Comment

Comment by E. Allan Buck on December 4, 2011 at 6:31pm

Ms. Roberts:

It is a shame that riders and owners of horses think that the horse does not mind the bit....the horse has no choice but to accept the bit.

Ms. Synnot:

Susie Hutchinson, used my Spirit Bridle on American One with success........

 

Comment by Michelle Synnot on July 29, 2011 at 4:32pm

well... hmmm. good topic for debate. I challenge you all to come jump my gelding without a bridle! I live in Vancouver BC! Bring your helmet, your inflatable x country vest and your life insurance!

Comment by Stefanie Reinhold on July 26, 2011 at 3:34pm

Another quite illustrative piece of evidence about the unfortunate amount of ignorance out there. Once awareness is raised, no one in their right mind could put any creature through this amount of suffering.

And results can be achieved by much lesser, gentler means of communication. I've had wonderful feedback bout the Meroth Leather Bit. 

Comment by vickie lawson on July 25, 2011 at 5:22am

i train my youngsters with a bit. they gladly open their mouth to take it, and i never need to really touch their mouths. and this with a 3 yr old. it's all in how you do it. anything can be used for good or the reverse- words too.

Comment by Geoffrey Pannell on July 25, 2011 at 12:12am

perhaps instead of showing us how bad we are at riding our horses you could show us how to ride them better?

SHOW US CLIPS OF HORSES GOING BITLESS WITH THE PERVECTION THAT YOU SEEM TO THINK YOU CAN PRODUCE!

Comment by Cartoonrancher on July 24, 2011 at 3:12pm

Atypical bitted riding? You mean these people are NOT representative of the majority? Very well, then, this means that MOST riders are doing right by their horses. There are only a few left who need educating!

 

Yes, this is an emotionally charged video using music and slow motion attempting to create a picture of abusive riding. Agree with Kim Scmhittendorf -- this presentation is juvenile. In defense of the creator (Arabeskhorse), I don't think English is her first language.

 

I couldn't even stand to sit through the whole drippy thing. It was not as extreme as Kittel & Anky. Creator tries to argue that some will say the film is "fake" through the use of slo-mo, but the footage in real time did not bother me. 

 

What bothers me is the attempt at manipulation through emotion, not rational argument. Now perhaps there were more egregious examples later in the film, but Arabesquehorse needs to hit hard and fast to catch the attention of viewers. 

Typical of SH to shill for bitless. He's trying to sell his bridles by convincing the rest of us that we are meanies.

 

 

Comment by Jackie Cochran on July 23, 2011 at 7:48pm

When I went to Kay Russel's Forward Seat school she would have yanked us off the horse and crucified us if we treated her horses this way, and we all used bits on strongly moving horses.

She taught me how to ride humanely with a bit, and I went on from there.  I have improved over the years getting lighter.  There is absolutely nothing like the feeling I get when  a horse who was previously abused by a bit voluntarily reaches out to initiate contact, light contact with relaxed lower jaw and tongue.  Since I never use nosebands with a bit the ladies I ride for can tell me the instant the horse opens its mouth, and boy, do I get it from both teacher and horse!

But if a rider has not been taught how to use a bit correctly I agree with you, they need to go bitless, just like I do when my MS gets bad and makes my hands bad. 

Challenge for all competition riders, can you ride on contact using a bit WITHOUT A  NOSEBAND on contact and NOT make the horse open its mouth?  I don't think most the riders shown in this video could.

They are not qualified to ride with a bit.  Those poor, poor horses.  Bitless would be much, much better for the horses but I would hesitate to let any of these riders ride my horse until they learned how to use their hands properly even using bitless bridles. 

Bad, bad, bad horsemanship.