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Bitless bridles 'won't solve dressage welfare issues'
What do you think about bitless bridles and dressage?
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Bitless bridles 'won't solve dressage welfare issues'
December 28, 2009
Concerns about a call to allow bitless bridles in dressage have been raised by a Danish equine researcher.
Last month the International Society for Equitation Science (ISES) called for the United States to allow the use of crossunder bitless bridles in dressage, a move which was adopted by the Dutch federation in 2008. The ISES is led by Australian horseman Dr Andrew McLean.
In its proposal to the US Equestrian Federation for a rule change, the ISES noted that "the horse's mouth is highly sensitive and vulnerable to the development of behavioral conflicts arising from incorrect bit use.
"In some horses, such conflicts can escalate to active coping mechanisms, such as hyper-reactive behaviours. In others, we see habituation to bit pressure to the extent that they become unresponsive and capable of bolting. Allowing bitless bridles will widen and sustain the spectrum of horses fit to work, and will have a positive effect on public perceptions of good welfare allowing the sport to move in a more enlightened direction. These are important considerations at a time when there are public concerns about various training regimes in dressage."
While supporting the proposal, Jan Ladewig, an honorary fellow of ISES and a researcher at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University in Copenhagen, says the move to riding without a bit will not solve all the welfare problems in dressage horses.
"Do we know what happens when riders attempt hyperflexion (which some undoubtedly will do) with a bitless bridle? After all, the nose of a horse may not be as sensitive and vulnerable as the mouth, but it is not completely insensitive. In other words, putting too much emphasis on the bit, and too little on a corresponding problem, i.e. the "rein pulling", may not relieve the discomfort for the horse that much. Knowing how people (including riders) look for easy solutions, riding bitless may just become an excuse without improving the welfare of the horses that much," he said.
Ladewig also said that safety of the rider was a concern. "Because of incorrect training (ie lack of pressure release), many riders control their horses by using bits that cause pain rather than just pressure.
"Using a bitless bridle on a horse that has not learned to respond correctly to the signal (pressure on the nose) may make the horse even less controllable. In other words, without much more emphasis on correct training, advocating the use of bitless bridles could reduce rider safety," he said
Check out this article
Bitless bridles 'won't solve dressage welfare issues'
December 28, 2009
Concerns about a call to allow bitless bridles in dressage have been raised by a Danish equine researcher.
Last month the International Society for Equitation Science (ISES) called for the United States to allow the use of crossunder bitless bridles in dressage, a move which was adopted by the Dutch federation in 2008. The ISES is led by Australian horseman Dr Andrew McLean.
In its proposal to the US Equestrian Federation for a rule change, the ISES noted that "the horse's mouth is highly sensitive and vulnerable to the development of behavioral conflicts arising from incorrect bit use.
"In some horses, such conflicts can escalate to active coping mechanisms, such as hyper-reactive behaviours. In others, we see habituation to bit pressure to the extent that they become unresponsive and capable of bolting. Allowing bitless bridles will widen and sustain the spectrum of horses fit to work, and will have a positive effect on public perceptions of good welfare allowing the sport to move in a more enlightened direction. These are important considerations at a time when there are public concerns about various training regimes in dressage."
While supporting the proposal, Jan Ladewig, an honorary fellow of ISES and a researcher at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University in Copenhagen, says the move to riding without a bit will not solve all the welfare problems in dressage horses.
"Do we know what happens when riders attempt hyperflexion (which some undoubtedly will do) with a bitless bridle? After all, the nose of a horse may not be as sensitive and vulnerable as the mouth, but it is not completely insensitive. In other words, putting too much emphasis on the bit, and too little on a corresponding problem, i.e. the "rein pulling", may not relieve the discomfort for the horse that much. Knowing how people (including riders) look for easy solutions, riding bitless may just become an excuse without improving the welfare of the horses that much," he said.
Ladewig also said that safety of the rider was a concern. "Because of incorrect training (ie lack of pressure release), many riders control their horses by using bits that cause pain rather than just pressure.
"Using a bitless bridle on a horse that has not learned to respond correctly to the signal (pressure on the nose) may make the horse even less controllable. In other words, without much more emphasis on correct training, advocating the use of bitless bridles could reduce rider safety," he said
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Katharine Lark Chrisley on
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Bits, bitless, neckropes, bridleless, what really affects the horse is the compassionate skill of the rider/trainer and, unfortunately, we cannot mandate lovingkindness. The world is changing, in many ways for the better, and any rule changes that help people become more aware of the horse's comfort (if not comfort, then at least lack of pain) and seek the best solution for such; these are ideas and principles that must be embraced. Horses and Dressage are dynamic, we don't solve problems with equipment, we create beauty with attitudes and compassion. If we stop admiring and scoring highly the mechanical, contorted methods' results, the trainers will abandon those techniques.
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Permalink Reply by Kt Mehers on
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I agree with Katharine, until the we drop fashion as a way of winning our highest competitions and use excellent riding and training as our performance indicators we will alway's have this problem of using tack as quick fix solutions. We need certain methods of training outlawed by our governing bodies as well. Yes I am talking about hyperflexion here a method used by riders who are too lazy to use proper training.
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Permalink Reply by mary on
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i think that changing the tack is not going to address the underlying problem that causes a welfare issue: lack of correct riding skills/education.
A rider that pulls, rides front to back etc is going to do the exact same thing in a bitless bridle - so I am not sure how a tack change is going to help becuase it is the *riding* that is the problem - not the tack!
What we need is more correct trainers available to teach, more judges willing to give scores that reflect what is in front of them and perhaps gateways to disallow folks from showing above their skill set.
I don't know much about Bitless, but it seems to me that if you are going to advocate for bitless then ALL bitless needs to be included, and not just the one with the best sales pitch. -
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