In what way is The Bitless Bridle better than the traditional bitless bridles such as hackamores, bosals and sidepulls?
First, unlike the traditional bitless bridles, The Bitless Bridle™ provides comprehensive communication for any discipline, every type of horse and every stage (and age) of rider competence. Secondly, it is virtually impossible to hurt a horse with The Bitless Bridle™. This means that even novice riders that have not yet developed an independent seat will both generate and get into less trouble if they use the Bitless Bridle.
In the right hands on a well-trained horse, a hackamore can be an acceptable controlling device but it is easily misused and the horse abused. The hackamore provides brakes, at a cost, but is a poor device for steering. A horse that is ridden in a hackamore needs to respond to neck reining. The mechanical hackamore, in particular, is potentially painful and even dangerous. It works by causing pain across the bridge of the nose and under the chin. Injudicious use of the mechanical advantage it affords can even fracture the nasal bone. It will tend to cause overflexion, as will the bit, but more so. A horse can be easily choked-down if a hackamore is improperly used to produce exaggerated poll flexion. Some 'authorities' even recommend that the hackamore should be deliberately fitted in such a way that it obstructs the nostrils, implying that it controls by a degree of suffocation.
The English jumping hackamore has a leather chin strap and no chain and is therefore less severe.
A bosal suffers from the same limitations as the hackamore and, like the hackamore, is not suitable for every equine discipline.
The sidepulls provide for lateral flexion (steering) but are not so good for vertical flexion (braking). Once again, they control by means of potentially painful pressure on the bridge of the nose. | |
