Horses are flight animals: they are designed to flee from pain. When we put bits in their mouths - which hurt them - we are NOT in control.

Are you like me and believe - like I once did - that bits are only a tool to communicate with our horses? And like I once did believe that bits do not cause any harm at all?

For most of us with a love of horses, it is as normal to ride a horse with a bit as it is to walk a dog on a leash.

However, studies have proven that riding horses with bits is harmful to their health. In fact, there are more than 100 physical and psychological disorders associated with bits.

This includes horses bolting to try and escape from the discomfort and pain as well as other seemingly aggressive behaviour such as rearing and bucking. 

People normally view this behaviour as the horse being stubborn or ill-disciplined, but the horse is only instinctively trying to protect himself from harm and trying to convey a message to you to please stop hurting him.

Bits cause a phenomenon called "neurocranial shock" which is a sudden, powerful electrical surge through the horse's brain which originates from pressure on the nerves around the horse's mouth.

Horses also try to stop the pain by pushing their tongues between the gums and bit which causes high damage to the tongue and could cause the tongue to become paralyzed.

Bone spurs also appear on the gums from constant pressure. Bone spurs are extremely painful to horses.

This petition calls for horsepeople to consider the impact of the bit on horses and to please stop the use of bits completely.

Switch to a more humane option: bitless bridles.