hackamore. The bitless bridle will be the only bridle I use on my horses from now on.
Dislikes: My only niggle (as someone else has mentioned) is that the leathers can become twisted in the O rings. I've only found this to be a problem before mounting; a quick check before I get on is sufficient to make sure they are straight.
Quality: A really well-made product. The quality of the leather is excellent - it cleans nicely and looks good too :-).
Summary: Absolutely fantastic. I'd recommend wholeheartedly.
Rating: 5
Author: Rod Webb
Date: 2006-01-07
Usefulness Rating: 4.84375 out of 5.
32 reader(s) voted.
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