My grandfather, Bob Cook, who has died aged 94, was a scientist and artist. He was a pioneer in equine veterinary medicine, who challenged horse-training tradition with research that suggested bits cause pain, suffocation and the behavioural problems they are meant to solve.
A veterinary iconoclast who spent decades fighting to “unshackle the horse”, he proposed that bit-free riding could eliminate conflict behaviours while improving performance and rider safety – findings that may ultimately transform equestrian sport. His final article will be published in Horses and People magazine.
