Tell Us What You Think

We value the input of our customers, and would love to publish your stories on our web site. Tell us how your horse took to the NoBit Bridle and anything you love or hate about it.

Please send your stories and if possible attach a photo or two and make your horse a superstar like our new friends pictured on this page.

If you have any comments or suggestions for improving this website please also contact us on the link below.

feedback@nobitbridles.com

Independent Review:

Want to read an independent review. HorsePoint have recently trialled one of our bridles and published their findings on their website. Just click on this link to read what they thought: http://www.horsepoint.com.au/portal/alias__horsepointau/tabID__3435/ArticleID__2889422/DesktopDefault.aspx

Email from Emma and Scarlet

Dear No-Bit Bridle,

Email from Heidi and Spotty in VIC

Dear No-bit bridles,

I would like to thank you for making it so easy to use a bridle without a bit! My horse and I have ridden in a nobit for over 2 years now, go everywhere in it, and have discovered it has been the best piece of horse equipment I have ever owned. "Spotty" was always a dream to ride, but from the first day we went bitless he has not looked back.

Since 2006, Spotty and I have hunted with the Penola Hunt Club. In 2007, a rule was introduced allowing bitless bridles to be used, with permission from the Master. So Spotty and I ride all year in his nobit, and jump during the winter in it too. I sometimes use the bit again for the first stage of the hunt, when he can get very "excited" – but when I put it on he sure lets me know by shaking his head around and up and down!

The photo shows spotty in full flight at our games day last year. Everyone asks me how he goes in it, and why I don’t use a bit. I have found him to be happier in the nobit, taking no re-training to use it for the first time. I was a little hesitant to put a noseband on again, after riding for many years without nosebands. I find he likes the noseband more than the bit, and a good rub seems to be all that is required to convince him.

Kind Regards, Heidi and Spotty.

Email from Jennifer in VIC

Hi to everyone at NoBit Bridles and thank you for keeping us updated during the EI crisis. I am a member of Wangaratta Adult Horse Riding Club and responsible for our newsletter so I was able to keep our club members informed through the information you sent me.

I purchased a no bit bridle from you about six months ago for my 10 year old Morgan/Arab mare Haymeron Safire that I have owned and ridden for seven years. She is a great horse, very intelligent and very willing and bold but I was having trouble with the brakes. I thought for a long time that it may have been caused by a back problem or an ill fitting saddle or both. She has always been girthy but she was getting progressively more fidgetty under saddle and difficult to stop, even at the walk. And standing still was almost an impossibility. It was like she just wasn't listening to me when I was on her back, although she is just the nicest and most polite horse to handle on the ground. She would jig constantly, not stand still when I was mounted and try to rip the reins out of my hands. She seemed to be trying to tell me something because, before this, she was never rude or piggy either under saddle or unmounted.

I went to great lengths to check and alter her saddle, getting all sorts of saddle fitters in. I had a very reputable chiropractor treat her several times (at great expense) but when she tossed me in the paddock and broke a bone in my back I knew we were just not on the same page.

After a couple of very nervous rides (because of my back and her new-found pigginess) Saffy cottoned onto the way the new bridle worked and just like magic all of her problems very quickly melted away. I now feel that I can communicate with her in a way that I never have before and we are getting the BEST halts!!

We ride down the road at least once a week and she is now so stoppable, even when cantering with other horses. We have finally become a partnership. I have started Show Jumping with the new bridle and can't wait to compete (after EI). My only disappointment is that I'll have to put a bitted bridle on her to compete in dressage. I hope we can get that changed. I have ridden her in a bitted bridle again but her old ways come back, she gets annoyed.

What I put it all down to is that she was probably so annoyed by having a bit in her mouth that's all she could concentrate on. As soon as she didn't have that annoyance she was able to concentrate on me and what I was asking. I don't know why this situation developed though because she used to be good in a bitted bridle. I'm just happy that the no bit bridle works even though I don't really know why.

There are a couple of things that could maybe be improved with the bridle. I have seen it mentioned before that the cheek straps tend to work their way around the front too much and this can be a problem. Also, if I'm not quick enough to stop my horse rubbing her head she can easily accidentally slip the bridle off because there's nothing holding it on except pressure on the reins. My reins don't buckle together very easily either so I've had to skive them down to allow this. <Note: we have been in contact with Jennifer and fixed the problems she was experiencing with her cheek straps>

Apart from that I'm very happy with the bridle and I hope we can convince the HRCAV to allow us to compete dressage in them.

Thank you for the no-bit bridle and for your newsletters and I hope you have enjoyed my story.

Cheers,
Jennifer

Email from Kelly in VIC

Dear Nicole,

Before I reported back to you on our experiences with the NoBit Bridles, I wanted to have the opportunity to use them in as many circumstances and situations as possible and on several horses. We have now been using the bridles on our 5 main riding horses for nearly 6 months. We are all delighted with the bridles, and they have exceeded our expectations.

My horse is prone to 'scooting' when something gives him a fright, and I am consistently able to pull him up or one-rein-stop him on a dime using the NoBit Bridle. This was my main concern in using the NoBit Bridle, as I was worried he would not have the lightness in his lateral flexion under these circumstances of stress or flight. The fact is however, that he is just as light laterally with the NoBit bridle as with a bitted bridle. He is easier to pull up on the "front brakes" now, and there is no more "leaning into the bit."

The experience has been much the same with all the horses, and my daughter's very forward little pony too. They are all happy to be caught and have the bridle put on. We found there was no transitional time for the horses. We just popped the bridles on and went riding, and they all picked up the cues immediately.

We mostly just trail/bush ride and ride on the roads. The level of control is excellent, whether riding in traffic, or steering through dense bush, or going over jumps. We have galloped across the High Plains and been able to pull our horses up easily, even when excited in a group.

I am now absolutely converted (and I had been a sceptic in the past), and can see no reason to use a bitted bridle again. I am certain that the horses appreciate not having a lump of metal in their mouths with sometimes less-than-perfect hands attached to the other end!

If I had to make one criticism, it would be that the horses tend to get a little sweaty under the nosebands (We have never used nosebands on our horses before). We try to make up for this by giving them a lovely rub and scratch on the nose as soon as we unbridle them, or inviting their heads around to each side occasionally while we are mounted just to give them a little rub under the noseband (Any excuse really!)

Thanks again Nicole for supplying us with a wonderful product.

Best wishes,
Kelly, Metung, VIC.

Email from Heather from SA

“Hi Nicole

Just letting you know how pleased I am with the NoBit bridle. Eclipse was mouthed 18mths ago, wouldn't accept the bit so I turned her out until I received the NoBit bridle.

Day1 I droved her - the first 10mins she was stiff in turning.

Day2 I droved her down the road all over the place she loved it.

So the next day my 4yr old grand daughter Leticia rode her as you can see in the photo how relaxed both pony and rider are Leticia had no problems in going forward, turning or stopping I couldn't get over just how relaxed the little mare was !!

Thanking you once again,

Heather from Mannum SA”