About Dr. Cook
The Bitless Bridle is the answer. Dr W R Cook, a UK-trained equine vet, first marketed The Bitless Bridle™ in the USA in 1999. It is the only bitless design that has been developed and physiologically validated by a respected veterinary surgeon, one who has focused 50 years of his research on the mouth, ear, nose and throat of the horse, particularly unsoundness of wind, the cause of bleeding in racehorses and the harmful effects of the bit method of communication.

THE BITLESS BRIDLE REVOLUTION
A quiet revolution is now taking place that transforms the art and science of horsemanship. The Bitless Bridle provides a humane alternative to the Bronze Age technology of the bit. Unlike the bit, no pain is inflicted. Your horse is free from fear, listens more attentively, breathes more freely, and moves more gracefully. With a calm, less spooky horse, communication is enhanced, trust established, performance improved, and harmony achieved. Riding and driving becomes simpler, safer and more satisfying. Both you and your horse can relax and enjoy yourselves

STEERING
Brief pressure on one rein (yellow arrow) pushes painlessly but persuasively on the opposite half of the head (red arrows). Horses respond better to being pushed painlessly (nudged) with the Bitless Bridle (over a large surface area) than being pulled painfully by a bit (with highly focused pressure on the sensitive tissues of the mouth). Where the head goes the horse follows. Unlike the effect of a bit, that tends to twist a horse's head, the head stays upright and the turn is more natural and physiologically correct. By comparison with either bits or other bitless bridles (hackamores, bosals and sidepulls), more effective steering is one of the first benefits that riders notice. The Bitless Bridle 'works' with both direct and neck reining

SLOWING AND STOPPING
Brief pressure on both reins or alternate pressure on each rein applies a gentle squeeze to the whole of the head and triggers a 'submit' response. Braking is probably attributable to a combination of the calming effect of a whole-head-hug; to initiation of a balancing reflex at the poll; to the stimulation of areas of special sensitivity behind the ears; and to painless pressure across the bridge of the nose. The "brakes" are more reliable than those provided by the bit. First, bit-induced pain causes many a horse to bolt rather than brake. Secondly, at no time can the horse deprive the rider of all means of communication by gripping the bit between its teeth or under its tongue.

Unlike the mechanics of the bit, hackamore, bosal or sidepull, braking is not dependent on pain across the bridge of the nose, poll flexion and obstruction of the airway.

The above advice on steering/stopping, using the nudge/hug approach of the Bitless Bridle should, ideally, be used simply as a back-up, if required, to the more important aids provided by body weight, balance and breathing.

A NECESSARY EXPLANATION
'Aversion to the bit' has been generally understood to be an occasional problem manifested by about half a dozen different signs. But in the last few years, Dr. Cook's research has shown that the bit is the cause of over a hundred behavioural problems. Each one of these problems has been repeatedly solved by removing the bit and using the Bitless Bridle. The bridle's very effectiveness, however, brings with it a dilemma when it comes to providing information about the bridle. Anyone who describes the many problems solved or the huge number of benefits gained from using the bridle runs the risk of sounding like a snake-oil salesman, as the list is so long and - to most horsemen - so surprising. Nevertheless, many users have volunteered comments such as "All the benefits you describe are present." So- confident that we are not guilty of false advertising, let us proceed

THE FIVE F'S
A bit frightens a horse. It causes pain or the fear of pain.

Fear is expressed by one or more of the five F's:

fright, flight, fight, freeze or facial neuralgia
(the headshaking syndrome).

Each one of these main categories has its own list of symptoms (see below). Collectively, there are over a hundred symptoms and they interfere with just about every bodily system. Interference with those systems that are vital to athletic performance (the nervous, respiratory, musculoskeletal, and cardiovascular systems) means that the horse is not only in pain and feeling mentally distressed but is additionally handicapped as an athlete. For example, the presence of a bit in the mouth leads to obstruction of the airway in the throat. As striding is synchronized with breathing and as normal striding depends on normal breathing, anything that interferes with breathing also interferes with striding. A horse that is unable to breathe and stride properly cannot run and jump to its full potential. A horse that is in pain and mentally distressed cannot learn in the first instance and neither can it perform with confidence and safety