| Author | Message | ||
     Stef Nuttall Member Username: Mordivock Post Number: 10 Registered: 02-2008 |
We used to get unhandled 3 year olds who had no life experiences, we always broke them in an open bridle & gradually introduced blinkers. A friend of ours bought a brood mare & wanted it to drive. It transpired that its mouth couldn't accommodate a bit confirmed by both vet & equine dentist. We combined a Dr Cooks with a blinker bridle. The horse was perfectly happy, well mannered and came on a number of drives & cone driving events. A happy horse is more settled & accepting of things than one who physically restrained or restricted by gadgets that prevent him from moving his physic freely and without pain. | ||
| Janet Williams Member Username: Merlodlliw Post Number: 5 Registered: 06-2013 |
Carriage driving magazine this month has an interesting article on driving bitless | ||
| Lesley Bagley-Shellard Member Username: Lesley_from_kent Post Number: 49 Registered: 11-2011 |
Ooo, thanks for the link Fiona, that's interesting. I'm with you, I'm neither for or against providing the horse is safe and the driver has full control. | ||
| Lesley Bagley-Shellard Member Username: Lesley_from_kent Post Number: 48 Registered: 11-2011 |
I do worry about the "so the horse doesn't see the wheels of the carriage & get scared by the sight" - why the heck would you sit behind something strapped to a carriage if it was scared of it?? Just my opinion of course. It's a shame insurers are so anti-bitless, surely if the horse is more comfortable without a bit in its mouth it's far less likely to be running away from it and be much calmer? Maybe I'm just lucky with Floyd (Chestnut welsh B x TB which you would expect to be a bit hot headed) he's great in his Dr Cooks (very light & responsive) and if he's worried about anything, we stop and have a look, he looks at me, I tell him it's fine and off we go again. I think he would shy more if he couldn't see clearly? | ||
| Fiona Powell Member Username: Fionap Post Number: 249 Registered: 03-2007 |
(from the BC rulebook, page 41) "919.7 Bits Bitless bridles (hackamores) are not permitted when the Horse is harnessed to a vehicle." (Presumably this would also be applied to non-Hackamore bitless bridles.) As an organiser of club driving trials, when I've been asked about this in the past, insurers, BDS and BHDTA have advised not to accept entries driven bitless although I believe someone used to compete regularly in the past in the Midlands area bitless so it may depend on the local event organiser. re. blinkerless - no rules apply, as far as I know. Blinkers do protect the horse's eyes when you drive single and in multiples - from twigs and hedge branches and from being accidentally flicked by the whip or, in pairs/teams, being knocked by the pony next to it or, in teams/tandems, from the leader's reins. They also focus his attention on going forwards and should stop him from seeing the wheels of the carriage behind and getting scared by the sight. Our driving ancestors would not have used blinkers for several centuries if they had no value or purpose, I believe. I'm sure a well-trained horse and experienced driver could perform effectively without blinkers, as Jackie says, and there are horses driven bitless successfully in the US and on the continent. Do check your insurance as insurers don't like unusual practices although the BDS may have changed its mind now!? Dr Cook - article http://www.bitlessbridle.co.uk/articles/driving-bitless-dr-cook-bridle.php Ideal Equestrian's bitless bridle http://www.idealequestrian.com/en/products/harness-accessoiries/item/bitlose-neu sriem That's my fourpence-worth - there are plenty more opinions, I'm sure. I'm not for or against as long as you are safe in public places and insurable. | ||
| Lesley Bagley-Shellard Member Username: Lesley_from_kent Post Number: 47 Registered: 11-2011 |
That should have said 'bitted' not bitter!! | ||
| Lesley Bagley-Shellard Member Username: Lesley_from_kent Post Number: 46 Registered: 11-2011 |
I drive Floyd bitless & without blinkers. He's bitter for club events etc. Not sure what he'd think if I suddenly put blinkers on him now. | ||
| Jackie Ellis Member Username: Jackieellis Post Number: 56 Registered: 03-2007 |
I drove Badger in all situations without blinkers because he was broken that way & happier! | ||
| Marilyn Harding Member Username: Geronimo Post Number: 35 Registered: 07-2007 |
Prince Phillip drove his fell leaders without blinkers !!! | ||
| Janet Williams Member Username: Merlodlliw Post Number: 3 Registered: 06-2013 |
Thanks Patti, but I would think driving without blinkers would be dangerous especially in permanent obstacles that close up on you very quickly. | ||
| Patti Atkinson Member Username: Pattia Post Number: 82 Registered: 03-2007 |
Blinkers are not required - but advisable. If pony was broken to drive without then should be OK but DONT try driving a normally blinkered pony without. Bitless bridles are not allowed in competition. | ||
| Janet Williams Member Username: Merlodlliw Post Number: 1 Registered: 06-2013 |
I have seen a pony recently driven in a competition without blinkers and as a novice driver I was wondering if this is acceptable and if yes could you also drive a pony in a bitless bridle? |