newbie wanting to know where to start

Btw, yummy looking boy you have there Rumba, welcome to the forum

Like I said, you have the right attitude. The fact that you felt awful after you pulled your horse when he was scared means you are on the right track. It won't be all plain sailing bitless, things will go wrong, but I think you will get there.
Keep posting

Re: photos in general...I usually put up my images on photobucket, but I have to admit that the pic posted is from the manufacturers website. It's sold by Emiel Voest, a Dutch fella that has developed and marketted his theory of natural horsemanship. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post a URL, so I'll just leave it at that. I've searched and searched for an equivalent bridle and have yet to find one. IT kind of looks like a scrawbrig (sp?) but again I can't find any real good pics of the scrawbrig to compare. However, I'll post a pic as soon as I can of the bridle on my horse.

Yesterday we went to a big fair and Emiel Voest had a stand and I bought one of my own so I don't have to borrow my instructors. I also had a very nice discussion with another lady that I take lessons with who was watching while I was riding. I asked her how messy it looked , and she said we both looked nice and relaxed and it was nice not to see his tongue hanging out. She also said that if I really liked how he felt and went in it, I should just take all my lessons in it and ignore anyone that doesn't approve. Two thumbs up for her because she's a real traditionalist and the barn manager!

Here are the pics I took today of it.

What a great thing for your barn manager to say!! I hope that things continue to go well with using the bridle all the time. You may very well be a great role model to the people who know your horse and how he used to react to the bit. Go be a shining light!!

GREAT pics!!! You have a lovely horse, and I really like the looks of that bridle. Maybe someone else in here could let me know for sure, but it looks like it's still a cross-under bridle, right? The pressure is on the nose, not under the chin, right? Also need some clarification on something else...do the Nurtural and Dr.Cook both put pressure on the nose as well as the side of the face...but not the poll? Maybe I'd better go visit the Nurtural site and see if I can find that info. Funny how you just trust something that works but sometimes don't pay a lot of attention to the details or mechanics of it

Wow, actually its NOT like a Light Rider after all - it is a crossunder Cyndi. Its just most other crossunders cross the cheeks, while this acts on underside of the nose. Tres interessant....

My understanding is that the Nurtural and the Dr. Cooks both put pressure on the poll, the cheeks and the nose (the 'whole head hug' thing).

This pressure of this one acts first on the chin, then nose. I tested it by putting my hands under his chin and on his nose while the husband squeezed on left or right rein. DH used it today when he rode and he got the same result I did. The horse seemed to go OK, but he had a lot of trouble getting him energized. He said he felt like he was riding with the emergency brake on. I noticed the same thing when I rode with it (though at the time gave the horse the benefit of the doubt in just finding it different and needing to adjust) and I wonder if it's not releasing pressure like it should? I'm going to move it further up his nose tomorrow when I take him out for trail ride. I've also found out someone else at the barn has a Dr Cooks which she'll let me borrow to see if that makes any difference. He doesn't shake his head, or throw his nose up or anything so I can't figure out what it is.

Could it be that you are putting too much pressure on the reins?? Do you ride loose or do you like lots of contact - I wonder if that makes a difference..... I ride Trelawny in a Lightrider and a Nurtural - but I ride very loose - and could probably get away with riding without a bridle at all - except when he has the munchies - then we wouldnt go anywhere!

It has to be said that the release (or lack of) has been a perceived issue with the Dr. Cooks. I certainly felt it doesn't release as it might. Maybe this is the case with any crossunder that doesn't have a widget of some kind like the Nurtural does....