[2014]Increase Comfort, Reduce Risk: The Bitless Bridle, by: Jessica Jahiel, PhD. A review of the harmful effects of bits on equine behavior, gaits and balance, together with some thoughts on increasing horse comfort to decrease rider risk. Click here to read Jessica’s article in Fall 2014 ESMA Newsletter.
[2014] A hypothetical, aetiological relationship between the hors’s bit nasopharyngeal asphyxia and negative pressure pulmonary oedema.The article for non-veterinarians installed in 2013 under the title “Bitted mouths cause waterlogged and bleeding lungs” was the basis for this article written for veterinarians and published in the Equine Veterinary JournalClick here to read this artical in PDF format.
[2014] An endoscopic test for bit-induced nasopharyngeal asphyxia as a cause of exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage in the horse. Currently, there is no consensus on the first cause of EIPH. Even the mechanisms are debated. But the two leading mechanistic hypotheses are only at odds over the flimsiest of barriers – the pulmonary air/blood barrier. Click here to read the artical in PDF format.
[2014] WHAT CAUSES A HORSE TO ‘BLEED’ FROM THE LUNGS? The answer to this question has been missing all along from the debate on the racing medication issue. Yet ‘bleeding’ was the problem that triggered approval of race-day medication in the 1970s. It follows that the cause of ‘bleeding’ is relevant to a resolution of the U.S. medication issue. To treat any disease, the cause must be removed . Click here to read the article in PDF format
[2014] Measurement of bit-pain in the ridden horse. Between 2002 and 2008, using a psychometric approach, 56 controlled experiments with one variable were conducted by riders who switched their horse from a bitted to a bitless bridle and documented before-and-after behavior. Click here to read in PDF format. The following is a link to the Ridden Behavior Ethogram Questionnaire .
[2014] Prevention Of Horse-related Accidents – A letter from From: Robert Cook to Debbie Stanitski, MD, President of Equestrian Medical Safety Association; Dated: July 11, 2014 Click here to read in PDF format
[2014 ] Bitless Bridle endorsement (2001) An early endorsement of the bitless bridle in a letter to Dr. Cook from the author and instructor, Dr. Jessica Jahiel. Click here to read in PDF format
[2014] Bibliography (Robert Cook) The following document is divided into three sections – Section 1: Veterinary Publications, Section 2: Publications In Horseman’s Journals & Online and Section 3: Articles About The Bit And Bitless Equitation From Independendent Authors. The first two sections of the document are Dr. Cook’s bibliography on varied but mostly ENT topics. Articles more directly relevant to bit research are printed in red type and the peer-reviewed ‘bit’ articles are highlighted in yellow. The third section is a partial listing of articles about bitless riding written by independent authors. Click here to read the collection of articles in PDF Format
[2014] Dr. Cook’s article “Pathophysiology of Bit Control in the Horse” has been translated to German by Rainer Pehlke. To read the article on Rainer Pehlke’s website; Click here.
A Connection Between a Bit in the Horse’s Mouth, A Throttled Throat & Waterlogged Lungs [2014] 95% of racehorses bleed from the lungs but it is not a good name for a disease that is neither exclusive to exercise, nor a true hemorrhage.. Click here to read the article
Open Letter [2014] Update on Norfolk Horse Training & Equitation Club request to UK Equestrian Associations for RIDING REFORM.
To Allow universal acceptance of Bitless Bridles in ALL UK horse sport and removal of mandatory rules for nosebands on bitted bridles. Click here to read the letter in PDF Format
