If a riders goal is to compete in dressage & certain other disciplines under present day rules, a bitted bridle is unavoidable. It is mandated by the FEI, most national equestrian federations, Pony Clubs and 4H organizations. This in spite of the fact that a bit adds to the risk of accidents, increases the cost of keeping a horse and leads to disappointment and frustration on the part of the rider. For the horse, a bit is a scourge that lowers its quality of life.

A more humane and safer alternative to the bit has been available for a decade. If a riders goal is the welfare, safety and happiness of her horse and herself, rather than to compete, a crossunder bitless bridle is the bridle of choice. The satisfaction of a achieving a higher level of performance is an added bonus.

The advantages and disadvantages of the bitted bridle compared with the crossunder bitless bridle (CBB), tabulated in a cost/benefit analysis of each method that considers the question from 19 different aspects, reveals the following result.

The bit has only 2 benefits out of a possible 19, the CBB has 17 benefits out of 19. Conversely, the bit has 19:19 costs and the CBB only 2:19. Both of the two CBB costs arise because of competition rules that have not yet been updated to permit the crossunder bitless bridle.

Click here to see the full analysis.