RC: Bitless Bridle LTD

["guest@endurance.net" <guest@endurance.net>]

Barb Peck bpeck@together.net
Barb Peck	
bpeck@together.net		

A friend of a friend is the promoter of the bitless
bridle, which was made avaliable to the public
afew years ago.  I was surprised at first that it was
patentable, as the way it's designed is pretty close
to the B-Nice halter,  but then I realized the patent had
run out on the B-Nice Halter in 1997, so it's design
was fair- game. The bitless bridle was patented in 1998 or99.

The major thing I did not like about it:

When the reins are pulled,  the throat latch
pieces are brought forward, and pressure  is brought against
the facial nerve that runs down the side of a horse's broad cheek. 

Some horses (like mine) have a very prominent facial nerve
and on some horses it's deeper and not as easily seen.

With the exception of the B-Nice halter, conventional
bridles' and halter's cheek pieces are forward of the
facial nerves, and the throat latch pieces are well behind
the facial nerve.

Using the Bitless Bridle, I had one ride (in very fast company)
where my horse was really on and wanted to GO. 
I had him checked with what I'd call only moderate pressure,
not constant, but I was on his face quite a bit.
After riding 3 hrs, I stopped and noticed I'd been pulling hard
enough to leave indentations of the throat-latch pieces
along his cheek, which in one spot was right over the
facial nerve.

Continual pressure, or damage to the facial nerve can cause
paraylsis of the nostrils or lips.  And while someone may
say "oh,  you'll never pull hard enough, or long enough to do
damage"  I decided not to take the chance. I went back to my
hacamore.

The control with the bitless bridle was about equal to a
ring snaffle.

I think the little S, or Beetle
hacamores are superior to the bitless bridle.

I sent afew questions to their web-site regarding the
throat-latch pieces, but never received a reply.


Barb