The bitless bridle - a clicker trainer's dream

May 17, 2:06 PMClicker Training ExaminerEve Alexander

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Clicker Training Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

One of the things that bothered me about clicker training while riding is feeding my horse with a bit in his mouth. In writing this column I often use my own pictures and in the course of looking through my pictures, I came across pictures like those at the right. That's when I realized my horse was as unhappy with his bit as I was.

I remembered back to when I got my first horse Jubee. She was green and I put her into training with a professional. Jubee played with the bit which my trainer did not like. So the trainer tightened the noseband and strapped on a flash. Jubee couldn't open her mouth or even play with the bit. When I finally got the nerve to leave the trainer and move to another barn, I loosened the noseband, removed the flash, and taking the advice from the seasoned horsewoman who owned Arney's Saddlery in Castro Valley, CA, I wrapped Jubee's bit with Sealtex latex bandage. It has a rubbery texture and on the trail you could hear Jubee chomping on her latex wrapped bit. We laughed and said Jubee was chewing her bubble gum!

Beau was also green when I got him, and hated taking the bit. Remembering my experience with Jubee, I completely removed his noseband, and I clicker trained him to take the bit, but looking at the pictures you can see he's still uncomfortable. The normal course of events for most riders is tightening the bridle parts and then when the horse throws his head due to discomfort, we tie him down with a martingale. Now the horse is completely bound like a mental patient in a strait jacket. He's still hurting but has no way to express his pain or evade it.

There are a lot of different types of bitless bridles available but today I will review the two I own - Dr. Cook's Bitless Bridle and Parelli's hackamore.

I got the Parelli hackamore first and rode very well in it. All the Parelli products I own are vastly superior in quality to any other similar items on the market and I highly recommend them. The soft, fat rein is said to give a better connection to the horse. Many people find the additional attached lead rope to be very handy for ground work prior to riding or when one dismounts on the trail. Learn more here.

The second bitless bridle I got was the Dr. Cook's Bitless Bridle. My horse is much happier with Dr. Cook's than a regular bitted bridle. Call me vain, but I prefer the traditional dressage look of the Dr. Cook's bridle along with my Black Country dressage saddle, than the mis-matched look resulting with the Parelli hackamore. While the Parelli hackamore comes only in one style, Dr. Cook's offers a variety of bridles, English and Western, leather or Beta, in several colors. I was able to buy the bridle without reins and use the reins I already had. Great personal customer service too! Learn more here.

You can't go wrong with either of these bitless bridles - it's up to your own taste which one you prefer.

The video below portrays how painful conventional bitted bridles are and how crudely even professional riders use them. If you're extremely sensitive, please skip the video - but also please skip the bit.

More Information
Rein Aid Extensions
Dr. Cook's Bitless Bridle
Parelli Hackamore