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Re: [RC] [RC] To Bit or Not to Bit???? what do you think - terry banister

Just an FYI,

For people who like to go bitless sometimes, Sportack's Halter/Bridle/Sidepull (in biothane or beta) lets you do it all. No need to have a seperate halter. And you can unclip the bit after your horse is settled down, and not need to change headstalls to finsih the ride.

 Happy Trails!

Terry

>From: "Robin & Mary-Anne Dorchester" >To: "Paddi" ,"ridecamp" >Subject: Re: [RC] To Bit or Not to Bit???? what do you think >Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2004 20:53:15 -0700 > >Hi, > >Since I'm from Paddi's neighbourhood (more or less) and don't feel like digging out of the 6 inches of snow we've had in the last 12 hours (now it's cold AND snowing) , I decided to respond.... > >Sometimes I ride with a modified sidepull (a friend "invented" it), sometimes I ride with Paddi's version of the Spirit bridle or bitless bridle, sometimes I ride with a bit and sometimes I ride with a rope halter (same horse). I went bitless at first because my horse fought the bit, head tossing etc. It took a while to figure out what exactly the problem was but I was smart enough at least, to realize it was bit related and not just the "stupid horse". I finally figured out the problem, bought a bit that worked and the horse goes fine in it. What I rid e the horse with largely depends on the circumstance of the day, the horse goes fine in all of the above arrangements. I like bitless because it's less fuss at races and in the winter I don't have to remember to bring the bit inside to warm it up before I ride. On the other hand, I like the bit on the combined bridle for trail riding because I don't have to carry an extra halter just snap on my rope reins and I can tie up. > >If the bridle arrangement (whether bitless or not) leads to cutting of the tongue, dental pain and severe bruising of the gums and underlying bone or causes the horse to respond to pain by running away or bolting then you're doing something wrong. As my dad used to say "You're supposed to be smarter than the horse!" > >So, like everything else, consider your horse first and go with what works for you. > >Mary-Anne > >----- Original Message ----- > From: Paddi > To: ridecamp > Sent: Friday, January 30, 2004 5:03 PM > Subject: [RC] To Bit or Not to Bit???? what do you think &g t; > > I copied this directly from the patent 6591589 for Dr Cooks bitless bridle. > Since it is cold out and the barefoot and the dog thread has been hashed so many time maybe this will give some new interest. > To Bit or Not to Bit....That is the question. > > > Such bitted bridles, however, are uncertain in their action because they initiate an adversarial relationship between the horse and rider. For example, the bit causes pain and other reactions that are not consistent with the physiology of exercise. Governance is predicated primarily upon the application of pain to induce submission. Because the bit is a foreign object placed inside the mouth of the horse, many horses react negatively to such a device. Instead of stopping, for example, they sometimes respond to pain by running away or bolting. Furthermore, many horses chew the bit, have sore mouths as a result of the bit being placed in their mouth, balk at the bit, salivate excessively or misbehave during the process of being bridled and rear their he ads so that the bit cannot easily be placed in their mouths in the first instance. Moreover, it is also known that a bit in the horse's mouth often leads to cutting of the tongue, dental pain and severe bruising of the gums and underlying bone. Finally, all bits are counter-productive and contraindicated as, apart from pain, respond to pain by running away or bolting. Therefore, bitted bridles are harmful to the horse since control is dependent on painful pressure on the acutely sensitive tissue of the mouth and they stimulate other effects that are inconsistent with the physiological needs of an exercising animal. > > > This is another site I found while searching for the Spirit Bridle Link on the Dr. cook Web site. > > http://www.supreme-cavalry.com/ > > > Better get a break in the weather soon so we can all get to riding:-) > Paddi >

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