Bitless Bridle
Beta Brown Headstall/Bridle
English Bridles
Manufacturer: Bitless Bridle
Model: Beta Brown Headstall/Bridle
Category: English Bridles
Purchase: Ordered from Bitless Bridle (www.bitlessbridle.com) after reading extensively on their website about the cruelty of using bitted bridles. Read encouraging testimonials there too. Have a young horse who fought being bridled and had emailed Dr. Cook (the veterinarian creator of the product) and explained my problems and he replied that this product would help immensely and what was I waiting for? I paid $83.00 plus $12.00 shipping.
Likes: I liked the material that was easy to clean and the fact that it had many adjustments to custom fit your horse. I liked that you could order custom sizing with a larger browband or smaller crossover pieces.
I liked that there was a trial period but be aware the shipping ($12) plus your return shipping is not refunded.
Dislikes: I used the measurement guide they provided and ordered the size recommended. The crossover pieces were way too long and the browband too long. I had to send back the whole bridle to order a smaller size despite the measurements indicating otherwise. My account was charged twice until the return was processed. The customer service person told me I would be reimbursed for the return shipping but that was not the case at all. The bridle did not seem to help at all, in fact it made the horse angry when riding and there was much less control than with a regular bitted bridle. When the horse tossed his head, he was hit in the face with the metal rings and that made him more upset. Dangerous to use on trail though I had tested it in an enclosed area first.
Quality: The quality was okay. The beta material does stretch despite what they say, especially when warm. It is very easy to clean, just hose it off. The rings are stainless steel but quite large and heavy. The keepers on the cheekpieces are very cheaply constructed (connected with a cheap metal staple) and slide down onto the crossover pieces which interfere with the ability to slide through the rings.
Summary: I would NOT recommend this to anyone other than someone who has an old horse who is bombproof. They suggest its value for training young horses, but it creates a dangerous situation. I believe riding with a rope halter and rope reins would be much more effective and cheaper. The promises the website makes are so great, and the articles and testimonials are impressive, but in reality, it's not for every horse. The sad thing is that I emailed them back with my comments, directly to Dr. Cook and he did not reply at all to me. He only seems to reply when he smells a sale but not when there's a problem. Also, the negative feedback is NOT posted on their website, only the positive. I called to request the reimbursement for my return shipping since it was their error (sizing discrepancy) but the customer service person was different than the original one and she said they would NOT reimburse the shipping I paid.
Rating: 1
Author: Fiona G.
Date: 2006-08-22
Usefulness Rating: 4.75 out of 5.
72 reader(s) voted.
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