Bitless Bridles - a personal experience.

Vida - makes me feel better that I'm not the only one with this reaction. Now that I mention this to people appearantly it's not an uncommon response.

M2G - we got a demo video to play in our DVD player at work... man is it awful!! I can't believe it! It shows horses bucking, bolting, and just being rude. They also showcase an "upper level" dressage horse (terrible mover) that was literally three-legged lame.
I have not seen a single horse in any Nurtural Horse bitless bridle work well.

Zab - I agree. I'd prefer a mechanical hack to this contraption.
"It's funny how amazed people are that you can ride without a bit.. when it's really not that special or hard."
-- I COMPLETELY agree! I keep saying to people that I am NOT impressed just because a horse is "bitless." Yay, you can turn *woohoo.* I'm impressed by any horse working WELL, regardless of what's in its mouth.
I've ridden Denny with a halter just fine.. does that make me speshul?
Now something that's cool is riding an upper level horse bitless and bareback, and feeling the power firsthand... no, I'm not saying I expected anyone to go "wow" at it, I'm just saying it was an amazing feeling.

PonyBoy - No I didn't take the time to read their website... and it doesn't come as a shock. I will wander over there and take a look, thanks for the tip.

HAF - if you read my post, I stated I used a Nurtural Horse bitless. I did let him get used to it - he had it on while I was grooming, I introduced the idea of left and right on the ground, and I STILL got that reaction.
I did NOT just slap it on and expect a miracle.
Appearantly I'm not the only one with this reaction, if you have read the posts from FGR and Vida.



Once again, I had terrible results. I have not seen one video or example of any horse going well in this bitless bridle contraption. Each and every one has travelled hollow and not working through its body.

Again, Denny reacted like he was in pain; pain to a product whose "selling point" is to never make your horse feel the pain of a bit again.


Edited to Add:
I spoke to my barn owner after that "experience" and she said the exact same thing.. the one gelding she tried it on reacted very much the same way as Denny

i read your post and im not sure why any horse would react like that.. im useing a parelli hackamore. Tomorrow will be the first time I ever ride her in it so dont exspect to much.

Because it uses completely different pressure points. If you look at how it's made, you'll see how the design differs completely and totally from using a bitted bridle. There is pressure over the whole head with use of the reins, as opposed to just direct pressure to the mouth with a bit.

Like I said, I'm not the only one that has had such a reaction; this is not a-typical like I thought it was. The more people I talk to, the more I hear comments like mine.

Please don't fight with me on this one... I can guarantee you I am not making this up. I really wish I had a positive reaction from the bitless bridle, because now I have to sell it out of my store... gah.

Is this the "hackamore" you're getting? If so, it is nothing like the one I used. This is nothing more than a rope halter. http://www.parelli.com/product.faces?catId=17 This is not comparable to the Nurtural Horse bitless bridle at all.


Edited to add.. again.
In the video it brags that this bridle can be slapped on and used without letting the horse "get used to it" and shows clips of horses doing their thing in a bitted bridle then switching to a bitless and doing their thing again. If this is true, then even if I hadn't let Denny get used to it, I still shouldn't have gotten that reaction.

Off topic..
why on earth are they calling a ropehalter 'hackamore''? a hackamore has a curb bit effect, a rope halter...is just a ropehalter.. O_o;

I'm also annoyed that they name it ''bitless bridle''... becase bitless bridle is the only (that I know of, and in swedish too) name that could go for both hacamores, muserolas, sidepulls, riding cavessons and all other bridles designed to not have a bit.. Now they just stole it and to make it clear that you're talking about bitless all in all you have top write and say a lot... not to mention that the ''bitless bridle'' is the only bitless option that squeeses the horses head like that, most of the others simply work through preassure on the nose instead of the mouth. It gets very confusing. They should have used another name.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zab Off topic..

..because it has the name "Parelli" attached to it?

I have no idea.... it's not a hackamore. I agree, it's a rope halter.


Ohmigosh .. and it's $106?!?!? *faints*

Very good post as well. I had been wondering the same thing. Technically ANY bridle/headstall that doesn't use a bit can be called a "bitless bridle," wherein there are different "categories."
The Nurtural Horse bridle is a mix between a sidepull and ... well, the "bitless" contraption. I honestly do think it is and can be much more severe than a bridle with a bit.

True, but look at the rider... She was stiff, bouncy in the saddle, locked pelvis/hips, hands and shoulders stiff/braced, bouncy hands, and she was looking down. The horse did VERY well considering the rider and the surroundings. Really though, she and that western riding didn't have any business doing that demo. They weren't nearly as polished as the two driving horses and the other Dressage rider.

I wanted to update that I ground drove my mare with this bridle today (she needs her feet done before riding) and she did just as well as she did in the Cook bridle. We worked at the walk and trot, circles, figure 8s, and serpentines. She backed up and stopped well too.

But, like I said before, she already goes well in an exact copy of the Cook bridle. She works on a loose rein or on contact with it, and will collect some, though not as well as she does with her bit . She keeps her back up nicely and doesn't resist the bridle, she just knows she doesn't have to work as hard with it, lol.

I have a Dr Cook cross over bitless...which is similar but not the same to this bridle you have tried.

From what i can see in the pics the straps crossing over under the chin have some device ...rubber stop purhaps. I dont under stand why that would be there as the crossing over straps shouldnt be still, they need to be able to move a bit to apply the pressure properly around the head. Alot of that bridle looks like it would be.... still.....like a halter effect when you try to do anything with it..but apparently worse.

Just going on what the pics appear to show.

i would be very intreaged to see you try a Dr Cook bitless on your horse and see how he reacts with that in comparison to this natural bitless.

You are killing me. Loved the 65 guazillions posts you put up, all really funny. Love how straight to the point you are. Good for you!