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BITLESS BRIDLES
NEW Light Rider
Bitless Bridle
IS THE BIT REALLY
SO CRUEL?
Tradition and
Status Quo or Science and Advance?
Excellent
Articles on Bitless Bridles for Dressage
More
Articles on Bitless Riding
The original Dr Cook Bitless
Bridle
One
hundred or more behavioural problems in the horse are bit-induced. Bits
are a common cause of bone spurs on the bars of the mouth and headshaking
(facial neuralgia). The Bitless Bridle is the only non-bit design in
the world to be developed and physiologically validated through the
research of Dr W.R. Cook FRCVS PhD, Professor of Surgery Emeritus, Tufts
University School of Veterinary Medicine, USA.
The
Bitless Bridle cannot hurt a horse. All bits and the vast majority of
other bitless designs (mechanical hackamores, bosals, side pulls and
rope halters) depend on pain or the threat of pain. The Bitless Bridle
provides better steering than a bit or hackamore and more reliable brakes
than a bit or sidepull. Freedom from pain favours calmness and obedience.
The Bitless Bridle is wonderful for starting young horses.
The
Bitless Bridle is available in Australia through Ysabelle Dean, Dr Cook’s
Associate Clinician.
For
more information
click
here to visit AusEquineArts.com
click
here to visit www.bitlessbridle.com
TESTIMONIAL:
" I have a rather funny thoroughbred who has too many conformation
faults to list but is completely unique and very special to me. Eighteen
months ago I bought a Dr Cook bitless bridle second hand to try on Scruff.
He was previously working in a pelham and only getting stronger so something
had to change.
The turn around has been amazing. I can take him to the racetrack and
gallop him flat out only to stand is my stirrups and quietly say stop
and he will come back to a walk very quickly. It took me a long time
to train the stop command but impresses many people now. He has become
more balanced and doesn't fight me for control. I can achieve better
collection and relaxation in the bitless than I ever did in a conventional
bridle. He even salivates more. I cannot sing praises high enough for
the bitless. Last weekend I was jumping him at Wakool show in NSW and
he jumped in the C&D championship bitless and barefoot. It was his
most perfect round until he slipped on takeoff at the last fence and
landed in it. But we all live to fight another day. I do most of scruffy's
schooling bareback, I get a much better connection with him and his
paces have improved enormously." Freyr.
To
try a demo bridle contact
Cynthia Cooper –
Natural Horse World
46 Wattle Lea Lane, Golden Valley. 7304
Ph. 0387799810 or 0419 372279
IS THE BIT
REALLY SO CRUEL?
An exchange of correspondence
with Robert
Cook FRCVS, PhD
Sir,
I
have read the articles on your website about the downsides of using a
bit. I was curious, as my pony prefers bitless with anyone but me (due
to bad experiences in a previous home) and I wanted to learn more.
In good hands, I cannot see that an English French link snaffle is such
a bad thing. It doesn't have the leverage of a curb bit, allows room for
the tongue, and in the mouth of a horse trained in the classical style,
the amount of pressure is negligible. My pony, ridden in a bit, goes nicely
in a classical outline, such that I cannot feel her mouth on the end of
the reins, just the reins in my hands. She stops and turns to seat and
weight aids, the bit is light in her mouth and her tongue is where it
should be.
With anyone who isn't balanced and doesn't have good hands, she doesn't
like the bit, but I don't blame her, neither would I! My horse, likewise,
drops straight into an outline as she has been trained to do, and is perfectly
happy. When galloping or jumping, my hands follow her head, allowing it
the full reach.
So
in horses like these, trained correctly, I cannot find things in your
articles to say that their bits are cruel - can you help?
My
response…
It
is apparent that you are a good rider and that your pony is very discerning.
You have good hands and, as a result, your pony works well for you. Quite
understandably, however, she prefers to be ridden in a bitless bridle
by anyone who does not have good hands. She makes her preference known
by a change in her behavior – presumably a change that expresses
her dislike of a pain in her mouth.
Cruelty
is defined as the infliction of avoidable pain. The development of the
crossover bitless bridle (CBB) in 2000 has provided, for the first time,
a painless method of communication. The existence of an acceptable and
workable alternative leads to the need to reclassify the bit method of
communication. No longer can it be defended as acceptable practice as
a painless alternative is available. As the pain of a bit is now avoidable,
its continued use by the majority of riders (who are unable to use it
without causing pain) has to be regarded as cruel.
The
concept of cruelty is, of course, an abstraction. Just as there are degrees
of pain, so must there be degrees of cruelty. A horse may exhibit no easily
detectable response to slight pain. But horses have evolved to try and
disguise their pain as much as possible, as obvious evidence of pain indicates
a handicap and this, in turn, may attract a predator. So we should be
careful how we interpret the body language of the horse. Signs of slight
pain may be quite subtle and easily overlooked or mistaken for something
unconnected with the bit.
Because
of this, the CBB can be used as a test of a rider’s skill. If you
can take a horse that has routinely been ridden in the crossover bitless
bridle and now introduce a bitted bridle without triggering any adverse
change in behavior, this is reassuring evidence that you are not causing
your horse any pain. Can you do this with your pony?
Many
riders who thought that their horses were perfectly happy when ridden
in a bit have discovered that all sorts of problems disappeared when the
bit was removed. In other words, they had not realized that these problems
were caused by the bit.
Of
course, there are many other reasons for not using a bit, apart from the
question of pain. If you have read enough of the articles on my website
at www.bitlessbridle.com you will already know, for example, that the
bit interferes with a horse’s ability to breathe and, because of
this, with his ability to stride. This interference is more apparent in
racehorses than in non-racehorses, nevertheless, competition horses and
even pleasure horses are also affected by these problems. In the wild,
a horse does not run with anything in its mouth. We humans prefer not
to exercise with a bunch of keys in our mouth and the horse would feel
the same. Unlike us, a horse cannot breathe through its mouth and an open
mouth is a sign of abnormality, as is excessive salivation during exercise.
These
are still early days in the availability of a painless method of communication.
Use of the bit has been standard practice for 6000 years. It cannot be
expected that everyone is going to be immediately aware of a painless
alternative that only became fully available for the first time in 2000.
It is perfectly understandable that many a rider might be upset at the
suggestion that they are continuing to use an inherently painful method.
In particular, a master horseman, with perfect hands, might resent being
told that they are being cruel by continuing to use a bit. Putting aside
the defense that a bit is still mandated for many FEI sponsored competitions,
they can probably be exonerated from a charge of gross cruelty, in that
the amount of pain they inflict on their horses is at least minimal.
If,
however, we now consider the horsemen with less than perfect hands, who
lacks an unshakably independent seat on every conceivable occasion (i.e.
the vast majority of horsemen) the situation is quite different. Looking
back on my own riding days, I now realize that, without intending to be
inhumane or cruel, I must - unwittingly - have caused my horses a great
deal of pain. My defense is that, in those days (1950-1970), there was
no known alternative. I could not be criticized for using a bit as no
one knew any better. The research that I have done in the last ten years
had not been published. It was regarded as good practice, for example,
to use a double bridle for foxhunting. In fact, anything other than a
double bridle was regarded as foolhardy.
Even
the master horseman has had to spend years developing ‘good hands.’
If he/she used a bitted bridle to gain this expertise, how much pain was
inflicted in the process? This pain being now avoidable, is the ‘master
horseman’ able to say that he/she has never inflicted avoidable
pain? Is it justifiable to use a bit when learning to use it without inflicting
severe pain may take a decade or more?
Accepting
that most riders do not have ‘good hands’ it can be seen that
if such riders continue to use a bit they are, in the light of the new
knowledge now available, inflicting avoidable pain. Just as ignorance
of the law is not an acceptable defense in court, neither is ignorance
of new knowledge an acceptable defense in the world of horsemanship. Even
such an august body as the FEI cannot be exonerated from criticism if
they continue to mandate the use of a cruel method of communication. Some
allowance can be granted them on the grounds that there is always a time
lag between new knowledge becoming available and the time when this knowledge
is regarded as having been thoroughly tested and accepted. The FEI is
a ‘big ship’ and cannot be expected to change direction quickly.
Nevertheless, in this age of information, it should not take long before
FEI rules and regulations are updated to recognize the new situation.
It is probably unrealistic to expect, in the first instance, that the
bit might be banned but at least the rules should be changed to permit
competition riders the option of using a painless (and safer) method of
communication.
This
has been a rather longer answer to your question than you might have expected
but I hope that the above thoughts will help you to understand the new
situation a little better. I will close by asking you a few questions.
As you are a good rider, your pony remains balanced and collected when
you use The Bitless Bridle.
· So why would you choose to use a bit?
· You feel that with a bit “in the mouth of a horse trained
in the classical style, the amount of pressure is negligible” but
I wonder if your pony feels the same? Given an option, which would she
choose? Your pony has already answered this question.
· Neither you nor anyone else has actually measured that pressure
in her mouth. How can you be so sure that it is ‘negligible’?
· A horse’s mouth is exquisitely sensitive. If you were a
horse, how would you like to have signals from your rider transmitted
to you by such a means?
· A horse can feel a fly landing on its face, so why would you
need to use a rod of metal in its sensitive mouth to transmit your requests?
Isn’t this overkill?
· If a message can be transmitted painlessly by a couple of painless
strap loops around the head, why would you choose to communicate by means
of a metal instrument in the mouth that carries such a high risk of inflicting
pain?
· Does your pony show any adverse change of behavior when you introduce
a bitted bridle after she has been used routinely in the CBB?
Riders
have no need to shout their messages, a whisper is quite enough. In fact,
a polite ‘whisper’ of a request is much more likely to achieve
the desired result than a rude ‘shout.’ The pain of a bit
‘command’ will often trigger the exact opposite of the rider’s
intentions. Horses are prey animals and they run from pain. The bit is
the most common source of pain causing a horse to bolt, rear or buck.
It says much for the forgiving nature of the horse that they react to
such pain as infrequently as they do.
We
should apply to the horse what Thucydides recommended with regard to man,
“Of all the manifestations of power, restraint impresses men most.”
Primitive man, who invented the bit method of control in 3000 BC, chose
to apply his greatest force at one of the weakest parts of the horse’s
anatomy. A metal bit applies highly focused force on the knife edges of
the jaw, the so-called ‘bars’ of the mouth. A cross-section
of the jaw at this level shows that, even in a draft horse, the jaw is
smaller than a cross section through a standard hen’s egg. With
the development of the CBB we have the option to forego such a display
of power and use restraint.
You say, “I cannot feel her mouth on the end of the reins, just
the reins in my hands” and I would ask you, on behalf of your pony,
whether this is reciprocated. Does your pony not feel your hands and only
the weight of the reins? With all due respect, I think not. Your pony’s
mouth is very much more sensitive than your hands. This is not an equal
exchange. The effect of rein pressure on a rider’s fingers is not
the same as the effect of a metal rod on a horse’s mouth. That the
rider feels no pain cannot be taken as assurance that horse feels no pain.
Consider how much more accurate your tongue is in detecting a hair in
your mouth compared with the tip of your finger.
Again,
you claim that a French link snaffle “allows room for the tongue”
and my response is to say that an exercising horse should not have any
foreign body in its mouth. The tongue should fill the oral cavity and
an exercising horse should not even have an air space in its mouth, let
alone a metal rod.
You
ask, “So in horses like these, trained correctly, I cannot find
things in your articles to say that their bits are cruel - can you help?”
I hope that I have already answered this question but if you will excuse
me I will add one more comment. The classical way of training a horse
is only a means to an end. For historical reasons, a bit has been used
as part of the ‘means’ in the search for a balanced and collected
‘end.’ But we now know that a bit is not an essential part
of this equation. A horse should be ‘on the aids’ but does
not have to be ‘on the bit.’ In fact, in order to achieve
the harmony of horsemanship that is the ultimate objective, it is much
more likely that the average rider will achieve this in the absence of
a bit.
I
have documented 120 problems that the bit causes both horse and rider.
Any method of communication that produces so many negative side-effects
is not a method that can be recommended, especially now that a more humane,
safer, simpler and more satisfying alternative is available.
I hope that the above thoughts will help you to understand that, even
when a horse is – as you say - ‘trained correctly’ (by
current standards, i.e. by using a bit), that this is no longer the most
humane way to train.
More
Resources:
Bitless
Bridles - What's the Difference?
Riding
Bitless 'On the Bridle'
How
to Transition to a Bitless Bridle
Horses
prefer bitless bridles
Bitless
Horse.com
Bitless
Dressage
Ideas
for Fun, Articles, Books
& Videos,
Five Keys to Success , Natural
Living For Horses
Horsemanship,
Laminitis, Saddles,
Floats-Trailers,
Poems & Fun,
Product Reviews, Services.
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The
Light Rider Bitless Bridle
designed
by Cynthia Cooper
The
Light Rider Bitless functions like a bridle and is suitable for horses
ready to go up into a bit and for riders who don't want to use one,
or who are worried about lack of control in a halter.
-
Get
a soft response from your horse with rein/chinstrap release.
- Takes
less rein pressure to stop your horse (painless).
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Very light weight so it feels good for the horse especially if
worn for long periods.
-
Converts to a rope halter & lead in seconds, so is ideal for
trail, endurance or groundwork warm up.
-
Allows eating and drinking – nothing to undo.
-
Easy on and off – very adjustable.
-
Padded noseband for comfort.
-
Comes with 2.6m or 3m black reins in 10mm rope.
-
Colours: black, blue, purple halter with padded black noseband
cover & reins and browband
-
Only $99 incl. postage within Australia.
As
you can see in the photo above, a chin strap helps the bridle
stay in place when pressure is applied to the reins - this stops
the noseband twisting around.
The chinstrap becomes snug and does not over-tighten so this bridle
is usually well accepted by sensitive horses.
The swivel snaps on the reins enable you to quickly unclip them
to make a lead rope.
To purchase a Light Rider Bridle
visit the Natural Horse World Online Store
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COMING
SOON - The English Style Light Rider Bridle
How is the Light Rider different to a sidepull?
On a sidepull, the reins attatch directly to the noseband rings,
so rein pressure causes the noseband to slide around as shown
on the left.
-
On
the right you can see how the Light Rider bridle chin strap holds
the noseband snugly in place when rein pressure is applied. The
pressure around the nose is softened when the rein is released
provided lightweight reins with light clips are used.
-
Feedback
on the Light Rider Bridle from customers:
-
"The
full size bridle arrived thank you very much. I
went for a ride on Saturday and just used the halter like a normal
halter as riding with a friend I didn’t want him racing
along and then feel pressure and react badly so was a little nervous
LOL – anyway last night I rode in it again as a normal halter
and for the last few Km’s once he had settled I stopped
and put the chin strap on as he was focused on heading home anyway
so thought it was a good opportunity – MY GOD what a difference
– thank you Cynthia I have my horse back!!!!! Kylie H.
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“I
am impressed with the bridles. I have to admit that when I first
heard of them I thought they were just another version of the
“bigger bit” theory, however I now think that they
are a very good alternative to a natural hackamore.
I have had good feedback from the whole family, husband, 12 &
14yo boys as to how they like them.
My personal opinion is that they are very good for novice riders
and for using on green horses. This is because I have noticed
that with natural hackamores novice riders can tend to twist the
horses head when asking for lateral flexion. The light rider bridle
seems to deliver a much clearer and more direct message when using
it to convey lateral messages to your horse. It is also ideally
suited to endurance riders as it can still give you a lead rope
if you need it.
All round the horses and humans all appreciated their new bridles.
Thanks, Tara N.”
“The
Bitless Bridle was terrific. At the endurance ride, Angel got
toey quite a few times once we were back out on the roads, but
with pressure and release of the reins she was under control.
I was particularly proud of her when we came across other riders
out on the track as she stayed within my hands and never once
ran off like she used to. I was in control the whole ride. I LOVE
THE BRIDLE” Tammy M. Tasmania.
-
"Cynthia,
I just wanted to touch base with you about the Light Rider Bridle.
I completed the 40km ride at Woodstock successfully. I was very
pleased with the bridle as I had heaps of control, and she listened.
Overall I was really pleased with it and will definitely be ordering
another one soon so I have a spare." Danielle.
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"Thanks
soooooo much for the bridle- Brady responds wonderfully with it
(he is a 20 year old thoroughbred that thinks he is 2 sometimes)!
Much lighter than the rope halter. I wish everyone would use them
for the horses!" Angie.
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"Kate
was in one of her 'do everything at 100 miles an hour moods'-
pulling, rushing and wanting to get home and as you can see she
is a big strong girl. Well the bridle didn't miss a beat, I had
total control and felt 100% safe. Thank you so much for letting
me try it out, I am really impressed with it." Julie S. (Kate
and Julie pictured below).
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Thankyou
so much for the bitless, it works a treat. My little mare is loving
it. She hated the bit in her mouth and was always a devil to get
the bridle on. She has stopped throwing her head and pulling down
on me. It's fantastic. What a great product! Even though I have
only used it a few times, she is so much better and i feel a lot
safer knowing that i have her full concentration. She and I are
very happy. Thankyou. Feel free to put this email on your feedback
listings for the product. WOW! Regards Krystlelee.
TRADITION
& THE STATUS QUO
OR SCIENCE & ADVANCE?
by
Robert Cook FRCVS, PhD
Official
bodies such as the FEI and a number of racing administrations
are aware of my arguments for a rule change to permit use of the
crossover bitless bridle but none have, as yet, agreed to such
a change. Their reasons for not doing so do not include any scientific
arguments but are based mainly on a wish to retain the status
quo. For example, a national federation affiliated to the FEI
has recently stated that they follow the lead of the FEI in formulating
their rules. They refused repeated requests for a rule change
on the grounds that they cannot permit the crossover bitless bridle
(CBB) for dressage as this would constitute a rejection of the
classical tradition.
The
answers provided by this national federation highlight a serious
misunderstanding about the proper nature of tradition and represent
an unnecessary obstacle to advances in welfare. Not once did they
defend the use of the bit on the grounds that it was safer, more
efficient or more humane. They simply repeated the explanation
that the bit was traditional or classic.
Such
a defense with regard to a question of animal management is ludicrous.
The same argument in human affairs would support the continuance
of the 'traditional' practice of blood letting and the drowning
of witches.
Tradition should not be invoked as a barrier to humanitarian and
scientific progress. Tradition may be acceptable over matters
such as whether or not the British flag should be flown the right
way up, or whether, when pouring a cup of tea, one should put
the tea or the milk in first. But tradition should not be invoked
in deciding questions relating to the welfare of animals, the
science of ethology, and the safety of a sport.
Cruelty is defined as the infliction of avoidable pain. Now that
an acceptable alternative to the bit is available, the pain of
a bit is avoidable. It follows that the bit is cruel. A first
step in addressing this matter would be to obtain agreement that
at least a painless option should be permitted. One might hope
that, as the bit can be shown to be cruel, administrative bodies
claiming to be guardians of the horse, with objectives stating
their avowed intent to advance the horse’s welfare would,
in time, ban the bit.
Every horse is physically handicapped, not to mention psychologically
harmed by having a metal rod placed in its sensitive mouth, to
which rod (or rods) a pair of straps are attached that enable
highly focused pressures of 30 lbs and more to be applied to the
soft and hard tissues of the mouth. If waivers of the rules are
allowed for “physically handicapped horse,” every
horse qualifies.
A bit is not an indispensable piece of equipment, without which
dressage is impossible. The Duke of Newcastle made this clear
200 years ago, when he declared that he could ‘dress’
a horse with a scarf around its neck. Dressage horses do not have
to be 'on the bit' but they should be 'on the aids.' The bit is
a Bronze Age invention and the FEI and all the national federations
that comply with FEI regulations should be glad that an acceptable
alternative to this primitive and barbaric device is now available.
The
FEI admit that many a horse is 'mouth shy' and warns its inspectors
to be careful when checking the equipment after a competition.
Have they never asked themselves why so many horses are 'touchy'
about their mouths?
Webster's dictionary defines 'tradition' as "the delivery
of opinions, doctrines, practices, rites and customs from generation
to generation by oral communication." Civilization has surely
advanced a little since it was dependent on oral communication.
There is the matter of the written word to consider and scientific
evidence. Tradition has 'the effect of an unwritten law"
and that is where it should stay. It has no business in written
rules and regulations which, to be valid, need to be constantly
revised and brought up to date in the face of new knowledge. The
bit has not been handed down to us by divine revelation. It was
the invention of primitive man in 3000 BC. Do we really need to
observe such a prehistoric custom?
John
Maynard Keynes was right when he said that
“The difficulty lies, not in the new ideas, but in escaping
the old ones, which ramify, for those brought up as most of us
have been, into every corner of our minds…like the clinging
roots of an old juniper.”
One
very persistent and incorrect old idea is that the bit controls
a horse. Let me quote here the opinion on this of Dr. Jessica
Jahiel, an expert horsemen, lecturer, instructor, author of many
books on all aspects of horsemanship, and the founder of a treasure
house of information on every aspect of horsemanship through her
independent (and free) Question and Answer Newsletter at www.horse-sense.org
“By
giving up the use of the bit, you don’t sacrifice any control
but you DO make it less likely that the horse will bolt, buck,
or bite because of mouth pain. One of the great myths of horseback
riding is that the bit stops the horse. The bit does NOT stop
the horse. A bit can hurt a horse, frighten a horse, cut through
its tongue, or otherwise damage the horse. A bit can be used to
signal a horse, crudely and harshly or gently and lightly, depending
on the skill of the rider. But no bit ever stopped a horse. All
the bit can do is to tell the horse that you would like it to
stop … and you can say this WITHOUT a bit.”
- The
Light Rider English Style Bridle in Brown Apollo synthetic.
(Also available soon in leather and Beta synthetic).
The
Light Rider Natural Dressage Rope bridle with padded noseband.
(Also available soon in western and stockman styles)
To
purchase a Light Rider Bridle
visit the Natural Horse World Shop
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