The Bitless Bridle News section:
This section is where we will present news items for those who would like to hear about recent developments. Vistors are invited to submit items of news relevant to The Bitless Bridle for possible inclusion by writing to info@bitlessbridle.com
March 2008
Joe Camp's book, "The Soul of a Horse, Life Lessons from the Herd" to be released April 29th.
The book is all about barefoot, natural care, and natural horsemanship. Dr. Cook's review:
"Joe Camp has to write another book - and soon! I finished The Soul of a Horse and I am already suffering withdrawal symptoms. Joe is a wonderful story-teller. The book is lively, stimulating, delightful, educational, amusing, entertaining, charming, a pleasure to read and totally lovable. Joe Camp I am in your debt. Thank you!"
Yvonne Weltz, editor of "The Horse's Hoof" writes: "If you are a barefoot supporter and want to do something to help promote better horse care in this world, one thing you can do right away is to buy this book and help get it noticed! We need to get this book on the New York Times bestseller list!"
You can pre-order the book for a big discount by visiting this page: The Soul of a Horse
Bitless Dressage
A group of riders in Holland and Belgium (including Josepha Guillaume, BBAC) have founded a website to promote the Art of Natural Dressage (AND) without any force, cruelty, punishment or dominance. (www.artofnaturaldressage.com )
Bitless vs. Bitted: a demonstration by Dr. Cook
On the afternoon of Friday October 31, Dr.Cook will be giving a demonstration in which four horses will be ridden, first in their standard bitted bridles and then in the BitlessBridle.The demonstration will take place at the Certified Horsemanship Association Annual Conference, Kentucky Horse Park, October/November 2008.
III World Barefoot Conference for Natural Hoofcare and Holistic Horse Treatment, Tuebingen, Germany, September 25-27, 2008
In addition to lectures and demonstrations on the hoof, the program this year will include presentations about the use of bitless bridles in a number of disciplines, including fox hunting, and draft work for farming and forestry. For details contact Dr. Hiltrud Strasser. Phone/Fax: +49 (0)7071 87572 Email: Hufklinik@t-online.de
The BitlessBridle goes mainstream
Two recent books (and perhaps more) contain numerous references to the BitlessBridle:
Dr. Jessica Jahiel's "The Horse Training Problem Solver." Storey Publishing, 2007
Sarah Blanchard's "The Power of Positive Horse Training: Say Yes to Your Horse" Howell Book House, 2005
February, 2008
Tarpan Association, Switzerland (www.tarpan.ch)
This iron-free horse association in the mountains of southern Switzerland has 21 horses that have been bitless and barefoot for the last two years. They run a free riding program for the handicapped. They are also preparing a petition to the Swiss national federation for a change in the rules for dressage and driving. From 1st to 3rd August, 2008, they will be holding an event to promote the "natural management of domestic horses." Shows and training demonstrations will include bitless driving and a bitless dressage clinic. Unless Christine Stuckelberger is selected for the eighth time (which would be a record) to compete in the Olympics and will for this reason be in Pekin, she has volunteered to give a bitless clinic.
Bitless clinician and trainer continues to spread the word
Carlos Tabernaberri, an Argentinian horseman based in Australia, is someone who will not accept a horse for training unless the owner agrees to go bitless. He gives clinics across Australia and will be demonstrating at the Australian Equitana in November, after a USA tour in September.
BBAC News
The activities of our BBACs are getting more and more attention. Sheila Lee Thompson in the UK and Alison Silveira in Canada have both had articles written about them, published in horsemen's journals and Josepha Guillaume, Belgium will soon join the ranks. Marko Honkanen is our most recent BBAC appointment in Sara, Finland
'ON-THE-BIT': A misleading and mischievous phrase
This article by Dr.Cook was published in the February issue of the online journal "Horses For Life." (www.horsesforlife.com) This new article by Dr. Cook provides evidence in support of two propositions. First, the unfortunate phrase 'on the bit' has led to a widespread misunderstanding about the correct use of the rein-aid. Secondly, inappropriate as the phrase is, by itself it nevertheless represents no obstacle to acceptance by the FEI of a more humane and safer rein-aid.All that is needed is a more judicious interpretation of Article 401 (Object and General Principles of Dressage) and the addition of four words to Article 428 (Saddlery). The article is available online by clicking here.
Truth travels slowly and falsehood moves fast
In a letter to the editor of the New Scientist (22 March 2008) Carol Herzenberg used the above phrase in concluding that "in the world outside science, cold facts are not enough... additional techniques must be used by scientists struggling against propaganda, and I recommend ridicule... I suggest an immediate response of publicly ridiculing the most obvious lies and propaganda, followed promptly by a detailed response that is as thorough, thoughtful and accurate as possible." That "truth travels slowly" was also observed by Mark Twain, who wrote, "A lie can get halfway around the world before the truth can even get its boots on."
In the horse world, the problem is not so much propaganda, with two opposing ideas coming out of the starting gate at the same time, as the problem of old ideas (such as the bit) having a 5000 year jump start on any new idea based on science. Nevertheless, similar tactics of ridicule might be employed to advantage to break Bronze Age mind sets. Accordingly, Dr.Cook has tried his hand at the ancient art of satire, based on a line from Article 401, Object and General Principles of Dressage, in the FEI's Rules for Dressage Events. The line states:
The object of dressage is the development of the horse into a happy athlete through harmonious education.
The satire is entitled "See the Happy Athlete" and can be read by clicking here.
Bitless Bridles in Wikipedia
Users who enjoy editing might like to work on this article in the free online encyclopedia, Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitless_bridle). The article contains some interesting information about bitless bridles in general and, in the early section on "style," the first bridle to be mentioned is the crossunder.
Rule Change Proposals
More and more members of national equine federations are submitting rule changes to their national federations proposing that the crossunder bridles be permitted for dressage. To my knowledge, proposals have been submitted to national federations in South Africa, Switzerland and Holland but there may be many more. Dr. Cook is interested in keeping a tally of these attempts and is always glad to help in any way he can.
Bitless Carriage Horses will tread the streets softly in Beaufort, SC
The City Council at Beaufort, South Carolina have passed an Ordnance permitting carriage company horses to go barefoot. Peter and Rose White, owners of the Suthern Buggy Carriage Company proposed this change and plan to take full advantage of it in the next few months. Their five horses will then be both bitless and barefoot. [See the "Bitless Driving Success Story" in the January 2008 News]
The Dutch Organization of Bitless Riding
De Nederlandse Vereniging Bitloos Paardrijden (NVBP), The Dutch Organization of Bitless Riding, an association formed in August 2007 to promote bitless riding and driving is very active (see www.bitloos.nl)
US Pony Club
A number of senior officials of the US Pony Club were given the opportunity to "test drive" the BitlessBridle last year and feedback is awaited.
January, 2008
Filmmaker Speaks Out For The Bitless Bridle
Joe Camp, speaker, author, film producer, children’s advocate, voice for animals and creator of the canine superstar Benji films has become intensely interested in the horse. His new book, ‘The Soul of a Horse’ will be launched in April 2008. Joe has learned more about horses in two years than many of us learn in a lifetime. Visit www.nakedhorsemanship.com for an uplifting experience and don’t miss his ‘paddock paradise’ video in “Dancing Barefoot.”
This month, Joe ‘discovered’ the BitlessBridle.He challenged us to draft one sentence that encapsulates the essence of the bridle. We tried… but the one he subsequently came up with himself is the winner. "Forget the no-more-metal rhetoric, forget the pain, forget the cruelty – all of which are true – the darned thing just works better than a bit!"
UK Jockeys Consider The Bitless Bridle
At the instigation of the Veterinary Committee of the Jockey Club/ Horse Racing Authority in the UK, nine Thoroughbred trainers (flat and steeplechase) in the UK volunteered to take part, last year, in a trial of the BitlessBridle for training purposes.Their reports are under consideration this month by the Veterinary Committee.Here are quotes from a couple of the trainers who took part.
Richard Guest, who now trains steeplechasers but who, when he was a professional jockey, won the Grand National reported, ”I use it every day, on two-year-old chasers, hurdlers, everything. It’s fine. … Over the last six weeks I have used it on 30 horses. I use it as a rule (i.e., routinely) on every horse. I ride out four lots a day, eight horses every morning. I have two beta bridles and I love ‘em. … there is no horse that I would not race in the bitless bridle.
Roger Charlton, a trainer who has won both the English and the French Derby, said that he “is very satisfied with the Bitless Bridle we have been using” and would be “confident in both using it for working horses and on the racecourse.”
UK Animal Welfare Organizations To Examine The Use of Bits in Dressage
Emeritus Professor David Morton, a veterinarian who has devoted his career to a study of animal ethics and welfare, has asked three welfare organizations in the UK to review the welfare issues arising from the use of the bit in dressage. He has sent packages of scientific literature to the British Veterinary Association Ethics and Welfare Group, the Companion Animal Welfare Council, and the Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law Veterinary Association.
PAARD 2008 - 2nd Annual Bitless Exposition in Holland
Madeleine Calkoen, one of the organizers of PAARD 2008, the second annual bitless event that took place in Holland this month, kindly gave Dr. Cook a comprehensive report on a day that was clearly a great success. The program included a Pas de Deux demonstration of bitless ground driving with long reins; bitless dressage on a Connemara; bitless show jumping; a driving instructor introduced a horse to bitless driving that had never previously been driven bitless and, in so doing, convinced the public that this was safe; a baroque horse was ridden with a neck ring (cordeo); two stallions were ridden in bitless bridles in a Pas de Deux; a demonstration of ‘free style’ training with long reins and a crossunder bitless bridle; and finally, a bitless dressage demonstration proving that Grand Prix exercises were perfectly possible.
New Behavioral Profile Questionnaire
The Behavioral Profile Questionnaire has been updated to identify which of the hundred or more negative behavioral signs that can be caused by the bit are specific to the bit and are not caused by any other source of pain, for example pain from the back or feet.Anyone using the questionnaire is encouraged to use this updated version. The new version is available in PDF format and also as an Excel Spreadsheet.
Bitlessness Not Just For Horses Anymore
A retired doctor in Virginia is in the process of training a team of eight Bactrian camels to be driven in the BitlessBridle. Bactrian camels, with two humps, evolved in mountainous country, whereas the dromedary with one hump evolved on the plains. In this respect, the Bactrian is to the Dromedary what the donkey is to the horse. But talking of evolution and going back in time, camels originally evolved in North America. In those early days, they were rabbit-sized animals. They died out in North America but not before some had crossed the Bering Straits.
Economic Proof That Bitless is Safer.
Some insurance companies in Germany now offer a 10% discount on premiums to anyone who rides bitless.
NWHA To Allow Bitless Bridle in Competition
Congratulations and thanks to Gail Dockery (www.alwayswalkin.co) who has succeeded in persuading the National Walking Horse Association to permit the use of the crossunder bitless bridle for both English and Western classes. Gail has been invited to write an article about her bitless experience for her local association.
"Metal in the Mouth" Illustrations on the Lecture Circuit
A compact disc of Dr.Cook’s scientific illustrations from his book, “Metal in the Mouth…” is being made into a PowerPoint presentation by Inge van der Woude-Rindertsma, Bitless Bridle Associate Clinician (BBAC) in Holland, so that she and Madeleine Calkoen, also in Holland, can use these when giving lectures on bitless equitation.
Bitless Bridle Featured in "Horse and Rider"
An article was published recently in the journal “Horse and Rider” about a clinic that the well-known Australian behaviorist Dr. Andrew McClean gave in the UK. All the photographs in the article showed a horse being ridden by Dr. McClean in a crossunder bitless bridle.
SANEF To Consider The Bitless Bridle for Dressage Competition
The South African National Equine Federation (SANEF) will, it is hoped, consider a proposal at their AGM this month to permit the crossunder bitless bridle for dressage.
Bitless Driving Success Story
Congratulations to Peter and Rose White, owners of the Suthern Buggy Carriage Company, based in historic Beaufort, South Carolina. Thanks to their initiative and determination, the company has completed its first year with all five of their Belgian carriage horses being driven in the BitlessBridle.One of their horses, at 19 hands, is a contender for the Guinness Book of Records ‘tallest living horse’ category. Peter and Rose can proudly claim that their Carriage Company is the first to free their horses from bits. The year’s experience has been an unqualified success … no accident, emergency, scare or crisis of any sort and enthusiastic public acceptance of the enhanced equine welfare. In a recent email, Peter writes:“There is a great, warm feeling, that comes over us everyday when we harness up and see 'our boys' working so happily. We are very proud showing everyone the BitlessBridle. The best way to describe the warm feeling is that we work together with the horses rather than enslave them.” But they are not resting on their laurels, as they are now working towards getting all their horses barefoot as well.
Change of telephone number
Dr. Cook’s new business number is (443) 282-0472
Bitless, Shoeless and Free
The Jardin family from France, with their two children, are traveling through Europe with their Gypsy caravan. Their team of horses are getting a great deal of attention wherever they go, as both horses are bitless and shoeless.
Article by Dr. Cook Published
An invited article by Dr. Cook on the welfare issues of bits and horseshoes entitled, "Metal, Myth & Equine Misery" was published this month in the UK journal of Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law Veterinary Association. The article is available online, click here.
Bitless Bridles Under Review in Holland
The President of the National Federation of Riding Schools (FNRS) in Holland, an organization that certifies riding schools for safety and other matters, has sanctioned a trial whereby a selected riding school will use four of their school horses to be ridden bitless during schooling lessons. Depending on results a decision will be made as to whether riding schools in Holland may use bitless bridles in the future.
"Iron-Free" Riding School opens in Wales
In November 2007 a riding school licence was granted to the Bitless Bridle Equestrian Centre in Wales, owned by Sheila Lee Thompson, BBAC in the UK. Sheila believes this to be the first totally 'ironfree' riding school in Wales, and probably in the UK - all the horses have Dr Cook BitlessBridles, are barefoot and have treeless saddles. In addition all the horses at the Centre are kept as naturally as possible and live out 24/7 on a very recently installed 'Paddock Paradise' system. More information about Sheila is available via two articles published this month in "WelshRider," available online at www.welshrider.co.uk/. Both are available here as well, with WelshRider's kind permission: Natural Horse-Care and Going Iron Free. Sheila's contact info for The BitlessBridle UK is available here.
December, 2007
Bitless Horse Association Created
A Bitless Horse Association has been founded by a group of enthusiasts in the UK to act as a global gathering place for all bitless riders. The association hopes to coordinate news about bitless competitions that are being arranged in different parts of the world (we have heard of plans in Belgium, South Africa, UK and USA) and to encourage efforts on the part of individuals to persuade national federations, pony clubs and other organizations to update rule changes to permit crossunder bitless bridles in competitive events. The website is in process of being created but keep watch at www.bitlesshorse.org
Bitless Bridle Associate Clinician Update
We now have international agents in 18 different countries, with more than one agent in some countries. This month, we welcome two additions to our team, from Iceland and Brazil. Click here for the full list.
"Metal in the Mouth" Goes Multi-Lingual
Dr. Cook's book, "Metal in the Mouth: The abusive effects of bitted bridles" is in process of being translated into French, Dutch, German and Swedish
November, 2007
Are Bits Necessary For Dressage?
The well-known author and clinician, Dr. Jessica Jahiel, published an article recently in 'Dressage Today' that will be of interest to readers of this newsletter: "Are Bits necessary for Dressage?" The article is available online by kind permission of the author and the journal, click here.
Bitless Bridle Competes at the Springfield Equine Affaire
At this month’s Equine Affaire in Springfield, MA, our first appointed Bitless Bridle Instructor, Cathie Hatrick-Anderson from Upton, MA rode her bitless 7-year-old horse CACHINA in the first ‘Versatile Horse & Rider Competition’ and gained a creditable 11th place with a young horse. Photos are available by clicking here.
Bitless Driving from the Distant Past
Carriage drivers today are often rather shocked at the suggestion that the BitlessBridle can be used for driving, which it can – with advantage. Yet historically, bitless driving probably preceded bitted driving. Click here to learn more...
October, 2007
More Recognition of the Negative Effect of Bits
The Companion Animal Welfare Council in the UK has an item on its agenda for January 2008, “Dressage bits: Potential welfare issues.”
Bit-Induced Bone Spur Research Continues
Bit-induced bone spurs on the bars of the mouth are extremely common. Continuing his survey of horse skulls in Natural History Museums, Dr. Cook spent a couple of days this month in the basement of the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Click here for more (photos)...
Ivory Pal Goes Bitless!
Ivory Pal has entertained spectators at various events by performing to choreographed music where he displays his natural gaits, rearing on command, half passes, side passes, piaffe, levad, and bowing. He has even performed bridleless and in April 2007, Ivory Pal made his Bitless Bridle debut while performing at Equifest 2007! Ivory Pal, as well as all our horses, are all ridden with your Bitless Bridle and we have cleaned our tack room of all the bits. At all events and shows, Ivory Pal is clearly a crowd favorite and pleaser, he is always kept busy posing for pictures and handing out his "autographed" pictures for his fans. We regularly receive e-mails from Ivory Pal's large and rapidly growing fan club. Click here for more (photos)...
Bit-Pain Awareness Grows
The UK journal ‘British Dressage’ published an article this month by Linda Waller, a dressage judge, with the interesting title, “Are we causing unnecessary pain.” The article cited and was triggered in part by Dr. Cook’s report to the FEI entitled “Why is Rollkur Wrong?”
September, 2007
A Voice from the Past Opposing Blinders
Dr. Cook spent another day this month at one of his favorite places, the National Sporting Library, Middleburg, VA. The literature research never fails to come up with treasure. One gem from this visit was an opinion on the controversy about whether or not blinders (or blinkers, as they are called in the UK) were necessary for driving. George Fleming, CB, LLD, FRCVS, Principal Veterinary Surgeon of the Army at the end of the 19th century and the author of a classical book on ‘Roaring in Horses’ wrote, “There can be no doubt whatever that fashion and custom alone sanction their use … Blinkers ought to be abolished.”
Epiglottal Entrapment
An article on epiglottal entrapment in the Veterinary Record, the official journal of the British Veterinary Association in which the cause of this defect was said to be unknown, prompted Dr. Cook to submit a letter to the editor. The letter was not published but is available online for anyone who is interested, as it is Dr. Cook’s opinion that the defect is caused by the presence of the bit admitting air into the mouth and elevating the soft palate. The same mechanism is responsible for dorsal displacement of the soft palate. The article is available online, click here.
August, 2007
Le Trec
Le Trec is an increasingly popular FITE sport. Not being governed by the FEI, crossunder bitless bridles are not only permitted but actively encouraged.
Olympic Hopeful...
We hear on the grapevine that a leading Olympic dressage rider, Christine Stuckelberger, has tried the Bitless Bridle and likes it.
Bitless Bridles Donated to the Pony Club
A number of Bitless Bridles have been donated to executives of the Pony Club in the USA and distributed by Stormy May in the hope that they will give the bridles a trial and become familiar with their many advantages for young riders. Feedback is awaited with interest. Currently, the Pony Club follows FEI guidelines, with the result that children are obliged to use bitted bridles for Pony Club competitions.
July, 2007
The Bitless Bridle Sponsors Carlos Tabernaberri
The Bitless Bridle is now sponsoring Carlos Tabernaberri, an Australian-based trainer emphasizing cooperative relationships between horse and rider. Described as the ‘next generation of horsemen’ and the ‘gentlest horseman’ yet to touch a horse, Carlos Tabernaberri rejects the use of bits in favor of developing understanding and pain-free communication. His practical physical, emotional and mental techniques have achieved remarkable results with horses and riders, regardless of discipline, helping hundreds of people around the world to develop extraordinary partnerships with their horses. Click here for more (photos)...
The "Original" Bitless Bridle?
The earliest known development of the crossunder design of bitless bridle can be credited to Ike Grimsley, a bulldogger in the rodeo world. Ike came from Swink in Colorado and was nicknamed ‘Ink of Swink.’ The bridle was made and used by a small circle of bulldoggers (men who hired out teams of horses for rodeo work) in the early 1950s but was never marketed. Click here to learn more (photos)...
May 2007
The Horse "Steven James," by Tany Walsh
Corrine Wilson sent us this story about a famous jumper in South Africa, Steven James:
My dearest friend Tanya decided to try your bridle. Here are her comments and a picture of her and the horse - "Steven James" at a local event in Noordhoek, South Africa. The horse is a legend in South Africa and a little notorious for being quite a handfull. A special mention of your bridle was announced over the loud speaker as she completed her round finishing second. Click here to read more (photos)...
March 2007
FEI Terminates Correspondence Regarding The Crossunder Bitless Bridle
An email correspondence has been taking place over the past two years between Dr. Cook and the Secretary General of the FEI, Michael Stone. Two years ago, the Secretary General had undertaken to ask his colleagues in Switzerland to carry out a trial of the crossunder bitless bridle. Dr. Cook was asking for feedback from the trial and subsequently presenting the evidence for a rule change proposal to permit the cross-under bitless bridle for dressage and other disciplines. Sadly, the feedback from the trial was that none of those who had used the bridle felt that a rule change was justified and the Secretary General himself was unconvinced by the evidence in favor of such a change. The correspondence was terminated this month by the Secretary General.
Many riders would like to see The Bitless Bridle become a permitted item of equipment for FEI sponsored competitions in all disciplines. However, in order for this to be considered, proposals for rule changes need to be submitted. Proposals cannot be sent to the FEI. The national federations have to first recommend such a change. So in the USA, for example, proposals need to be submitted to the USEF. These can only be submitted by members of the USEF and the USEF state in their guidelines that the chances of getting a rule change accepted is enhanced if the applicant can muster the support of at least one USEF committee member.
If you are interested in submitting a Rule Change Proposal (and we urge you to do so), we have some useful information on the process available by clicking here.
February, 2007
The Bitless Bridle Featured in Horse Classics Calendar
The Bitless Bridle is featured in the 2007 Horse Classics wall calendar, in the February photo. The photo shows Wendy Benns (left) on "Mariah" in a hackamore, and Cathy Mezenberg (right) on "Taran" in The Bitless Bridle. The event is the Aquilla Run on the Lake Huron shore in Kincardine, Ontario, Canada. The calendar is available at www.horseclassics.com. A cropped version of the photo can be seen by clicking here...
Certified Horsemanship Association and The Bitless Bridle Join Forces
The Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) and The Bitless Bridle Inc. are partnering to help horses. Many riding instructors have those good old reliable school horses that safely and patiently pack around beginner riders, occasionally cheating around the corners, but otherwise good solid citizens that work hard and earn their keep. These horses often endure daily punishment from their riders; most riders never intend to punish the horse, but as beginners struggle to find their balance in the saddle, invariably the horse is hit in the mouth and slammed in the back, time after time. These horses are priceless to any lesson or trail program; wouldn't it be nice if we could keep them happy and fit for years to come? Click here for more...
January, 2007
Research on Rein Tension Published
Some interesting research on the measurement of rein tensions was published this month by a team in Australia (Warren-Smith et al, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 108, 157-169, 2007) , Rein tensions during long lining were found to be greater than those applied during riding.
The forces applied by the rider to the reins in pounds (lbs), grams (g) or Newtons (N) are not of course the same as the forces in pounds per square inch that are focused by the bit on the horse’s tongue and bars of the mouth but the authors point out that rein tension can be measured more accurately than bit pressure.
“Light contact” (i.e. at the walk in a straight line) has been measured by previous authors as being close to 4 Newtons for riding and 5 Newtons for long lining. As 1N = c.100g this translates to a pressure of c.400-500g respectively (c.13-17 ozs.). In each case, this was about 100g greater than the weight of the reins. Warren-Smith et al found median rein tensions for long-reining and riding of 5.76 N and 5.29 N respectively, irrespective of whether the horses were ridden with a halter or bridle or whether the test was completed at the walk or trot. Rein tensions for ‘halt’ were considerably higher than for any other signal: c.25N (c.5lbs) for long reining and c.15N (3lbs) for riding.
[During these tests there were no emergency moments of crisis, so it can only be surmised what rein tensions rise to when a rider inadvertently throws the whole of her weight and momentum against the reins. Some experiments carried out in St. Petersburg, Russia, under the auspices of Alexander Nevzorov, revealed that at a moment of a sudden jerk, tensions can rise to 600lbs (c.2880 N). It would only need one such blow on the bars of the mouth to damage the periosteum (gum) and trigger the formation of a bone spur]
October, 2006
Italy Takes Silver in the European Horse Balll Championship
From Alberto Barozzi:
I am very happy to inform you that yesterday, in Belgium, we have gained the silver medal during the European Horse Ball Championships. The final game score ... Italy: 5 - France: 9. The other results:
Great Britain-Italy: 7 - 8
Austria - Italy: 2 - 15
Germany - Italy: 4 - 14
This results it is very important for the Italian horse sport. Two horses of the Italian Team are barefoot and three with the Bitless Bridle !!!! My associates, during this days, given the BB to FIHB international members: Israel, Portugal and USA. I hope that they will contact you.
I am very, very, very happy and satisfied !!!! Kind regards, Alberto
Check out a photo of the Italian team Captain, Pablo, in our Customer Photo Gallery...
Bitless Bridle Associate Clinicians (BBAC) update:
We now have sixteen BBACs in thirteen different countries. For the full list, click here...
September, 2006
The Bitlesss Bridle Video Search!
We are looking for good-quality video of horses being ridden or driven in The Bitless Bridle. If you have video of your horse wearing our bridle, contact info@bitlessbridle.com. We may ask your permission to use sections of your film in a training or promotional video!
August, 2006
The FEI and The Bitless Bridle...
Michael Stone, the Sports Director and Acting Secretary General of FEI wrote to Dr. Cook and reported that none of the riders who had tried the bridle in Lausanne, Switzerland recommended a rule change to permit its use. Though the feedback is disappointing, it will not be accepted as the final word on this matter of importance.
July, 2006
Harness Horse Driving Bridle
A prototype-driving bridle for Standardbred racehorses has been developed. Dr. Cook would like to hear from trainers who are interested in giving this bridle a trial.
User Photo Gallery is Now Online!
We have opened a new section on our website, featuring photos submitted by our customers. It is quite gratifying to see so many happy horses doing so many different things without a painful metal bit in their mouths. If you have a photo or photos that you would like to share, email them to info@bitlessbridle.com. We can't guarantee that we will use all photos that are received, but we will put up all of sufficient quality and interest. Our thanks in advance...
June 2006
Bitless Driving a the Three Counties Show, UK
Laura has been riding bitless for six years and driving bitless for four years. At the major Three Counties Show this year she drove her horse Tazzie in le trec driving on each of the three days, coming in second on two of the days. Tazzie is a horse that was classified as "dangerous" when driven in a bit.
Nevzorov Film "Horse Encyclopedia" Wins Accolades
This fascinating and important two-part film by Alexander Nevzorov about the history of bit usage and abusage won a prestigious award at the recent Houston Film Festival. To learn more about this remarkable horseman's work, visit www.hauteecole.ru
May, 2006
The Bitless Bridle Moves to a New Home
Having outgrown the space at York, our office has moved to 1200 Nursery Road, Wrightsville, PA 17368. Our new telephone number is (717) 252-2058 and our Fax number (717) 252-0259. Our toll free number remains the same (866) 235-0938 as does our email address info@bitlessbridle.com.
March, 2006
Bitless Bridle Featured on Practical Horseman Cover
Wendy Wergeles, a trainer and "R" event judge based in California wrote an eight-page article in the March issue of Practical Horseman. The article is illustrated with a further 15 photographs, showing her negotiating a line of jumps in The Bitless Bridle.
In addition to being an event judge, Wendy is an "R" Technical Delegate and co-founder and Vice-President of the American Medical Equestrian Association's Safe Riders' Foundation.
Bitless Bridle Featured in Dutch Journal BIT
An article comparing The Bitless Bridle to the Myler and Sprenger bits was published in this major Dutch horse journal, and generated a tremendous interest in The Bitless Bridle in Holland.
Western-Style Bitlesss Bridle Introduced
We now offer a western-style Bitless Bridle, made in the USA of american bridle leather. They are available in three colors, and can be seen (and purchased) by clicking here.
February, 2006
New Bitless Bridle Website Online
Our new and improved website went online in February of 2006 with enhanced graphics and menus designed to simplify navigation. We hope you enjoy it! If you have comments about the website, please contact info@bitlessbridle.com
December, 2005
Bitless Bridle Instructor (BBI) Program Introduced
A new program has been launched whereby selected individuals with the right credentials are appointed as BB Instructors. We welcome our first appointee, Cathie Hatrick-Anderson of Upton, Massachusetts (www.bobcatfarm.com). If you are interested in becoming a Bitless Bridle Instructor, contact info@bitlessbridle.com
November, 2005
Bitless Bridle Featured on Endurance Magazine Cover
Congratulations to Logos Hall and his horse Mouse for being the first to finish the Tevis in The Bitless Bridle, earning them a picture on the front cover of Endurance Magazine. Click here to see the photo...
October, 2005
Miniture Horse Bitless Driving Bridles
We now offer driving bridles designed specifically for miniture horses. Check them out by clicking here...
October, 2004
Nancy Moras ARCIP
Nancy Moras is a certified ARIA instructor willing to answer inquiries from potential customers for the Bitless Bridle (Tel: (570) 897-7323). She has adopted a policy whereby she will in future decline to teach any student who is not willing to use the Bitless Bridle.
Wendy Bennns Adopts The Bitless Bridle
Wendy Benns, a member of the Canadian Endurance Team now uses The Bitless Bridle. See the photograph of her by Genie Stewart-Spears during the Biltmore Endurance Ride by clicking here... | |
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