Bitless Bridle

[spryandspringy]

Hello, folks!

I've been doing some research on the Dr. Cook's "Bitless Bridle TM" and it sounds like it might be a great solution for our OTTB. He refuses the bit, and when using a hackamore he shakes his head constantly. Most of what I've found online about this product is positive, but I know there must be some drawbacks. Has anyone used this product, and if so can you give your opinion? I am poised to purchase! :-)

Thanks in advance!

Elizabeth

[jinglejoys]

My little mule Blue definately prefers hers-I drive her in it and stopping is deffinately easier than when I used to have a bit (Also no one can complain she has her tongue over the bit:cool: )

[No_Angel]

i bought one for my ex racer and she was good for a while, then dragged me home all the time with it. I now have her in a happywheel and shes perfect:)

[india]

I've only had my Dr Cooks for a few days but so far I'm really pleased with it. I've got an irish thoroughbred who used to be ridden and jumped in a waterford bit before I bought him. For the last three years I've ridden, jumped and hacked out with him in a PNH natural hackamore.

Initially, the only reason I bought a Dr Cooks was because I plan to go to a few shows next season and I wanted a pain free bitless bridle that looks more traditional than a PNH hackamore.

To date, I've schooled B in it and he goes up and down the transitions with no problem at all both ridden and when online (whereas he sometimes throws in a couple of bucks when playing the circling game in his horsemans halter). It seems as if it's it's typical case of 'less is more'.

I'd say go for it....after all you've got nothing to lose, if within thirty days you find it doesn't suit your horse you can return it for a full refund.

How many other manufacturers offer that guarantee? ;)

[carrieh]

We didn't get on at all with the Dr Cooks - my Fell hated it with every ounce of his body! :D I tried the noseband at varying different heights and different pressures, but he just got in a state about it, sweated up and got really worried. I think he hated the whole 'head hugging' thing. Strangely enough that also happened with my friend's ID mare when she tried the same kind of bridle on her. I persevered for a couple of weeks but things just got worse, so I sent it back for a refund. On the first ride back in his ordinary bridle with snaffle 'magic' bit, Benny just went 'ahhhh thank goodness!' and settled straight back down again.

I am now poised to try a half bosal endurance bridle from Lodge Ropes instead.

[LodgeRopes]

Elizabeth,
This type of bridle seems to either work well for a particular horse or is completely unsuitable. Not sure if it will address the problems associated with a lot of ex racers.
Our experience was not good. We have played with the original Spirit bridle, Dr Cooks and the No-bit bridle. Our horses were all soft and usually ridden in halters and hackamores, but also bitted to plain snaffle. They hated the pressure as it was slow to release, not instant as they were used to. The cues were confusing, but before we could sort that out, the gelding dragged its head on the ground trying to get the bridle off. We tried the dr cook on my hackamore mare and she refused to move at first, but gave in and walked off on command. When we put any contact on the rein, she head tossed violently and shook trying to release the pressure.
We loaned the Dr Cooks to a friend for her endurance arab and it caused a lot of problems.
The padded leather spirit bridle was no better.

We think it has a lot to do with the horses previous training, if they are used to leverage bits that increase poll pressure, it may be more suitable for this type of horse...but for snaffle bit trained horses, it can be problematic.
good luck with it....

Carriah....if you need any info or pics of the Enduro just email usinfo@lodgeropes.com

Glad to supply any info or answer any questions to help you make an informed choice, our gear may not suit everyone and we certainly dont claim it will suit every horse. We believe training controls a horse not tack, and our gear is based on our experience working horses with the conditioned response training system. Our enduro is just a communication tool.

cheers all.

[cvb]

I think some people have had problems with the Dr Cook rubbing as well ? (from previous posts on NR). It may be the same horses that it has simply not suited ? (i.e. that the rubbing is part of it - as the bridle is not stable enough on them ?)

I have various bitless - but not the Dr Cook as I haven't needed anything beyond what I already have. But also may not be a good comparison as we have no problem with being bitted either...

[LodgeRopes]

Elizabeth, I forgot to ask, when you mentioned head tossing in a hackamore...would that have been a mechanical hackamore ????
The english/german shanked leverage bitless with a curb???

I ask as this type of device creates several different effects when contact is used. We dont usually use this type of device but we have 'played' with them and found curb adjustment critical and consideration should be given to amount of poll pressure created with rein contact (can upset some horses.)

Some times we feel that instead of looking forward trying to find a piece of tack to solve a problem, spend some time looking back and try to work out which part of the horses training or experiences may have contributed to the present problems. If you can isolate specific problems and address these, you may have more success.

Hi Cathy...:0) We should explore that possibility, acceptance of certain bridles may relate to previous good / bad training and experiences . Is the Dr Cooks bridle more suited to a horse with previous leverage bit experience???

[cvb]

Is the Dr Cooks bridle more suited to a horse with previous leverage bit experience???


What I do know is that Mark Rashid was trying out the Rockin S snaffle and not really seeing any benefit with his horses. The designer was quite upset ! Then Mark tried it with a horse that was having problems - and it made a massive difference. The Rockin S seems to stablise the bit in the horse's mouth and help them cope with it better.

I figure this is going to be the same bit to bitless. if the horse is happy in their head and neck and accepting the aids, swapping seems to be much less of an issue.

Where you do get issues is if the pressure is applied in a very different way or place and the horse is not trained to, or can't accept for some reason, one of those ways/places.

At a simplistic level I can see how the Dr Cook approach has some similarities with the lever based bits...

[jinglejoys]

"Is the Dr Cooks bridle more suited to a horse with previous leverage bit experience???"

Maybe this is why little Blue gets on with her bitless so well (By the way I'm told it is a "Spirit" which I had not heard of) She was driven in a Liverpool bit before and by the time she and I decided we'd had enough she had ports and flash(cross over and wrap the mouth shut!!!)noseband.
She had a seven year rest and straight into a Saddlechariot and bitless--differant mule!:D

[LodgeRopes]

"At a simplistic level I can see how the Dr Cook approach has some similarities with the lever based bits..."

CVB, your talking with a guy that ties knots into a piece of rope for a living, simplistic is what i do well.....lol :0)

cheers my friend
Rob

[cvb]

"At a simplistic level I can see how the Dr Cook approach has some similarities with the lever based bits..."

CVB, your talking with a guy that ties knots into a piece of rope for a living, simplistic is what i do well.....lol :0)

cheers my friend
Rob

I knew that was asking for trouble :rolleyes: yet I still did it (DOH !)

what I meant was that looking at it from the surface only, with limited analysis or exploration, I can see how one might make comparisons. Whether those comparisons would hold true on more detailed examination, I'm not sure. And I'm not sure I have the time or knowledge to make that deeper analysis...

baint nuffin wroing wiv simple !

[carrieh]

Benny has always been ridden in a snaffle of some sort or another. When I got him 10 years ago he came with a standard eggbutt snaffle and a flash noseband. I immediately got rid of the flash noseband, because the previous owners seemed to have been using it to keep his mouth closed round the bit, because he actually didn't like the nutcracker effect of the bit! So I also changed the bit to a straight bar snaffle, something called a magic bit, which is shaped in the centre to give room for the tongue. Benny immediately went so much better and this is the bit we have used ever since.

When I came to try him in a Dr Cooks a short time ago, as I say, he really hated it! Got worked up and worried. So I sent it back. I can only presume it was because of the pressure aspect of the bridle.

He's out of work at the moment due to a problem with muscle spasms, but if he still rideable in the future I will most certainly try a Lodge Ropes endurance bridle instead. I still like the idea of bitless if I can find the right one for him. He's 26 years old now and perhaps may not adapt as easily to something new, but I'd still like to try.

[nicolaj]

I've thought about trying bitless as well, but not sure about the Dr Cooks as he doesn't seem to like pressure around the poll, which I discovered when using a Richard Maxwell halter.

Like to look of the Lodge Ropes Endurance bridle, but have no job at the moment:(, so maybe when I'm all fixed up again might invest in one!:)

[BeachRiding]

Didn't work on my horses.... I am avoiding it.

[Sienna Star]

Hi, after using the monty roberts dually to ride my 4yr old sec d i decided to try a dr cook and he really didnt like it, he shook his head constantly, i now have in him in a IV Horse Scawbrig from horse and harmony and he goes beautifully in it and is easy to stop.