New study results indicate pressure from most bitless bridles is comparable to that from snaffle bridles. | Photo: iStock

Choosing the most welfare-friendly bridle—bitted or bitless—can be confusing. It might seem kinder to spare horses a jointed metal bar in their mouths. But new study results indicate horses find pressure from most bitless bridles to be just as unpleasant as that from snaffle bridles. And with one of kind of bitless bridle, the researchers found the pressure to be even worse.

“Our study indicates that with different types of headgear, the same rein aid is similarly aversive to horses,” said Anina Vogt, PhD candidate at the University of Giessen, in Germany. Vogt presented the study results on behalf of herself and Uta König von Borstel, PhD, also of the University of Giessen, at the 2017 International Society for Equitation Science conference, held Nov. 22-26 in Wagga Wagga, Australia.

“This indicates that at equal levels of prior training, signals of the same intensity are sufficient to produce a noticeable aid,” Vogt said