Robert Cook, FRCVS., PhD.
The Bitless Bridle
English Bridles
Manufacturer: Robert Cook, FRCVS., PhD.
Model: The Bitless Bridle
Category: English Bridles
Purchase: The first bridle, in nylon, was purchased in 2003 from the website (www.bitlessbridle.com) for $71 plus $12 shipping, if I remember correctly. I bought another in 2004 in Beta (nylon covered in soft leather-like vinyl) for $83 plus $12 shipping.
Likes: I bought the first bridle out of desperation - one of our horses was being ridden by an older (78) rider with a ham-fisted, set in his ways approach who often tried to compensate for his own poor skills by yanking the horse around by the bit. After repeated unsuccessful attempts to persuade him that the way to communicate with this sensitive, intelligent Arabian might not be to ruin his mouth, I decided I had to try one of Dr. Cook's bridles - for the sake of the horse. When the bridle arrived I put it on the horse and rode him in the ring for perhaps five minutes to get him accustomed to it. That's all it took. Then I took him out on the trail and he was utterly responsive and happy. My amazement only increased when this formerly high strung and somewhat difficult to control horse was paired back up with his heavy handed rider. Both have improved dramatically - the horse is calmer and this set in his ways rider has magically obtained skill and finesse.
This year I acquired a Standardbred gelding whose unusual history not only included harness racing and all of the built in training problems that go along with it, but also a six year stint in near total isolation in a field at the end of a dirt road off a dirt road with no contact whatever with other horses and virtually no contact with humans. His diet was poor and his only shelter was a small ramshackle three sided shed which barely broke the wind in an area where temperatures reach forty below zero. When he arrived at my place he could accurately be described as insane. He was afraid of everything, seen and unseen. I swear to God, he hallucinated things to be terrified of, and was for some time unridable. However, eventually the time came to saddle him up. He did surprisingly well, though he was of course afraid of everything in the woods, and after a goodly number of episodes of bucking and panic, during several of which I ate dirt and in one case severely dislocated a shoulder, he began to come back down to earth and reveal his potential. One thing, however, was still quite bothersome - whenever the bit was put in his mouth his anxiety level would rise and he would commence to chew and slobber great quantities of saliva, which I attributed to unpleasant associations with his training at the race track. I knew what I had to do. Despite the fact that getting on this horse always included a certain level of risk to life and limb, the best thing for him (or, I'm convinced, virtually any horse) would be to go bitless. The astonishing thing is that he's become a far safer horse. Now when he starts to panic I simply give a gentle pull with both reins and softly talk him down. The pressure on the poll created by the bitless bridle has, for reasons unknown, a wonderful calming effect on this still jumpy horse. His overall demeanor is greatly improved and all nervousness and chewing and salivating once associated with the use of a bit is totally gone. In the space of a summer this horse has gone from a menace to a trusted trail companion and has revealed the sweetest most sensitve personality of any horse I've known. With a bit in his mouth he would still be a drooling nervous Nellie, and in the wrong hands would simply have been given up on.
Dislikes: While I would highly recommend The Bitless Bridle to any and all riders in any discipline, there are a couple of nits to pick. Having bought both a nylon and a Beta version, I would strongly suggest springing for the extra $12 and buying the latter. The nylon material, while durable and comfortable, is a bit too soft and as a result the straps which cross under the horse's chin tend to get twisted. The Beta material is slightly stiffer and much less likely to twist. In any case this does not affect the function of the bridle and can be avoided by paying attention to how you handle the reins.
My other caveat is a bit more serious. The bridle is fitted fairly tightly around the horse's nose to afford the correct tension on the poll and as a result the horse can't fully open it's mouth, which is no problem, but for some reason the instructions that come with it say that the horse in most cases can graze with the bridle on. My experience with both horses has been contrary to this instruction (and it is most definitely not because I have adjusted my nose bands too tight). When the horses graze with the bit on they seem unable to properly chew and swallow, but of course they continue to chomp away until suddenly they may find themselves with a mouthful of half chewed grass which they then try to spit out. Now, my horses may be extra gluttonous but I doubt it. I was quite alarmed one day when a visitor shoved an entire apple into the mouth of a horse wearing his bitless bridle. It was not possible for the horse to open his mouth enough to bite the apple and it occurred to me that it could choke him - needless to say I quickly removed it. Small treats such as sugar cubes are no problem, and in fact I use them as a training aid when, for instance, my Standardbred, though clearly afraid, shows his trust by making a particularly difficult water crossing or descending or climbing an unusually steep slope. However, my advice would be to be cautious about letting your horse eat anything of any size while wearing The Bitless Bridle and to bring along a halter if you plan to allow it to graze while out and about.
Quality: The quality of The Bitless Bridle is top notch, though your first impression may be that it is somewhat overpriced. The problem is that it's a new item for which there is no distribution at all except for the manufacturer's website. One can only assume that in the future, with proper distribution and increased production, the price will come down. In any case, it's the best money I've ever spent on a horse.
Summary: In my humble opinion Dr. Cook's bridle is essential tack and should relegate the bit to immediate obsolescence. I will never again have need of a traditional bitted bridle and, in fact, my old bridles sit in the barn like antiques from another era, gathering dust. I wouldn't even give them away, as instead I would encourage any rider to forego this primitive device for something superior. Traditions die slowly, however, and it will be some time before The Bitless Bridle changes the horse/human relationship on a large scale. For this rider it already has.
Rating: 5
Author: Leon Amidon
Date: 2004-09-28
Usefulness Rating: 3.85965 out of 5.
114 reader(s) voted.
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