Daisy in her beta bitless bridleA little background on the bridle first. I have used the bitless on 5 horses so far:
Cisco - I actually broke him out in this bridle. He never had a problem with it and did well in it. Although we have never tried him in a bit. He has been rode in a Noavel and a bosal also. I can't really say which he did better in at this point, it was so long ago. Right now he is rode in the Noavel. Can't say that contraption is my favorite, but it works for him okay.
Doll - My QH mare I owned as a teenager. She did really well in this. She was very unsettled and annoyed in a bit. I tried tons of them. She just never was happy with any of them. In the bitless I could get her to flex and stop her constant chewing.
Dixie - Out of all the bits and bosals and headstalls Dixie does best in the bitless bridle. She is very nervous and jittery under saddle, but not dangerous. In various bits she has thrown her head a lot, acted VERY annoyed, etc. She responds well to the bitless and it helps me to know I can get up in the reins and not be afraid of hurting her, since she is so sensitive.
Daisy - Of course you know I like the bitless for Daisy. She is another like my QH mare, chewy, unsettled. She doesn't misbehave, but also you can tell she is not comfy with a bit. With the bitless there is of course no chewing, she responds quietly and without annoyance (most of the time, sometimes you can tell she doesn't care for the noseband pressure).
Tuff - I haven't had anything but the bitless on him, besides a halter of course. And he does well in it. I have ground driven him a few times and he still is learning the woah, but turns quite well in the bitless. Overall I like his response with it.
So! I watched the entire thing, and I think it is pretty consistent that the bitless did make most of the horses happier. (the appaloosa obviously has other issues going on, and did the worst I think)
I do want to say I'm a little disappointed in the partiality. You can clearly see the judge (Mitzi Summers) was a bit more optimistic about the horses performance without the bit then she should have been. Not quite as objective as she could have been I think. But what can you say, lol.
The first horse was my favorite. CLEARLY he was much happier in the bitless! (super cute also)
Intro with Dr. Cook
Horse #1, Bitted
Horse #1, Bitless
Horse #2 Bitted & Bitless
Horse #3 Bitted
Horse #3 Bitless
Horse #4 Bitted & Bitless
Final Results & Questions Part 1
Final Results & Questions Part 2
So let me know what yall think! Hope all is well with everyone. Until later!
6 comments:
I just ordered one, by coincidence. Just wanted to see what my horses thought of it. Thanks for your thoughts!
Kate, really?? Neat coinkidink, lol. Let us know what you think!
Well, I'm old school... so I prefer bits to bitless bridles. I did enjoy riding my gelding in a bosal when he was young enough to show in one, but otherwise I've always stuck to bits. I guess since I know I have to show in a bit, I don't bother to think about the potential benefits to a bitless bridle.
I know quite a few horses that hate all the pressure points that the bitless creates, and I also heard you can't really start a young horse in the bitless because you don't have as much control should something happen. If a youngster takes to bucking, for example, you're kind of SOL. The same with turning and doing a one rein stop for example. Using them on calm, trained horses is your best bet (from my limited knowledge). I also wonder about finesse and communication between horse and rider without a bit...
And not that there's anything wrong with using a bitless, but sometimes it just takes some time to find a bit your horse likes. Their mouths are all shaped differently and bits certainly aren't one size fits all. Also, chewing on the bit isn't necessarily a bad thing. Some horse will chew because their bit bits well. A good bit and a good fit will sometimes encourage them to chew.
I guess there are probably some horses who have mouths that are difficult to buy bits for, but I also think a lot of the training or behavior problems that are blamed on bits are also just lack of training or problems with the rider. If your horse is tossing his/her head, it could be a different problem, like tack fit, tooth issues, or pain in other parts of their body. You could take away the bit, which is one way your horse can communicate his discomfort to you, and cause him to show you in other ways, if you know what I mean. :) Of course if your horses teeth hurt or they have ulcers in their mouth, taking away the bit will "magically" fix it, but your horse will still have pain in his mouth.
But, I have no experience with bitless bridles, so I can't speak for or against them. I can only speak out for the bits of the world as I think they get a bad rap. Less is not always more. If your horse likes it and you don't show or compete where they're not allowed, go for it.
That's my long winded response. :)
Thanks for your input Becca! And I agree, I don't hate bits, and if your horse likes them, doesn't have a prob, there you go. But it also does not mean he/she won't do better with a bitless. You just don't know until you try it.
And let me make clear I am talking bout Dr Cooks Bitless Bridle, not any of the many other bitless contraptions out there. I've never used them and know nothing about them.
The horses you say that hated the bitless bridles, what kind were they using?
Also, I have to disagree that starting a young horse without a bit will cause loss of control. On the contrary I think you will have MORE control without the pain/panic factor that a bit can cause. I would have to venture you could pull up a bucking horse just as well with this, though thankfully have not had to yet, lol.
On the website there are a few testimonials of colt starting, all going quite well, not having problems with control at all. Even one said that they tried the bit first and she got thrown twice, and then after the bitless, no problems.
There are millions of testimonials on the site that amaze me. But again, personal experience is invaluable!
And again, this is dr. cooks bridle I am plugging, not just any bitless. And of course it all depends on the horse AND the rider.
Anywho, you make very valid points! Thanks for the discussion :)
The couple horses I knew that hated the bitless bridle were being ridden in the Dr Cook's bridle. They really just did not like the pressure points.
One thing to keep in mind is that the bitless bridle makers/promoters are going to tell you all about the positive aspects of their product because they're trying to sell it. But I definitely agree that if your horse likes the bitless, go for it. I can't use one because I show, but there's nothing wrong with trying it out and hopefully it makes for a more happy horse. :)
I'm still not convinced about the whole starting young horses in a bitless bridle idea. I'm sure there are plenty of horses that can start out that way, but I'm guessing there are just as many that can't. But think about the body position of a bucking horse. Their head is down and the only way to make them stop is to get their head back up and push them forward. I just can't see anyone being able to pull a bucking horse's head up with a bridle that has pressure points that encourage a horse to lower their head... perhaps the goal is to keep them from bucking in the first place, but once your horse is bucking, lots of luck. :)
Like you said, it depends on the horse and the rider. I'm sure it great for some and not so great for others.
I am getting curious, though... might have to see if I can find one to borrow, just so I can try it out. :)
Oh yes, I know how marketing works, def ;) But it is nice to see pages and pages of people who have had positive experiences with the product you have/are wanting to try out.
And yeah, I would have to agree on a committed bucker, you might be in trouble, haha.
Yeah, maybe you can find someone who has one to borrow! Its always fun to try new things out.
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