Why You Should Consider Going Bitless – The Q&A
Equipment
By Dr. Robert Cook
[EDITOR’S NOTE: Further to our recent webinar with Dr. Robert Cook, here are the Q&A from the event in written format.]
1. Why Bitless?
The question is most readily answered by turning it around, “Why bitted?” There are no good reasons, from the horse’s or the rider’s point of view, for putting a bit in a horse’s mouth. The horse’s welfare is best served by a bitless rein-aid, as is the rider’s safety. The main reason for not using a bit is that too often it hurts horses and frightens them. The welfare reason is reason enough not to use a bit but this also makes sense for the rider. Pain, fear and distress make a horse nervous, tense, highly-strung and more inclined to spook. Accidents are prevented and safety enhanced by riding bitless. A horse that is not in pain is able to listen and learn. Response to a painless rein-aid is more willing and training proceeds faster, with fewer setbacks.
2. Can all horses go bitless?
Yes. There is only one reason for using a bit and that is in order that a rider/driver can compete in certain disciplines. The justification for this mandate is the mistaken assumption that a bit controls a horse; it doesn’t.
3. What are the pros and cons of using a bit?
The one ‘pro’ is listed above. There are an endless number of ‘cons,’ i.e., well over 100 unwanted behaviors and c.40 diseases.
Some of the behaviors are potentially fatal to rider and/or horse (e.g., bolting, bucking, rearing, and stumbling). All are regrettable from the horse’s point of view. For the rider, they ruin the pleasure of riding, handicap performance, lead to rider injury, hospital bills and other huge expenses. From the horse’s point of view, the behaviors themselves are signs of their unacceptability – signs demonstrating that a horse does not ‘accept the bit.’ All bit-induced stress behaviors are unwanted and avoidable. They are pain and fear responses; signs of discomfort and distress. The term ‘unwanted behavior’ is not a good one as this implies that the horse is at fault. It’s a rider-centric label. Let’s call them what they are; signs of pain and fear, discomfort and distress. A better term would be ‘stress responses.’ Owners of bitted horses are unaware that they have a better horse than they think. They do not recognize that features of their horse’s behavior they ascribe to ‘character’ and ‘temperament’ and assume to be unalterable genetic traits are often caused by the bit and, therefore, reversible.
Bit-induced diseases run the gamut from oral problems such as bone spurs on the bars of the mouth and dental damage, to facial neuralgia, neck and back pain, bridle lameness, learned helplessness, depression, suffocation, waterlogging of the lungs and sudden death. A small metal foreign body in the mouth has a baleful effect on just about every bodily system, with the possible exception of the reproductive system. It is especially harmful to the optimum functioning of all the systems associated with athletic performance – the respiratory, cardiovascular, nervous and musculoskeletal systems.
This is an appropriate moment to refute the claim that bitted bridles are not inherently more harmful than bitless bridles and that ‘it-all-depends-on-the-riders’-hands.’ In the same vein, defenders of the bit will state that bitless bridles can be just as severe as bitted bridles. But there is no symmetry or equivalence in the potential for harm of these two classes of bridle. The number, frequency and severity of stress responses in the horse that could conceivably be generated by a bitless bridle are few, infrequent and trivial compared with the high degree of stress caused by a bitted bridle. Related to this disparity in stress for the horse, the risk of injury to the rider when using a bitless bridle is far less than with a bitted bridle.
The implication in the ‘it-all-depends-on-the-riders’-hands’ defense of the bit is that, used ‘properly,’ the bit causes the horse no stress and does not imperil the rider’s safety; that bad results with the bit are the rider’s fault; and that the bit method of communication should only be judged by the results that can be obtained by those that have learned to ride. Such premises, even if they were true, ignore the realities. A method of communication that can only be used ‘properly’ by a minority of riders is not a method that can be recommended for use by riders of all ages, skill and experience. Nor is it a method applicable to all disciplines of equitation. Novice and ‘uneducated hands’ at the end of a bitless rein are prevented from causing the mayhem that the same hands frequently cause when connected to a bitted rein. Bitless riders are, to a very great extent, protected from rider error. With strap on skin, as opposed to metal on bone, they are virtually incapable of causing their horse physical and mental harm. By doing no harm, riders are safer. But also, their rein cues being painless, are more easily understood by the horse and are therefore more accurate. An element of pain in the signal introduces signal ‘noise.’ This is not just confusing for the horse but can trigger a quite different response from the one the rider intended.
4. Is it safer to use a bit?
No. A bit frightens a horse and renders it nervous, highly strung and more inclined to spook. A frightened horse cannot listen and learn and is less likely to respond to rider requests. As the saying goes, ‘To a frightened man, everything rustles.’ The same applies to the horse.
5. Is it kinder not to use a bit?
Yes. Inherent in the principle of all bits is that they are designed to cause pain. Unless used by a master horseman they will cause pain. Some bitless bridles have the potential for causing pain (e.g., the more severe mechanical hackamores) but most are painless. But even the mechanical hackamore is nothing like as painful as a bit. Strap on skin trumps metal on bone. Apart from the pain factor, every bit is incompatible with the physiology of exercise. So yes, bitless bridles are inherently kinder. A bitless rider does not have to be a master horseman in order to communicate painlessly.
6. Is it possible for ALL horses to go bitless, regardless of the discipline?
Yes – competition rules are the only barrier.
7. Do you think a bitless bridle gives enough control or release
It gives more control – or to phrase it more appropriately (riders should be looking for willing cooperation from their horse, not control) it allows for more accurate ‘communication.’ Because of riders inadvertently inflicting pain with a bit, the bit is the most common cause of complete loss of control. It is a myth that bits ‘control.’ A bit is not like the brake on a car. It is much more akin to the accelerator. Horses run when hurt. A cardinal error made by a learner driver is to mistake the accelerator pedal for the brake. A huge benefit of a painless bitless bridle is that it prevents a rider from making this dangerous mistake. Even if her horse spooks and she throws her whole body weight onto the reins to regain her balance, she cannot hurt her horse. It is as though a bitless bridle comes with a built-in monitoring system to prevent operator error. We will come back to this important topic later but, for the moment, let it be said that the rein is for communication. It should not be thought of as a method of control. It is for signaling polite requests, not for commanding coercion.
The ‘Dr Cook’ provides plenty of release. See Dr.Jessica Jahiel’s comments in the archives for her HorseSense newsletter. More importantly, there is no pain to the ‘pressure’ in the first instance. With a bit, pressure-and-release is too often pain-and-release.
8. Why should I ‘go bitless’?
Because it’s safer, kinder to the horse, improves its performance and makes you a better rider. As already stated (but it bears repetition) If you are currently riding with a bitted bridle, you have a better horse than you think.
9. What is the difference between Dr. Cook’s bridle and the Micklem Multibridle?
One of the configurations for the Micklem bridle is a crossunder configuration. It can also be used as a bitted bridle.
10. I know your philosophy has been around for a while (you were the first I had read about in the late 90s, early 00) and, being in America, I am wondering what your thoughts are on the Nevzorov Haute theory which comes out of Russia. The teacher uses no bit or bitless bridle because of concerns with anything hampering the anatomical range of the horse’s face. Do you feel your bitless bridle and others are exempt from harming or irritating horse nerves and muscles in that region, traveling all the way to the eye and cranial?
I have corresponded with Alexander Nevzorov (through his wife Lydia) since 2003. We had both written books about bits before either of us came to know each other. As I understand Alexander’s present philosophy, he no longer rides. That is his personal decision and one that I respect. An opinion of his with which I cannot agree is his concern about the fragility of the horse’s nasal bone at its peak close to the muzzle. The bone here is not as fragile in the living horse as it is in a dried skull. In nearly 20 years of crossunder bitless usage, no damage to the bone or the nerves of the face has ever been reported. With regard to the facial nerves, to my knowledge, the same can be said for other bitless bridles. It is often remarked that a mechanical hackamore, improperly used, is capable of fracturing the peak of the nasal bone. In 64 years as a veterinarian, I have not encountered such damage, nor have I come across such a case record in the literature.
11. How does one change from bit to bitless, and what should one expect?
To first answer the ‘what,’ you can expect to be delighted, happy and kicking yourself for not having made make the change 30 years ago!
As to the ‘how,’ this is much simpler than you might imagine. First, read the manual. Once this is done, follow the steps below. The actual transition is disarmingly simple, quick and rewarding.
SStage 1. Take off the bitted bridle and replace with a bitless bridle.
SStage 2. From the ground, check that your horse understands the bitless rein aids, for ‘turn left’ – ‘turn right’ – ‘stop’ and ‘reverse’
SStage 3. Mount, stand for a moment, then ride off at the walk in a closed arena or small paddock. Test for ‘left, right, stop and reverse.’
SStage 4. Trot
Stage 5. Canter
Many trail riders will be sufficiently confident by the end of day one that they are ready to go for a ride.
Most horses ‘understand’ the new bridle in the first 5 minutes. The rider may take a little longer (anything from 30 minutes to a couple of days). Many heart-warming testimonials are written on the evening of day one (see ‘User comments’ at http://www.bitlessbridle.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=7
12. How has Dr.Cook’s bitless bridle changed since 2001? That is when I got mine and I’m still riding with it!
The design hasn’t changed. We have added a wider range of colors in the beta and nylon materials. More recently, we have added the option of rope reins.
13. Is there any merit in the ‘new’ designs of headpiece, shaped behind the ears to reduce pressure? If so, is this something we’ll see offered by Dr Cook?
The amount of pressure that the crossunder applies at the poll is trivial. I see no need to change it.
14. What is the best all-purpose gear with a green broke horse for trail work alone & in groups
I could be biased but, since you ask, there is nothing better than the ‘Dr. Cook’!
15. Is there ever a justification for using a bit? Even so-called natural horseman suggest you get a greater degree of communication via a bit.
First, not all ‘natural horsemen’ make this suggestion. Secondly, from the horse’s point of view, there is no justification for using a bit. Those few riders who find that a greater degree of communication can be obtained with a bit should bear in mind that exquisite ‘communication’ is possible without a bit and even without a bridle. So what does this tell us? To me it suggests that those riders who are obtaining what they think of as superior communication may be obtaining it at the expense of the horse. A horse that feels pain may respond, at least for the moment, with greater alacrity than one that is not being hurt. However, this may be a short-term gain and there may well come a time when such a horse revolts. Also, the suggestion does not give sufficient credit to a horse’s sensitivity. Horses can feel a fly landing on their skin. They don’t need to be ‘hurt’ with a bit before they will respond. If a touch on skin is found inadequate, the fault lies with the training, rather than with the equipment. As with most equestrian problems, poor communication is not a horse problem but a rider problem.
16. Is it easy to retrain a horse to be ridden bitless?
Yes. A horse takes to it like a duck to water. Being no longer in fear or pain, a horse can listen and learn so much better. Training proceeds faster, more smoothly and without the continued and mounting accumulation of a host of bit-induced problems.
17. Before I bought him, my horse was in a 3-ring gag, flash noseband and running martingale, and getting stronger. When I restarted him, I rode him in a horseman’s halter, but a) he seemed worried by having no bit in his mouth, and b) car drivers looked very worried when they spotted that I had no bit in his mouth! I have since gone back to a Neue Schule Team Up bit (cyprium, double jointed with a lozenge in the middle) with no noseband or martingale, and ride mainly off my energy and my body, and use the reins as little as possible, just to support him when he needs it, and then I leave him alone when he is right. Is there anything wrong with this, so long as the rider’s hands are kind and considerate, if it gives the horse the confidence of something that he has known in the past, albeit I think that he was previously running away from another rider’s harsh hands?