Click the link to see a much better version of this video updated for 2021 • Best Bitless Bridle Ed... These are my horse skulls Bucky and Bucky's brother.
I appreciate the honesty that you say you have ridden with bits before but you have since learned better. most people are afraid to admit their mistakes or use them as an example of why it was wrong. im definitely afraid to admit i've made a mistake (let alone on youtube) and i think your video has more impact because of it.
Honestly using a bit isn't always bad. Like, I don't use harsh bits and I ride with a very light hand. The epitome of skill comes from not using your hands as the aids, but your legs and torso/weight. At that point you might only use the bit for insignificant aids or if the aids from your legs didn't get through clear enough. This way you aren't really using the bit at all for pulling left or right and you can minimize it's use. (Btw, I have ridden for several years, but life forced me to have a long break that has resulted in me having to rely on the bit for halting as I am still building back my muscles and balance. I will say that getting to my high-point of skills requiers a lot of hard work and repetition after repetition. None of the horses at my stables use harsh bits or unnecessary tack and we are taught to ride as painlessly as you can. No business-purposed horses have a bittles bridle as it wouldn't fit to their use.)
ericsbuds its not a complete torture device it can be but in the right hands not always. Things like bits, spurs , whips are all training tools. But if used wrong can be abusive. I always reccommend training your horse out of those things if possible but as long as you use them right i think they are fine.
I really respect you. Maybe you used bits in your past and but it’s great that you realized what it’s actually doing to your horse. We all make mistakes but atleast you realized and changed how you did things with your horses. And I think it’s great what you are doing now.
This is soooo good, we have been bitless for a few years now, I wish more people would take on board what bits actually do to horses, not only to their mouths, but eventually to their whole body as they tense more & more with so much pain from the mouth
THANK YOU! Thanks for showing this! Its an uphill battle to convince people BUT I feel its catching on faster now. I ride in just a rope halter. I can still do all the things I use to be able to do in a bit. I wish the horse world would realize how bad bits are to even the softest of hands.
No one wants to take the time to earn your horses respect and teach your horse to ride with a rope halter. People are always looking for an easier way, and with bits that comes at the horses expense.If you can't control your horse without pain, then what is your relationship with your horse built on?
A rope halter is very sharp on the soft tissue around the nose below the level of the bone and the knot between the ears is very painful too. I agree that bits can cause a lot of damage and pain, but only when it doesn't fit correctly and of course in the wrong hands...
I love coming back to this video because every time I post on my person blogs about how bad bits actually are, nobody believes me when I say horse jaws are sharp like knives and they are! I'm a taxidermist not professional but I clean skulls as a hobby and I KNOW damn well what I'm working with, I KNOW how sharp they are and how this causes a lot of pain on horses and it's sad that people keep making excuses for themselves to hurt horses. Whenever I get horses I definitely will be going bitless.
It’s a shame that in England that the horse society and all qualifications courses teach people when a horse is foaming at the mouth it means they have excepted the bit and are happy. A lot of the stuff taught on the courses degrees and diplomas only teach bits are good. Which is shameful and blinding people to the truth of how much bits hurts. This is why people are so ignorant and defending bits and really launch an attack of your an idiot if you ride bitless or in a rope halter. It’s drummed into them that pressure on the nose is really bad. Yet they over look the problems and discomfort when they use tightly tied nose bands and flash nose bands that extent to wrap round the horses jaw to prevent them opening their mouths. You only have to put ur fingers in side these nose bands and when the horse goes to chew or try open its mouth it crushed your finger. Constant pressure. Where as the only pressure applied to the nose bitless is when people are pulling on the reins. Too many people rely on reins alone as their sole means to stopping and stirring. It irritates me why people can’t put the effort in to train their horses to go via your body weight in the saddle. Reducing using the reins to a minimum. When I’m forded to ride owners horses in bits. Which I hate I always ride with long reins and use making contact down to a minimum. People will come up with endless reasons why they need to use a bit and how bits don’t hurt. Yet they complain about their horses throwing their heads in the air etc trying to avoid the pain. Here is England they term contact and on the bit is all about tight reins and using the bit to give aids. Then especially in America in saddens me the server leverage bits used and abused and horses heads tied down as that’s their only way stopping the horse from trying to avoid the pain. Horses having their head high is regarded as bad behaviour rather than the truth it’s pain. All day long u see horses with their mouthes open. Heads high , head shaking , foaming at the mouth or grinding on the bit. These horses are screaming pain. It’s so sad in this day and age with all the proof what pain and damage bits cause that the majority of the horse world still use bits. It’s a tradition that needs to end. So is the disbelief a strong horse couldn’t be stopped without a bit. Horses are a fight or flight animal. Often horses are running trying to escape pain. I rode a horse that was prone to bolting. Soon as changed to a straight bar bit she improved. But when I started to ride bitless behind the owners back this horse was a changed horse. As we were paid to ride the horse it was then decided our safety come first and the only time the horse was ridden in a bit was by the owner. Who regularly come back from a ride onto the yard flat out as she couldn’t stop her horse. People really underestimate most riding problems are caused by bits. Including rearing and bucking and the horse trying to through the rider and even beginning to become impossible to catch. Horses soon learn that people cause them pain and I don’t blame them for not wanting to be caught in the field or stable
@@badonkadonkybadonkadonk7283 sometimes it is sometimes horses foam when they eat which is normal but when a horse's mouth is foaming from a bit the horse is in pain
bits do hurt, people saying 'the bit is only as harsh as the hands of the rider'....that is true but even the best rider will still jab the horse in the mouth if they spook or fall....so its like saying its ok because theres only pain sometimes.. also look at the horses face
That mare from Ohio that really depends many things like bits, spurs, crops are training tools but can be miss used as abusive contraptions. I beleive its always best to train your horse out of those things once they are ready but i think if you used them appropriately and for a small amount of time i think its fine.
Excellent, informative, and interesting video! Thank you for sharing this with us. By actually visually seeing what the bit is doing to the structure of the horses' mouth, is unbelievable. . I am so ashamed and appalled, that I used ANY BIT- metal, rubber, or any other material for so many years. I think all horse owners and riders need to watch this video, what a difference it would make. I have been researching Dr.Cooks bitless bridle, and I definitely am going to order one now. That double twisted snaffle , with the offset joints looked so severe, it almost brought tears to my eyes for the poor equine victim who had to wear that.. Recent subscriber, you're one of the best trainers out there, please continue your amazing videos and many thanks!
The mouth is way more sensitive then the nose lmao. Bits are disgusting if you think they're 'great' you are too. If the nose is more sensitive when you go bit less a little tap is all that's needed then? In the case that the nose is, a noseband on a bitted bridle would tell the horse to constantly stop and it'd be stronger than the bit. So they'd constantly stop, that's not the case. Maybe learn about the disgusting things we call bits and horse anatomy before commenting bullshit
Very good video! Thank you for explaining how the bit works in the mouth and what it can cause to the horse. I will definitely be showing this to a few people :) Love your training videos as well!
Any horse can be but it doesn’t mean they like it I would rather have a bit then a rope tied to my face and let me ask you something did you ever get a burn from a rope well guess what I have and it hurts so imagine putting that on your horses face and pulling back
rope halters have knots on the bridge of the nose and can be even more abrasive than bits. if you want to talk about “true horsemanship” you should say the horse should be ridden 100% tackless (no neckrope).
God that one skull tells the story of a horribly mistreated animal, very shocking but appropriate for you to say, "I'm sure he's happy that he's expired"
Constantly finding myself in a bit debate with people. I was looking for a video like this you explained it so perfectly thank you. Bits were invented and are used to cause pain to control the horse.
I actually rode a horse who had been ridden with a bit all his life just fine without one I don't believe in putting a animal through pain to get results. Don't get any pet without research on the tools you will use to train or use that pet. I never believed in bits even as a small girl, I'm glad my intuition was right.
I absolutely love this video, people say you need soft hands and a gentle rider and yes whiel that is true a bit is still very invasive and hurts, and I also and glad it shows how the snapped bit can actually be worse than a normal when everyone is like "oh I use a snapped and thats a mild bit" ya ok I don't care it still is bad. I really appreciate this video
I think what you describe as bone spurs are wolf teeth often found in upper jaw, sometimes in lower jaw of horses, which are often removed by a vet in young horses.
No, the bone spurs are very sharp and flat, I have these skulls so I can handle them and feel them. they are not teeth, I know what canine and wolf teeth are. I've felt wolf teeth when my dentist has found them and had me feel them.
Thank you so much for making this video, I'm gathering a lot of information on why bits are bad, Definitely adding this to my "bits are bad stash" And to everyone who saids "I have soft hands, my horse is fine" I've never heard someone who rides in a bit admit they have hard hands. Never. I guess nobody that rides in bits have hard hands, I guess they're all perfect riders who never yank on horses faces or pull or anything. At these rate what's even the point of a bit? Thank you for listening to my sarcasm. But, really thank you so much to everyone that can admit that they were wrong and changed thier ways. I used to ride in bits, and now I will never even touch a bit (side note: I remember once I was holding a bit and it pinched me. So that saids a lot of what we're putting in their mouths) Everyone makes mistakes, as long as you can accept that and change for the better, your alright.
Glad you enjoyed it. Yes it takes years to develop soft hands, and when I am retraining "Problem Horses" especially when I travel to work for just two hours I make corrections. A sharp half halt for horses that walk off at the mounting block. I do this via a rope halter, If I did it via a bit it would really hurt and the horses can not think through the pain. It's much harder to "LEARN something when pain or the threat of pain is involved. When my dad was teaching me to drive a standard when I was 16 years old, I was grinding the gears at the rotary and he's yelling 'grind me a pound" and swearing. It made it worse, Hard to process. It was the last time he gave me a driving lesson, Instead his girlfriend did, no yelling, I was able to concentrate on the fine line of the clutch and brake. I am teaching riding and even bitless the students don't just "GET IT" it take many lessons to get that soft feel soft hands I can instantly get my horses head down soft students try and up goes the head. I would NEVER let them practice this with metal in the mouth.
And then people tend to ride in bitless bridles, which all the contact is on the nose. Pull to hard, you’ll hurt the horse terrible. So otherwise, just ride in a soft halter or use a rubber bit. I’ve known that rubber bits are soft and give the same contact without giving as much pain since it is not stiff..
Rubber bits are very rough when they get wet with saliva. It's like sandpaper in the mouth and it tears open the soft tissue and tong. Better go for leather bits, they'll get soft when they get wet with saliva...
6 лет назад
"I've been riding all my life" I doubt that. My dad was in the Cavalry prior to WWII. Troopers rode 6 days a week; 8 hours a day. Double Bridle. The Bit and Bridle were introduced prior to the Greeks; the first book on natural horsemanship was written by a Greek. THAT is horsemanship. Horses are ridden with the seat, legs, body, HANDS are the last line of correction.
Well, I have, don't know why you doubt that. I have other videos showing me riding. but hey.. Yes you are correct, last line of correction, but in a novice's hands it's the first.
And it cracks me up how riders will say well bitless bridles can hurt the horses nose, but yet when they ride with a bit not only is the horse getting possibly poked in the mouth and irritated all in the mouth, but also adds flash bands and but yet they say atleast with bits they can relieve the pain how with a flash. And you really think about it as the horse is feeling pain in the mouth from the bit as it tries to open it’s mouth it’s blocked from the flash so not only is the bit irritating them and can’t escape it they are putting a ton of pressure on their nose in the case too. These equestrians will take up for bits till they die. Becuase it was the only way they could control the horse becuase they are too stupid to try to use some more body language than anything. You should be communicating with your horse with body language etc period. It’s not the bridle that can do everything. Your hands shouldn’t be doing all the work. And a lot of competitions require a bit and try equestrians will weenie wine I can’t help that well then don’t ride there at all it’s just selfish would you do that to your dog?
Very often animals don't show when they are in pain because it makes them easy prey for a predator. And probably horses would also have to hide it to protect their place in the herd
People say that it’s good when the horse starts playing with the bit but really it seems like they are actually just “playing” with it to avoid the pain of the bit, and also when the horses mouth starts foaming that’s a good thing and means that the horse is accepting the bit, I haven’t really understood this because it must be irritating to the horse and cuts off the breathing a bit, I was having a lesson with my trainer a while back and we were getting her on the bit and she started playing with it really loudly, my trainer said that that means she likes the bit but I was just thinking no she does not!!
Keyana Equun I actually have a pony in that situation. She can't go bitless due to some nerve damage on her nose, and she HATES the bit. Rubber bits are much to big, and she can't stand a single joint anything. She will be used for driving so I'm struggling with what to do. I have fitted many horses VERY comefortably with bits, As it is requred in dressage. I have spent 4 years and probably $200 at $15 a piece for bits for one horse, and her complaints on some were almost invisible. She's got a really good size and shape now, and happily accepts the bit. She also bucks me off if my hands become unstable and I get nervious at the canter. So I always know before I hurt her. I've had to put her entire head weight on the bit before to keep her in a walk, and she never swishes her tail. She just lifts her head and bends at the poll. She never gets mad at it that's how I know it doesn't hurt her. Mostly, it's just the weight of the reins unless her behaviour is going to be dangerous to her well being, like galloping off in a field that has huge holes. Then I do whatever I must to protect her. Even if that means pulling. Anything I do to my horse, I also do to me. That incudes flogging myself with the whip to know what hurts and what just touches. The whip is only an extention of your arm. You will know of you are doing it right if ypu don't need the whip at all. It's just customary to use one during lunging. Anyway, back to the pony. I have found that she likes really unconventional bits, such as makeshift paracord bits, or my nice leather reins that i'm not willing to sacrifice. I have bacically descided that I have to custom make her a bit, as nothing else will work. She has the SMALLEST and most sencitive mouth I have ever seen, and unfortunately, bitless is not an option.
I'll have to beg to differ. I have shown these skulls to Dr Robert Cook FRCVS., PhD. Since he has studied many horse skulls in the course of his work I will have to go with him. Wolf teeth are more common up uppers but I have several horse skulls with damage on the lower jaw Bone spurs what are the odds that three skulls would have this "root bed calcification" you speak of. More likely these are cause from the bit rubbing back and fort as horses that have never had a bit have no bone spurs.
If a horse can be lead in a halter it could be ridden in a halter because figure as your leading you are side pulling side to side where you want to lead them. Once you get on the horses back that’s what you should be doing if the horse reacts well to leading side to side and he reacts fine that’s what you should be doing on his back. You shouldn’t be only communicating with your horse just on the facial you should be using more body cues etc. But no once they get on top of the horse they are afraid. All we deserve from horses is a trail ride. They don’t need to be doing all this heavy competing to benefit the rider. Horses are such beautiful animals and deserve more respect not something we just see as competing with.
Bits are bad if you are using them unproperly. They should be considered as emergency breaks, and used only those special cases. They are the break but not the stearing wheal. You can drive the care without brakes as well, but there should be one for any cases.
A well trained rider rides with the body, legs and weight. The bit should only be used as a helping tool. You don't ride with the reins and bit, it's just an refinement of what you're asking the horse to do...
Is that your excuse really a hack the bitless bridle that has the most leverage. What about nalanta bitless and the wheel bitless that has the nice fleece underneath the nose band. I understand it could hurt a horses nose. But a bit gets more abusive quick than without a bit. Maybe rubber bits aren’t too bad if you barely touch the reins.
Could not agree more! But, sadly, I have always ridden in a bit and will ride in a bit the next year or so. Because I’m going to a boarding school with horses. And I don’t think I’ll be able to choose for myself if I want to with bit or bitless...
So, I take it that there are more humane solutions? I sought out this video after watching the Kentucky Derby yesterday. It just struck me as I was watching that the bit might be painful for the horse. I'm not a horse person, I just enjoy watching them run, but I also have compassion for these amazing animals. Thanks for the video.
John B yes!!!! there are humane solutions!!!!! Rick Gore Gore has a channel on here called "think like a horse" and is a STONG advocate for no bits and no shoes. He tries to get his viewers to look at things from a horse's perspective. i love how this woman gets it!!!!!!!
I was binge watching several of his videos and liking them, until I got to a video where he straight out states "I hate women". That turned me off forever.
I agree, He has a lot of nice stuff, but I hate the way he talks down about women as well. He also talks negatively about Dr. Cook's and it's obvious he just like many others have not used it properly.
Thank you very much for your insight.I agree completely. But the younger generation thinks they know it all and they will do what mom did before her, what they all do at the barn, etc. A tough uphill battle. I am making some progress helping to make horse's lives better, one horse at a time by educating some that want to listen. Many just look at me like I have two heads.
My mother used bits, and hacks, many us us follow what we are taught. It's our job if we want to take it on, to try to tackfully enlighten to a better way. Just yesterday someone told me they found me through a recommendation for riding lesson. They were told that they had heard great things about "That crazy lady that does cowboy mounted shooting bitess" I was happy to hear it. But I have heard many very very negative and hateful things about me just because I ride bitless. It's not going to go away, and I can take it.
Many horses do better with bits, many do better without. I like a lot of insight in this video but there seems to be a lot of anthropomorphizing here, putting a human's shoes in place of a horse to how they would feel with a bit. My own TB boy is very head shy and face sensitive, he rears, bucks and is clearly uncomfortable in every bitless bridle I've tried and borrowed from friends. Yet there will be people here who would still force my horse to ride in one because they're stuck believing one extreme view.They are just as cruel as any moron using a 30 inch shank bit. He's fine in a dressage eggbutt snaffle, nothing more, nothing less. As long as your horse is not showing any signs of discomfort with a bit, or in a bitless bridle there's little reason to make any extreme change. Any rider will cause pain to their horse by holding onto the reins when they fall, REGARDLESS of if a bit or bitless is used, you're still yanking on their face with pressure, it's a matter of correcting YOURSELF as a better rider to let go and not bear weight on reins in the event of a spook. Hackamores can still be very painful and as harsh as any shank bit if a moron's using them. At the end of the day, you do what your HORSE prefers, not what "Rick Gore" tells you to do. Not what a "bit fan" tells you to do. This topic will always be controversial. Every horse is just as unique and individual as the people that own them. Put their safety and comfort first. If bitless seems to work better and you both ride better, go for it! If your horse needs a bit go for it!
Not really as metal in anythings mouth is going to hurt, and inhibit breathing how could it not. Foreign body sensitive area. I didn't do well in school, but I think this one is not too hard for anyone to figure out.
Horses do the majority of their breathing through their nostrils though? This is common anatomical knowledge when studying equine biology.The soft palette prevents the inhalation of food while grazing and eating, but also covers the throat during exercise also, it is not physically possible to breathe through their mouths like humans do! Metal in someones mouth is only going to hurt as much as you're yanking on it, I remember doing this test before when I had two molars removed on each side to make way for my wisdom teeth, had a gap exactly like the horses and as a joke a friend wanted to use a metal "bit", it hardly hurt or was uncomfortable unless you pulled on it extremely hard, but hey I'm only going to speak with my own experience here, not the horses. How is the mouth a foreign body sensitive area when the evolutionary purpose of the mouth is to EAT foreign bodies with mechanical digestion?
Oh my gosh, how is the bit a foreign body, please if you are going to make these remarks study up a little, the information is out there. When a horse is eating he is at rest, not being ridden or exercised. When a horse eats his soft palate raises up to close off the nasal part of his throat, other cartilages (look it up) close off the larynx so food does not get into lungs. So if he's eating he does NOT have a clear path in which to breath even though he does NOT breath through his mouth When you are eating you can walk and eat but you certainly would not run. Our throat is much like the horse's as far as our digestive and respiratory paths are connected so when a bit is placed in the horse's mouth it turns on the eating reflex, it causes salivation etc YOU can not stop it. When that happens the horse will have a hard time taking in air YES through his nose not his mouth because what you cant see is what is happening inside his throat so no matter how much you want to be right. No matter how soft your hands are, just by placing the bit, rubber/metal/rope in his mouth, closes the horse's airway from his NOSE to his lungs. It's is not fully open (inside where you can not see at his throat) thus he can NOT breath well via his nose. Thanks for your comments though, and thanks for being respectful. GoogleBiBit-Induced Asphyxia In the Horse.
+Flaca Diabla no need to be rude and have an attitude Flaca, I've kept species of animals from dogs, to cats, to horses and I'm trained in keeping venomous spiders and reptiles, it's what I do for a living and the welfare of my animals is my pride and joy in life. At least Cathie had decency to have a lovely debate without being a rude and terrible person. She gave really nice educational insights and I genuinely appreciate her passion and side on the bit debate without being rude. I speak from my own personal experience on the view of bits, and if you were to make my horse go bitless and cause him discomfort and pain, you will God damn hear from me. I will not let you torture my animals for your own agenda to prove your view is right in 100% of cases Flaca. Not everyone is going to agree with your views, and being a rude person is only going to shut out your ideas further. People like you are the reason I can never take the bit debate seriously. And while I believe bitless is an absolutely wonderful alternative to ride you horse, if the animal is not comfortable, in pain or scared of using that particular method, you should not force it onto them.
dr cooks study is very biassed as he created the "Dr cooks bitless bridal" and there for his study by itself can't be used as proper scientific proof, if you wanted to make your video accurate and truthful you would need to add more current studies.
How about an actual study based on my over 50 years of riding many different horses 20 plus years of riding bitless? and nit just my own, bit many ill behaved?
I was taught that bits used correctly are to cause pressure and pressure only, not pain. and switching from bit to bitless won't change the softness of your hands. bitless bridles are to cause pressure as well and can cause pain like bits can. what are your thoughts on this statement?
They are allowed and mandated in many disciplines here in the US, but I am happy to report I can do Cowboy Mounted Shooting, team penning, versatility. without a bit.
I’m getting my first horse this year and I want to ride bitless in a halter and lead rope but the thing is I don’t know how to train a horse for that, I want to get a horse who will challenge me a little. Not a project horse or anything just one who may want to go fast or the time, or spooks at quite a few things. Just a little bad habit.
great vid! i hate bits! iv seen vids where they only use a rope around the neck.no BIT no halter, just a reallt loose rope.they do these really cool cross-country course. they turn stop back up with the lightest touch....why cant everyone ride like that.if one person can do it...we all can learn....great vid taught me alot!!!thank you
I would but not every horse can do this. I have spent an enormous amount of time to get my pony listening to me. He likes to take off ignore my cues etc. so if I put him in a neck rope then he wouldn’t even listen. I have tried him in a halter which is the closest thing to a neck rope and he didn’t even listen to me which can be really dangerous at times.
I can ride my ex racehorse with a neck rope indoor but not while galloping. Outdoors (forest etc) I do need a bit (double broken pessoa) because he still wants to race and has a mouth of steel unfortunately. I do ride him without a noseband so he can pull as hard as he wants but can also open his mouth. Normally he puts the bit between his teeth and bites on it LOL... I tried to ride him bitless but that's not safe for him and me... So better safe than sorry 😐
Bits and biting is an extremely complicated subject that is not very well understood by most horsemen (that is why there are over 600 bits) . Actually this video has a number of errors. The first being the horse's normal head position and the position of the bit on the horses tongue. Also there is the direction of pull with the horses' head in the correct, near vertical position of the head. That position is a function of breed and riding style. X rays have shown the snaffle bit does not "hit" the roof of the mouth and the horse's tongue fills most of the cavity of the horse's mouth. Most of the horses will "pick up" a bit which isn't mentioned at all. One item I will agree with is hands. The most important part of any reigning system is hands. Well trained horses do not need their mouths Jerked upon, simply breaking the seal of the horse's lips should be adequate. Most advanced western style riders ride with their legs and skeleton (some call it seat) and loose reigns. We need our hands for doing things. Dauphin Horsemanship has some excellent videos about bits and biting and they are a very comprehensive. Also one may want to watch Pat Puckett's videos regarding bits. Any bit in the wrong hands can be a torture device. But I would reconsider your position on bits. The nose is a very sensitive part of the horse's face which is why a hackamore can (again, depending upon hands) be quite a harsh system.
Thanks for your thoughts. Just for the fact there are over 600 bits should cause some alarm. Most horse owners have many Not sure what you mean by the horse's normal head position? the position of the bit does indeed sit on top of the tongue. The horses I use are bone, the flesh is gone, if you add the flesh and a huge tongue and put that snaffle but on top please don't tell me its not going to hit the roof of the mouth. Please don't tell me it's not going to cause sores when a rider is doing half halts or constantly pulling on rein to rate, or rein back when a horse is not expertly trained. Xrays show it does not hit roof of mouth? maybe with no hands touching it. It sure as heck does if it's a snaffle or ported bit when a rider is trying to stop a horse. All one had to do is google pictures of horses with bots to see mouths wide open because the horse is in pain. Your correct in that a well trained horse does not need their mouth jerked on. Are they in the minority? Are well trainer riders? I don't know where you are from, but where I am I don't see so many advanced western riders. Since I rode with bits for most of my life and now I ride and train ALL horses bitless why would I reconsider? The proof is in the pudding for me. The Nose is indeed VERY sensitive a hackamore can be very harsh, especially a mechanical one. and yes I have seen people pull way to hard on a bitless bridle. But please don't tell me you believe the mouth is not the more sensitive than the nose. When I watch my video after not hearing it for years I notice I have a lisp in it. you know why? The dentist made me a new partial. I told her it's not the same. She said it was exactly the same. I said "I am talking with a lisp, I was not with my original one" She insisted is was the same. I could not whistle, or even cluck to my horse for months because the palette of my partial was incrementally thicker than the one before. I was frustrated as hell. It took months and months for me to be able to talk without a lisp. I would hope you would rethink bits. or at least try to refrain from condemning someone for trying to educate riders and help horses to have a better life. Do you allow uneducated riders to yank on your broke horse's mouth? Why would you be opposed to having beginners stay out of a horse's mouth until they educated their hands? And If the horses can't be ridden in just a halter, they are not broke and a beginner should not be on them to learn. Best!
I've been wanting to switch off bits, but my horse is way too strong and absolutely hates hackamores. She bolts, she bucks, and she refuses the different kind of pressure. What the actual heck do I do... Also, I just wanted to say that foaming at the mouth is caused by saliva reacting with the warm metal. It lubricates the mouth. I'm not a bit supporter, but I'm just saying that what you said was wrong.
I rode in bits for years, my horse did not foam at the mouth as she was no overbent. Foaming at the mouth is a result of a blocked airway, as the eating reflex is turned on when you add a bit. Add riding a horse behind the vertical, and you are kinking it's wind pipe, causing airway obstruction . Pleas look up how a horse eats and excercises, and how he can not do both effectively. "metal in the mouth" look it up
@@bobcatfarm That study, while slightly true, is no cause for cocern--the people of the study even said so. And no, a simple search of "why do horses foam at the mouth" yields hundreds of responses detailing the fact that it is the horse lubricating its mouth for the bit (the saliva is chemically reacting to the metal).
Well just because so many answered it's desirable, I do NOT believe it for one second. A horse at liberty does NOT drool, or foam ever, we are adding a bit, which turns on the eating reflex, this requires saliva to be present, just as if you put a sucker or gum in your mouth period. It turns on your eating reflex. Problem is you can breath through your mouth, a horse can not. he breaths through his nose.
I really like how you handle horses and I agree that many horses suffer because of absurd harsh bits in the hands of people who don't know what they're doing. But that's an argument for keeping those kinds of bits and those kinds of people away from horses. Period. It's not an argument against bits. Dr. Cook bitless bridles and side pulls are not capable of giving horses clear signals and the instant release that tells them they've done right. Horses need to feel safe, first and foremost, but they also really need clarity. My two cents.
I give beginner riders lessons on my bitless horses, and many have no idea how to give the horse an immediate release, keep them on the rail, etc, my horses get frustrated, will just stop, or back up, I would NEVER let them ride with a bit. people have to start somewhere, they are not meaning to be harsh. As far as clear communication please go look at videos of me shooting off my horse, and let me know if you think my horse is confused in his bitless bridle. You can't hang on the reins as many riders do. If you release as you should the bridle releases.
I am not allowed to ride bareback, tackless, bitless, or with a halter. I do not want to call my riding trainer abusive or insult her. People like me sometimes see these videos or comments and then get really guilty.
No I'm just feeling guilty for the hate comments on videos about bits, they're everywhere. (Yes, even in the horse game that I play, everyone wants to remove the bits in the bridles and they technically don't know "it's just a game anymore.)
The reason why I don't use a bit it's painful to them and if I hurt them just a bit I earn their trust back and calm them with their favorite things toi
I have been riding for just under a year. I have been watching a lot of videos on if bits are bad or not and from what I've seen, they are bad. And I am glad to have learned that bits are bad so early in my equine life.
Do whats best for your horse, wether thats a bit or bitless. Some horses hate bitless, some horses love it. Just make sure you do whats best for your horse, if they don't like bitless, ride in a bit, if they don't like bits, ride bitless!
The thing is, do your own research. Don’t listen to just anyone. Research bits and bitless bridles and the pros and cons of both. Some horses prefer mouth pressure (bits), others prefer face pressure (bitless). It just depends on the horse.
If you want a really good video on bit vs bit less check out Shelby dennis bit video. She argues for both sides and cites five plus sources. This video only had a couple sources and most of it is opinion based. Plus the only way a horse can get a bone spur is if you’re yanking really hard. Shelby explains all of this in her video. I really recomemd checking it out.
Thank you for the info...so what's the answer...you presented the problem which I respect ...But what should I use..Bridle...un bridle? Give me somw options...please CS
The answer to me is using a rope halter or another type of bitless bridle, I use Dr. Cook's The answer is train your horse to understand/give to pressure The answer is I want you and everyone else to stay safe above all. If you look at my other riding videos you will see how to do that Thanks.
Where u are saying the bit is, that’s not where it is it’s just behind their front teeth not all the way back because the skin around their mouth stops it from going back that far
Rubber bits are very rough when they get wet with saliva. It's like sandpaper in the mouth. If you want to use a very friendly bit, take a leather bit... It gets soft when it's wet...
I am not a vet, I have read much about it, check out " metal in the mouth" I have life time of actual experience in the field riding thousands of horses, more than most that hold degrees of any kind. Not just broke horses, but problem horses, and horses that have never been ridden before myself. I have put fist bits in many horses mouths and seen reactions as they try to remove a foreign body from their oral cavity. I have started many with out metal in the mouth and seen and felt a huge difference in how they learn. in how they react. It is a fact that you or anyone else can look up. All mammals (humans and horses) can not eat and exercise at the same time without one function taking precedence over the other Breathing is inhibited when food or a bit in the horses case is introduced. Not to mention all the other harmful things that it causes by air entering, the tongue retracting causing airway obstruction. Not sure if you are arguing that or just want my credentials. If you think I need a degree to feel what metal on gums, tongue or bone feel like, I feel for you.
@@bobcatfarm I'm sorry to say this to you but this part about the bit and closing the nasal part of his throat is BS!! Sorry for my language... How do you think a racehorse breaths while racing? After the start they choose a place where they can stabilize until they need to give their everything to the finish. When they have their place you need to let them breeze (deep breathing). The rest of the race they breath with every gallop pass they make. In gallop a horse can only breath once with every pass, unlike trotting and walking where they can breath normally. How do you think an endurance horse finishes 160 km without dropping dead because he can't breath??? Horses WITH bits in their mouth can breath, eat and drink at the same time... I really thought you had studied the most things you've told. But reading this... made me realize you didn't and you actually don't know what you're talking about. It made me question all the rest you've told here and in the video... I'm sorry...
@@griebels They can eat and drink with bits of course but they do have an airway obstruction when doing it, just try to walk up a few hills with a sucker in your mouth or even a piece of paper and tell me how it goes for you.
These were not my horses, I bought them from a place that sells skulls to the medical profession or joe public to use for teaching or adding to collections.
@@bobcatfarm Ah I see. Great video by the way i'm currently putting together a college essay against bit use and why bitless is better so thank you for the information. :)
bits do hurt, people saying 'the bit is only as harsh as the hands of the rider'....that is true but even the best rider will still jab the horse in the mouth if they spook or fall....so its like saying its ok because theres only pain sometimes.. also look at the horses face. I fully agree @Jake Owen. Cathie if you love horses why the hell do you have skulls...?
I did not kill these horses, I have horse skulls to teach, they were purchased from a company that sells bone to students to learn to become doctors, vets ect.
Between you and three other youtubers, i'm hoping people are listening and changing how they treat horses. I don't own any horses, but from what i've learned, you don't need bits to control horses and tell them what to do. There's bitless bridles and hackamores, and there's one youtuber who uses rubber bits for his carriage horses. I've heard that they themselves can be risky too. Like if a person pulls too hard on the bitless bridle or hackamore it could break the horse's nose? But i feel that if you are needing to be that hard then you aren't doing it properly. But i wonder which is the less of two evils. And i've seen that horses are smart enough to go by hand signals or a click with your tongue. I know there's people who are able to get their horses to follow them, after showing who's the "lead horse". I feel like the more we observe horses amongst their own kind, like in the wild, the more we try and understand how they work, and not try and put human emotions on animals that aren't human. We have the brain capacity to learn that, but horses aren't quite there (yet?). I'm sorry if i'm talking nonsense. As someone with autism, i love learning about animals and how they do things, and i find them simpler to understand than i do people. I try and imagine "being in their shoes" and empathize with them, and feel sad when no one else is listening to them.
wow. how can i help? my instructors are teaching me to just ride with my legs and already im noticing the horse im riding is a lot more forward and u know just better, but the beginners still yank on the mouth like theres no tomorrow
By having beginners not be allowed to have the reins, the should ride off a halter only. If they are beginners they should be riding horses that will go fine in just a halter. They should have to earn the right to hold reins
I ride at a ridning school at least two days in the week and they att ride with bit and i can't do much about it because i'm not the one in charge.... also if i say "bitless is better" or if i see an uncomfortable horse people get mad and dissagre....
yeah and also would you really be able to reach the back teeth of the horse with the bit? i mean the corner of the mouth will prevent it from doing that....
Ok I’m in trouble I lease a horse and my trainer uses bits how do I not use a bit if I don’t have control of that help!!! Please! I don’t want to hurt my baby girl.....☹️
You can ask your trainer if you can put a bitless bridle as well as the bridle you normally use, and use the reins of the bitless to see if the horse listens just as well.
I really don't have one like that at the moment, but when it does not fit, or hits the withers cinched too tight all that can hurt. Thanks for watching.
Even a rubber bit is still a bit and creates pain. There are many alternatives to bits, but please don't use a hackamore. It puts too much pressure on the nasal bone with the leverage and is regarded as a bit because of that by many people.
Its really not good for the horse to put anything in their mouth to control them but it would probably work as a good transition piece if your wanting to switch to bitless when your horse is used to harsh bits
Rubber bits are very rough when they get wet with saliva. It's like sandpaper in the mouth and it tears open the soft tissue and tong. Better go for leather bits, they'll get soft when they get wet with saliva...
