Bitless Bridles- what chance of ever getting this to fly in Harness Racing?

[Triple V]

http://www.bitlessbridle.com/

Interesting stuff, especially so in light of this...

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/news/6-23-11/could-equipment-reduce-bleeding.html

Both a good read.

[Danno]

There is nothing wrong with the bitless techniques Jamie, my father was "mouthing" young ones without bits over forty years ago, and very successfully too, some of the nicest horses to drive were produced.
Many people laughed at him at the time, basically 'cos they couldn't understand it...it was different to the old well worn beliefs so it must have been wrong, not sure if it could get any traction now, people do seem more inclined to at least accept some new thinking, especially so since Monty Roberts started showing people his techiques about twenty years or so ago.

[Triple V]

Never said there was anything wrong with them Dan. In fact I was particularly interested in the idea of certain pieces of gear/bits causing EIPH. It made a lot of sense to me.

[Danno]

That must have come out wrong Jamie, I wasn't inferring you thought there was anything wrong with the idea, I'm not too sure whether any gear can cause bleeds but one thing you learn when training horses...never say never, and never think "always", there are many "rules" and horses, like people will break them.
Just like the bitless driving, some horses will repond well and some may not, I believe in it with some horses because I've seen it work really well with a couple, but I'm equally sure some would not, although the ones Dad did all those years ago all went particularly well from a driving aspect, in fact one of them, a horse called "The Lout" that I bred and gave to Dad was an exeptional horse to drive, a horse fell directly in front of him one night at about the 400 and he screached to a halt on his hinds in the space of about ten metres,awsome stuff to watch, we all thoughrt he was going over the fallen horse as you would...one of the most amazing things I've witnessed and he was mouthed bitless, we used to put a bridle with a soft rubber bit on him cos it was ( and probably stiil is) against the rules to go around without a bit.

Dont know about the bleeding aspect Jamie, but as I've descibed there are other very tangible benefits.

[Triple V]

A bloke I used to go to school with was a Quarterhorse Breeder and he used to ride them without a bit all the time. Sometimes when he'd go get them in the paddock he'd just clip a lead shank to their head collar and hop up bareback and ride them back up to the barn with that. They were amazing animals.

[gregcattell]

clerk of course horse at bathurst has no bit the grey one