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Olympic Show Jumper John Anderson to review Nurtural Bitless Bridle

Cinch Magazine consumer report

Independent study!  Cinch magazine.  4 different horses, 4 initially skeptical trainers 
Nurtural Bitless in 2009 Extreme Mustang Makeover      

We were thrilled to meet Canadian Olympic Show Jumper John Anderson at the recent Royal Winter Fair.  John has taken a couple bridles back to his ranch near Calgary Alberta.  Watch for a pink bridle in the silent auction at the 2009 Santa Clause Classic: (Ride for a Cure) Dec 4-6.

Here is what John posted recently in his newsletter:
There has been a lot of chat lately about the bitless bridle. While at the Royal Winter Fair, RMSJ management was given a few of the Bitless Bridles to try on one of our horses that is normally ridden in a hackamore. We are anxious to see how it works. Visit their website and see if you have a horse that may benefit from their patented bridle design.

Watch for more news!

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Base Price (not including shipping):     Good
Versatility (disciplines):                     Outstanding
Quality of Materials:                        Excellent
Ease of Use (adjustments, riding):      Excellent
Durability:                                        Excellent
Cleaning:                                          Excellent

The textured rubber on the underside of the noseband prevents the noseband from slipping out of place. This is a feature especially appreciated as pressure remained equal across the nose, helping to ‘anchor’ the noseband in place- we never experienced a problem with it riding up the nose when properly adjusted.  Because the cross-under straps cannot become uneven during riding, the bridle is especially safe and control is enhanced. 

Made Horse:
Before: "I have always been a bit-bridle traditionalist and didn’t expect much from this consumer report. I have to say now, after months of riding bitless, this has been the most humbling experience of my life. It was not the bitless riders, but the bit traditionalist like me that took bitless bridles out of proportion."  
 

After: "Rotating from bitless to bit is effective for training and helps to keep the horse focused and interested as cue signals are frequently changing. If you want to avoid bit hunting and keep your horses for pleasure or for schooling, bitless is definitely a good choice. For lesson stables, I see bitless as a great tool to enhance the amateur rider’s legs and base but can be unsuitable if the rider is not familiar with the horse/bridle and the horse runs away on them."

http://cinchmagazine.com/nurturalbitless-bitlessexperiment.htm

Hot Horse:
Before:  "I had already been introduced to the Nurtural bitless bridle riding one of the other test horses, and had had positive results. Though my previous beliefs would have otherwise told me to stick a bit in her mouth on her first ride in 3 years, I went with my gut and fitted the bitless to her. I have never regretted that move… "

After:  "Perhaps we are “never afraid of what we know” (Anna Sewell), but maybe we need to bridge past the stereotypes and misconceptions. Bitless isn’t just for dead-broke, calm horses, but it can be used on virtually anyone. All you need is an open mind, and a willing attitude."  http://cinchmagazine.com/nurturalbitlessbridle-hothorse.htm

Green Horse:
Before: "I have always been quite skeptical of bitless bridles. I never thought I would purchase one in my life, but I had been offered the chance to experiment with the Nurtural Bitless Bridle on my green mare, Annie." 
 

After: "The bitless bridle has proved invaluable for schooling, and has helped calm my mare out on hacks. I find transitioning between using a standard bridle and the Nurtural to be the best for enhanced performance. My mare seems to learn better in the bitless bridle, and I can then transfer those skills over to bitted work."    http://cinchmagazine.com/nurturalbitlessbridlereview-haflinger.htm

First Backing:

Before:  "RJ is a young CWHBA warmblood, seeking a future career in show-jumping and low-level dressage. He has a curious attitude, but has typical behaviour of a horse his age- he can be stubborn and easily confused. We will be logging his progress each year as he progresses through training- bitless."

After: "The results have been wonderful. RJ is already learning to carry himself properly, and is accepting the bridle well. He has worn a bit, as he will need to be competed with a bit until rule changes occur, but he has not yet been ridden with one. Next year, he will be hacked out and introduced to light trotting."  http://cinchmagazine.com/nurturalbitlessbridle-experiment-warmblood.htm

 

We were thrilled that 2 of the trainers, Nik and Kris Kokal of HorseTenders, trained and competed in the Nurtural Bitless Bridle. 

Gilbert Chee from Tsaile, Arizona  trained his barely-3-year-old mustang ‘Windtalker’ for 100 days, teaching him to ride with a bit.  On the day of the competition, Gilbert saw the Nurtural Bitless Bridle for the first time and decided to give it a try – in hot pink!  

   Watch the video of Gilbert's Rides!

Kara Bump from Shepherd Texas trained her mustang ‘Poseiden’ using a bit.  On the day of the competition, she saw the Nurtural Bitless Bridle for the first time and decided to give it a try.  The difference was amazing!

Kara was so impressed, she signed up to be a sales agent for the Nurtural Bitless Bridle. 
Contact Kara at horsepowwer18@aol.com  Ph: (281) 761-1213 

It was 'icing on the (wedding) cake' that Jenny Jess, Kris Kokal's fiancé, also trained and competed in the
Nurtural Bitless Bridle!

Jenny Jess was one of the 100 approved horse trainers who had 100 days to train their wild mustangs and then show what they could do.   This young horse never saw a bit, or shoes, or spurs.  Jenny trained only in the Nurtural Bitless Bridle.  (Congratulations to Jenny and Kris Kokal, who plan to marry in 2010.)  

Contact Jenny through http://procareequine.com/  or http://www.horsetenders.com/

Remember the wild mustang story last year?  Here's the 2009 news straight from HorseTenders:

The EMM 09 event has become more selective with the selection of only 100 trainers for the national competition. In addition to Kris & Nik's selection to compete in the 09 EMM event, out of the 100 EMM trainers selected, the Mustang Heritage Foundation and Alex Dawson interviewed and selected Kris and Nik to be documented, videoed, and followed throughout their 100 days of training. Alex Dawson has done documentaries for the Discovery and National Geographic channels. We are so proud to be recognized and are honored to be selected and to be able to highlight our gentle no metal training techniques......"Developing Mettle without Mettle"TM

Days 1-14:  Kris Kokal's Horse "Boy Named 'Sioux' and Nik Kokal's Horse Ranahan The Extreme Mustang Makeover is a competition in which 100 trainers have 100 days to train wild mustangs and compete in Ft. Worth...

Days 20-40:  Ranahan and Boy Named 'Sioux' progress through days 20-40 of there training.

Slieve Aughty Centre in western Ireland offers horseback riding holidays, English language instruction, conference and special event facilities, comfortable accommodation, and delicious meals from our organic garden. A memorable experience for beginning and advanced equestrians and non-riders, escape to the beauty and tranquility of the Slieve Aughty mountains in County Galway.
Their first shipment of Nurtural Bridles will arrive in early July.  Other dealers may purchase from them, and everyone is welcome to try a bitless riding vacation!

00353 (0)9097 45246    merel_zyderlaan@yahoo.com   http://www.riding-centre.com/

To Bit or Not to Bit?  Bitless Driving article in Rural Heritage Magazine
Author Bethany Caskey drives bitless in Albia, Iowa.

Highlights:
So why go bitless? Light handedness with a horse is the mark of a superb horseperson. Yet man has traditionally used force and fighting methods to get what he wants from the horse ....

Follow this bitless bridle study! 
Beginning the summer of '09.
With so many conflicting opinions on the use of bits versus the bitless bridle, Cinch Magazine has decided to undergo its own experimental process. They will be comparing the versatility, communication and precision of using bitless bridles as opposed to the standard bitted bridle. During the study, they will be examining how a variety of horses respond, including: well seasoned horses, green horses, and fearful/problem horses. They will even be starting a horse under saddle with the guidance of the bitless bridle. If all goes well, their plan is to compete bitless in show-jumping and hunter-type classes.
This experiment will extend over the period of a couple years, with routine updates to keep you posted at our site. At the end of our study period we will deliver the verdict- do bitless bridles compare to bits?
 
This study page can be found at: http://cinchmagazine.com/bitlessexperiment.htm
 

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New Video!  New Blog Posts; New Articles!

I hope you had a chance to watch the new Bitless News Highlights video posted on our home page.

Check the recent blog posting on bitless bridles at http://theequinist.blogspot.com/

Who is the Equinist and why does she write this blog?  
"The Equinist", the blog of equine journalist and horse trainer, Susan Kauffmann. I love writing for horse magazines and feel extremely privileged to do so, but it has always frustrated me that once an issue is off the shelf, people no longer have easy access to the information in the articles. It is also frustrating at times to be unable to express my own opinion in the articles I write, especially on subjects I care very deeply about. I therefore decided to create this blog as an antidote to those frustrations -- a place where I can make my work permanently available in hopes that it might benefit horse owners seeking information, and a place where I can speak my mind freely on horse related issues.

What did she say about the Nurtural Bitless?
My horse Gryphon is what you would call "sensitive" -- really sensitive. This is a double-edged sword, as it makes him wonderfully responsive and light, but also rather reactive and potentially explosive. He tends to worry about life in general, but when it came to being ridden, he worried very specifically about the bit. Didn't matter how soft or kind the bit was, or how light and careful you were with your hands -- the bit was a cause of worry for him.

Enter the Nurtural Bitless Bridle (available at http://www.nurturalhorse.com/). This bridle is similar in many ways to the older Dr. Cook bitless bridle, but with some significant, if subtle, design differences. I had ridden a horse once in a Dr. Cook and had not been impressed: the horse responded to pressure from one rein by twisting his head and getting crooked, while pressure from both reins caused him to raise his head and invert his spine. I worried that the Nurtural might have the same effects, but it does not. Basically, the Nurtural is a Dr. Cook with all the "kinks" worked out of it -- and Gryphon goes BEAUTIFULLY in it. He is comfortable and doesn't worry about the bridle, responds like a feather with lovely self-carriage -- yet if I need some real controlling power (in my case, to stop the grass diving), I have all I could desire.  
.... read the full post about bitless bridles at http://theequinist.blogspot.com/search/label/bitless%20bridles

Want to read or print recent articles or posters to share with your friends?

Take the bite and the bit out of these economic tomes ... Bitless news Poster

Changing the Horse World - bit by bit by no-bit at all!

How to ride a wild mustang - bitless and blindfolded.

Riding_across_India_in_Nurtural_Bridle

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Zoe Brooks of Nurtural Horse Radio Interview December 10th, 12 - 1PM Pacific Time

Please join the fun on air or online when Zoe Brooks talks with Joy Turner on Talk With Your Animals.  Hear about the latest developments in the bitless revolution and exciting recent events. 
Some topics: training wild mustangs, the charity ride across India, and how to compete internationally in dressage online ....  all bitless of course!.   

To hear the radio show, Talk With Your Animals hosted by Joy Turner, please listen to 1150 AM or over the Internet at www.1150kknw.com or www.talkwithyouranimals.com on Wednesdays from 12 to 1 PM Pacific Time. The rebroadcast of the show also streams on www.animalradio.com. Check the schedule on Animal Radio Network for times in your area. Sponsored by Optimum Choices, Pet Essences, The Natural Pet Pantry, Natural Horse Talk, Nurtural Horse, Dooley's Dog House, Scratch n All and Waggin' Tails Cookies.

Enjoy this video of Joy's previous interview with Zoe and Zeus, an off-the-track Thoroughbred.

E-Mail from Caitriona Early December:
....  We did 300kms in 10 days, one of which was a rest day and three times we encountered mares loose on the road. Somehow I managed to keep Chandra under control although there was one incident where some villagers tried to get a free mating out of him.

...  I am attaching some photos with this email, I warn you that the one of the Indian bit is not nice. I think it would be illegal in any developed country and it is routine to see blood from a horses mouth after it has been ridden. The photo of Dipti is a friends stallion, I rode him myself and he is an absolute angel but this photo is sadly of the Indian style of riding.

Nurtural Horse - Nurturing Horses and Horse Lovers since 2005