FEI Dressage Approved Bridle (*?#%!)

[Michelle Clarke]

Well, here you go. Not only do they stand around with their hands in their pockets when someone is doing rollkur in the warmup area before showing, but now this.



Obviously a dropped noseband was not enough to force your horse to "take the bit", we must add a crank behind the bit and also under the jaw.

Here is what is toted in regards to this S&M equipment:

“The poll area is one of the most sensitive areas of the horse. Strong pressure in this area immediately affects the overall behavior of the horse. The shape of the horse’s head is long. Because of this, the conventional bridle slides downwards, pulling down the upper and lower jaws. In order to achieve desired chewing action, the upper and lower jaws need to be separated from each other. Because of the shape of the horse’s head, the conventional bridle cannot move with the movement of the horse’s jaw in an upward motion, but can only pull downward, causing the throatlatch to pull in the same direction, thus causing strong pressure to the poll area.”

“As a result, the horse feels uncomfortable when chewing on the bit and actually feels pain in the poll area.”

“The ST Bridle frees up the horse’s face, promoting a desirable expression!”

“The special buckling system causes a good placement on the horse’s head. Since noseband and throat piece are connected, the pulling of the bit through the sides of the mouth is no longer possible. “

“The top part of the ST Bridle re-directs the pressure to the poll, diverting its direction. The piece that sits underneath the lower jaw is designed in a way that it relieves direct pressure to the poll. The position of the noseband on the horse’s head offers optimum freedom in the mouth.”

“The special buckling system causes a snug fit on the horse’s head. Misplacement and sliding of the bridle is no longer possible. When the rider is using hand aids, his aids will only go where they need to go, directly to the horse’s bit without causing additional irritation to the poll area.”

“The ST Bridle has been designed to reduce pressure to the neck/poll area to a minimum.”

“This way, horse and rider can communicate in harmony.”

Considering they want to see "lipstick" on the mouth which shows the horse is correctly chewing and swallowing; then WHY in the world are we shutting it more?!?!?!?

[nrly]

isn't that cruel to the horse, to me it is.
nola

[Michelle Clarke]

Yes, it is forcing them to "accept" the bit. We had a gal that brought a High School trained Andalusian mare in for some rehab training; because she had "snapped her showercap" we were told. The mare could do five of the airs above ground including the capriole (were they jump up and kick out). Well, she jumped up and kicked her trainer in the ribs during a practice for Equitana! The gal let someone else handle her (the show must go on), and he flipped her over by rough handling.

Her original trainer spent five years in Austria with the Royal Lippizaner School, so he was no backyard trainer. When she brought her bridle in and it had a dropped noseband, I asked why she would need that. She said because she opens her mouth. Why does she open her mouth, I asked. To avoid the bit, she said. WHY does she avoid the bit??? She did not know.

Contraptions like this is just another way to cover up training issues. Beside, if you don't allow your horse that evasion (and address it), it does not mean they won't come up with a new one anyway. If they are troubled in the brain, the brace will come out somewhere else - guaranteed.

[kigerfan]

That's a nasty bit of leather and steel work there I can't imagine treating a horse in such a manner. How miserably unhappy and trapped a horse must feel in it. Their whole blurb makes it sound like you should be using something like that... that you should be hurting your horse for his actions. Very sad