Most trailer brake controllers are junk and are dangerous in my opinion. This is not a huge issue for the Ridgeline due to the limited towing capacity, but still an important decision.
I haven't investigated this issue in a couple of years so my information is somewhat dated, but I believe the info still applies.
There are two brake controllers that stand out as good ones. The Tekonsha Prodigy and the Jordan Research Ultima unit. They use very different technologies, but accomplish nearly the same feat.
The Prodigy is much more popular because it's sold thru dealers. You can only buy a new Jordan directly from Jordan Research.
The Prodigy is an advanced pendulum design. The controller measures the inertia. It has no physical connection to the primary braking system and sends braking power to the trailer based on what it thinks the vehicle is doing. This works pretty good, but has some downfalls. First, the trailer brakes will always lag behind the primary system. In a panic this short delay could cause problems. Secondly, some people have reported that the controller does not work too well in reverse or in steep hill situations. The Prodigy would be my second choice.
The Jordan Ultima brake controller is a GREAT product. It uses a wire cable that attaches to your brake pedal. The trailer brakes work in conjunction with the primary braking system. Works under any circumstances. Installation can be an issue since the wire coming out of the rear of the controller must be attached to the brake pedal arm. I have not looked at the Ridgeline to see if it would be a good candidate for this controller or not. The bottom line is that the only way to get a better trailer brake controller than the Jordan is to buy a vehicle with an integrated controller. The Jordan costs a little more, but if you tow heavy loads and value your life the $145 (includes shipping) is dirt cheap. Jordan offers great technical support.
http://www.jordanbrake.com/index.html