Dr Cook's

[bumper]

Just seen a pic of a friend's pone in new Dr Cook's. Not seen one before, so I have no idea how they are supposed to work.
Now, I can see, from the pics, the arrangement, and it seems to work on the airway/nose.
Can anyone enlighten me??

 

[itsonlyme]

http://www.bitlessbridle.co.uk/benefits-bitless-bridle.php

This explains it better than i can. I honestly love them, even for my wannabe racehorse. She's so much more settled in it than she ever was in bits

 

[quirky]

Also check out the Micklem bridle.

 

[sandy3924]

Hi Bumper, I've just bought one for Ari as have been riding in the dually for the last two months. Havent had the chance to try it yet but hope he goes as well in the Dr Cooks as in the Dually.

http://www.bitlessbridle.co.uk/bitless-bridle-faq.php#how

 

[Oberon]

Just seen a pic of a friend's pone in new Dr Cook's. Not seen one before, so I have no idea how they are supposed to work.
Now, I can see, from the pics, the arrangement, and it seems to work on the airway/nose.
Can anyone enlighten me??

They are designed to be worn lower than a cavesson to be effective. They don't affect the airway.
I am uncomfortable with seeing horses in Flashes, but I was happy with the Dr Cooks.
The action is the whole head - poll, cheeks and nose.

 

[Waltzing Matilda]

Can highly recommend them. My horse was in a Pelham wen I got her and just went faster if u moved legs, span round and ran backwards if u applied any pressuse on bit. Have had her in Dr Cooke for 3-4 yrs now. Reschooled, bends, jumps, hacks. Still have issues but I have far more control. Have used on several other horses too and generally find they go just as well if not better in the Dr cookes. X

 

[touchstone]

Depends on the horse I find, some hate the pressure (mine did) and much prefers a bit.

 

[bumper]

I've seen pics of the friend's pone in one, and wondered about the arrangement of the rings. I've dumped the noseband, so, the ring arrangement seemed to me as if whichever way you reined....back, up, out..it put pressure on the airway. I've been told it should be positioned as not to affect the airway, just below the notches.
Interesting! Thanks all (and *waves* to Sandy and Ari xx)

I'm off to look at one tomorrow, in use. Curious.

ETA Oberon, I also dislike flashes!

 

[Oberon]

Depends on the horse I find, some hate the pressure (mine did) and much prefers a bit.

Absolutely.

My Arab would freak out at the idea of any poll pressure. He is happy in a bit.

It's always recommended to try a Dr Cook's in a safe environment as some horses do not like them at all.

Of course, idiot me loves sticking on a new piece of tack and going straight out for a hack

.

 

[Oberon]

I've seen pics of the friend's pone in one, and wondered about the arrangement of the rings. I've dumped the noseband, so, the ring arrangement seemed to me as if whichever way you reined....back, up, out..it put pressure on the airway. I've been told it should be positioned as not to affect the airway, just below the notches.
Interesting! Thanks all (and *waves* to Sandy and Ari xx)

I'm off to look at one tomorrow, in use. Curious.

ETA Oberon, I also dislike flashes!

The noseband also needs to be firm - like a drop noseband rather than a cavesson, so it doesn't move around and slip.

They sell cashel cushions to place round the back of the noseband to make it comfy for the horse.

They can be a but tricky to fit at first but there are extensive instructions on the website.

I also recommend replacing the leather cross under straps with beta ones. I have had the leather ones stretch at a spook

 

[Tiffany]

Tried one on my mare a few years ago and she hated it

 

[Waltzing Matilda]

I tend to find if they don't like it at first its because they r confused by not having a bit and pressure in a different place, or it may b fitted indirectly. I move the noseband higher to start, and move it down gradually if needed. My mare used to lean on hers at first so lowered the noseband by one and she stoped leaning. After a few schooling sessions I poped it up a hole again and she was fine.
Also I know someone who brought a cheap copy and it didn't work. I think this was because the rindgs on the nose band were too far back.
They r very intiguing. Glad u gonna go c 1 in action. I have 3 now! X

 

[touchstone]

I tend to find if they don't like it at first its because they r confused by not having a bit and pressure in a different place, or it may b fitted indirectly. I move the noseband higher to start, and move it down gradually if needed. My mare used to lean on hers at first so lowered the noseband by one and she stoped leaning. After a few schooling sessions I poped it up a hole again and she was fine.
Also I know someone who brought a cheap copy and it didn't work. I think this was because the rindgs on the nose band were too far back.
They r very intiguing. Glad u gonna go c 1 in action. I have 3 now! X

Not in my mares case She can be ridden in a headcollar, the Dr Cooks was far to restrictive for her (genuine Dr cooks correctly fitted, cost me a small fortune when they first came out!)

 

[Marydoll]

Mine hated it but works well in a hackamore

 

[Equestria]

Never tried one before, but I ride mine in a rope halter now and he's fab in it. (I have recently gone off bits!)
I have my eyes set on a flower hackamore as I can just attach that to one of my bridles. I got too many bridles, I can't buy another one! xD

 

[Natch]

I dislike the amount of pressure which can be applied in the places it is applied in a dr cook. IMO you can replace the happy marketing term 'hugging' the head with 'squeezing' or even 'strangling'. I also categorically do not trust a word 'dr' cook says, since he claims to have done many studies I am geninely interested in but none that I can be published in peer reviewed journals, or even by him on his website! (I also find this with Alexander Nevroski but I digress). The fit of the Dr cook does not make sense to me anatomically; the nose piece sits on and affects the cartilage of the nose and tightens on the nostrils, whilst the ability of the cheekpieces/poll to quickly loosten to release after an aid is severely lacking IMO.

I bought one, I wanted to believe in it I really did, but I ended up stitching up the cross under and putting the nosepiece up higher so that it acted more as a sidepull. Then I was happier with its action but decided my horse was happiest in a bit or a dually.

Next time I get a youngster my plan is to educate them bitless from the start but I intend to use a Micklem, which is fitted and works differently. It has 3 options of how it works, and I just wouldn't use the crossunder strap (dr cook actuion, and incidently marketed by micklem as the strongest setting).

 

[Oberon]

Never tried one before, but I ride mine in a rope halter now and he's fab in it. (I have recently gone off bits!)
I have my eyes set on a flower hackamore as I can just attach that to one of my bridles. I got too many bridles, I can't buy another one! xD

Have you looked at the Orbit bridle? I don't know if you might find it cheaper than the Flower.

 

[quirky]

Next time I get a youngster my plan is to educate them bitless from the start but I intend to use a Micklem, which is fitted and works differently. It has 3 options of how it works, and I just wouldn't use the crossunder strap (dr cook actuion, and incidently marketed by micklem as the strongest setting).

I am a Micklem convert. I haven't had the crossover strap out of the bag as I didn't want it to have a similar action to the Dr Cook.
I started on the mildest setting in the school, which she was fine with but I wouldn't like to hack her out like that, so went to the medium setting.
Today was the first time we've been for a gallop in it and I was very that she stopped easily.
She had been in a hackamore for approx a year before I changed to the Micklem.

 

[Oberon]

I am a Micklem convert. I haven't had the crossover strap out of the bag as I didn't want it to have a similar action to the Dr Cook.
I started on the mildest setting in the school, which she was fine with but I wouldn't like to hack her out like that, so went to the medium setting.
Today was the first time we've been for a gallop in it and I was very that she stopped easily.
She had been in a hackamore for approx a year before I changed to the Micklem.

I've never seen a Micklem up close. I didn't know they had different 'settings' of bitless.

 

[chestnutmarelover]

I ride my ex racer in a Micklem, fabulous invention, love them I find he doesn't like the strongest bitless option (similar to Cooks) but the second option (extra strap thru noseband) works lovely. Luckily he has good brakes anyway I have one on my warmblood mare too (with bit) because she never liked the tightness of a grackle. I managed to get both on ebay way cheaper than retail price

 

[quirky]

I've never seen a Micklem up close. I didn't know they had different 'settings' of bitless.

Have a look here:

http://www.williammicklem.com/multibridle-multibridle.html

There are also YouTube vids that show the fitting but I can't seem to find the link