# Beta Biothane Bitless bridles?



## Classicallydressage (Feb 5, 2012)

Some horses don't like the pressure of the cheek straps. I have one myself and I never use it. It puts pressure on the poll so they drop their heads. But because the crossing cheek straps put pressure on the under side of the jaw they push their nose out. Some horses like it some horses don't.
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## Stakie (Jul 11, 2011)

Do you have this specific one though? I am more or less interested in the quality of this one. I am unsure if I want to buy it or not.


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## Classicallydressage (Feb 5, 2012)

I have the brand you are interested in. It's not worth the money you'll put into it. I recommend a leather side pull. They have thick leather with nice metal tooling. My synthetic beta is flimsy while my friends side-pull is very sturdy. the side pull rides more like a halter so your horse will feel more natural in it. With my beta I had to school my mustang for 2 weeks in it before she really started listening. So in short I recommend the leather side-pulls.
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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

There are, from what I've seen, 3 styles of bitless bridles, the Nurtural in which the throat strap is part of the poll strap, the Dr. cook with the sliding throat strap and the Linda T-Jones with is a side pull with small straps that support the nose band. Each will work a little differently. My preference would be the Nurtural so the poll strap isn't sliding back and forth. The Nurtural also comes in the cheaper yet stronger nylon. Check the website. Altho Canadian, they are out of Toledo in the US.


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## Stakie (Jul 11, 2011)

Hmm, those nutural bridles look interesting. I don't think I seen them for driving before but it would be something I would want to invest in.


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## yadlim (Feb 2, 2012)

I could not get the link to open right. If I understand right, you are looking at a biothane bitless bridle. 

I have owned several. Two were from bitlessbridle . com and were fantastic. Both of these have been stolen so I have to give up and buy a new one for the filly I am helping my daughter train. 

They are great for older horses who been there done that and don't need much to get them to do what they are supposed to do. 

They are fantastic for a horse who fights the bit, especially green ones. 

They are perfect for a green horse who has learned to bolt with their tongue over the bit as you can circle them to a stop in half the distance it woudl normally take to stop them. 

They are good for drivng a calm horse down the road - but not so good with one that wants to bolt.

just my experience. I am goign to try to post a pic of my Shaman in harness at a medieval games in his biothane bitless bridle... wish me luck!

failure... here is hte link

Kodak Pride - Events 2003

he was four at the time and all the extra is cosutming


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## yadlim (Feb 2, 2012)

OK - if you hit the next button, you get a close up of him undersaddle in the bitless - my daughter was doing medieval games with him undersaddle while I did them in harness.


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## Stakie (Jul 11, 2011)

Ah, you use the Dr. cook bridles. I was looking int those but they don't to be my first choice at the moment.


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## Stakie (Jul 11, 2011)

These after a lot of research seem to be the best bitless bridle for our needs at a somewhat descent price. If anyong has any information on this one I would love to hear about it.

Evolution - Moss Rock Endurance - Your Source for Custom Biothane Competitive Tack


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## WildAcreFarms (Apr 6, 2011)

i bought the leather one from Hailson (off ebay) that is the leather copy of the Dr cook style. my horse goes great in it and at 69.
it didn't break the bank.


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## Elizabeth Bowers (Jan 26, 2012)

I got Dr. Cooks bitless bridle for christmas, to help train my 4yo paint, she does fantastic in it. I really like it, it took her a little bit to get used to it, for the simple reason i rode her in a halter for all that time. It takes some getting used to, but its great for green horses just learning the ropes.


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## Jierda (May 18, 2012)

I don't have this bridle, but I do have the Nurtural, both the pretty leather one and the synthetic one, and I have read some reviews on the biothane bridle. What I have heard, is that it slips very easily (the Nurtural won't because of the rubber inlay in the noseband) and the release is insufficient (same goes for the synthetic Nurtural, the material just isn't perfect). I also got a remake of the Dr. Cook bridle, with round-sewed cheek straps. My horse goes great in both that one and the leather Nurtural, only the communication is just a bit more precise in the Nurtural because the cheek straps won't interfere with each other. I'd swear by this bridle any time. You can ride in it just as you would with a bit and the horse gets the hang really soon. I bought it, lunged my horse in it with running sidereins a few times, got up on him, rode away and never used a bit again. 

With this bridle I've also finally managed to ride my horse alone through the neighbourhood (he reacts violently to a bit, will throw up his head and bolt back to the barn), and even the one time he got seriously scared and bolted, I let him go for about 20 meters as to not pull on him right away and give him reason to fight me, then gently pulled him back up with no problem whatsoever.

IMO the Nurtural (and any cross-over cheek strap bridle) is great for more specific riding like dressage because the cueing is a bit more advanced. For just some strolling around or trail riding, I think a sidepull or rope halter would work just as well (I tried them all on my horse but found the possible communication to be lacking for dressage).


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

The more I research bitless bridles, they seem to be varioations of the war bridle. They all work on a scissoring effect so the release is most important. Unlike a snaffle where whereby the rider can elicit a response by merely stroking the rein with the pinkie, creating lightness, this cannot be done in a bitless.


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