"on The Bit"help!!!!!!!!!!!

[HoRsE ChIcK]

Hi everyne,
I have recently been trying to get my horse to accpt the bit more and go on the bit and tuck her head.She has on and off days.When she accepts the bit she is wonderful...slow, steady,calm etc. when she doesnt accept it and won't go on the bit,she is a witch!;)I have used a market harberough (sp?) or german martingale( i've heard it called both) flicka goes very well with it on...but as soon as it comes off she is awful.same thing with the chambon.i was wodnering what some of you thought about draw reins.I have seen them do wonderful things with some horses, but have been told that they are not good for the horse.

If any one has any advice I would be greatful
Thanks
~Holly~

[Dragoon]

Don't forget that "on the bit" actually means that the horse is using his hind end and engaging himself from behind up into the bridle - not tucking his head.

To be truly on the bit, and to use the benefits of having a horse on the bit, you have to have control of the hind end, and realize that you need to ride the hindquarters, not his head. People get so concerned with getting the horse to tuck his head, that they resort to seasawing on the bit and using training devices such as chambons and draw reins to fix the problem.

The key to develop a good frame (outline) is to do it with flatwork, not training devices. Training devices are just a quick way out, and taking those short cuts will catch up to you later down the road. I'm not putting you down for mentioning using them, I'm just putting this out there for all to read :D .

These exercises I'm about to post come from both myself and trusted professionals. I've recieved great thanks from people I've recommended them to, and I have used them on my own horses and achieved great results. They'll help you keep her off the forehand/off your hands, and help her develop some of those muscles. The best part is these exercises are good for green and experienced horses alike.


Stretches -
I do now with all my horses, because it HELPS. You can stretch her neck from side to side using treats. Make sure she brings her head around to her side, REALLY stretching that neck, and not cheating by holding it within the regular comfort zone. You can do this undersaddle as well, and I reccommend using them during your workout. First, stop and stand. Drop one rein (say the right rein for now, in order to bend to the left - the non-bending rein needs to be completely slack to give her room) and bring your left hand behind your knee and pull gently back. It may take a while and she may circle a few times, but she'll get it. She should bring her nose to your toe. You can also press on her poll with the opposite hand during this exercise to encourage stretching. Do the other side the same way and repeat whenever necessary. I'll do this if my horse is locked up in his neck or especially heavy.


The main thing you need to realize is that the bend comes from behind, not just the head
. Take your focus off the reins...you don't need them. To create the bend and have the proper contact, you need to PUSH her into the bend, not contort his head (believe me, before my current trainer I just did the "Seesaw" thing...for shame! ). Take your inside hand and apply solid contact on the inside rein. Push with your inside leg by the girth to bring his shoulder into the bend. When she gives, you soften the inside hand slightly, but maintain the leg contact.
As a result, she will bend to the inside. Hold your outside aids (leg and rein) and keep them supportive to prevent over-bending. No pulling or tugging...just constant support.

New Stuff -
For new exercises (that worked very well with my horse), hold the bend to the outside down the longside of the arena, and then coming into the corner yield her off your inside leg and hold the inside bend around the corners. This makes her pay more attention to you and makes her use herself.

Helpful Hint -
Whenever she gets draggy, bend him, don't pull back. If you think you have to "whoa", BEND instead. She'll bring himself up and slow down on his own without you two getting into a fight . It works!

It will take time and lots of work. These exercises and lots of transitions and flatwork will help!

Good luck! :)

[maverick927]

my pony works with his hindquarters most of the time but i can never get his head in. People sometimes say that it is because of his monster neck!! He also finds it very difficult to canter with his head in and his trotting is so slow it is unbelieveable. i had always wanted to do WHP, but because of this I never got higher placed than 2nd last and I only ever beat a pony who bolted of had was eliminated in the jumping.

this is just to let you know that you are not on your won.

[galadriel]

I can't really understand the posts about "you can't get a horse on the bit/in an outline just by focussing on the head"--I have NEVER ridden a horse who would tuck his head without being in a proper outline, and moving from behind. Granted, I tend to ride more senstitive, responsive, demanding horses (TB's off the track, most of the time)--but is it really possible to drag a horse's head in without really being in a decent outline? Can it really be done? I just can't imagine how it would even *look*. Yuck!

[Mehitabel]

it is possible, just look through your local paper for the horse for sale ads! we keep a stack of old magzines round the yard for those dull moments, and when i'm teaching students to see the difference between "on the bit" and "head in but back end in the next county" we go through the adverts and spot the ones who are workign properly and those who aren't!

[HoRsE ChIcK]

Hi everyone,
thanks for your suggestions
I'm sorry, it looks like i forgot to mention that with my instructor we have been working alot on getting her moving out more and going on the bit.what we have been doing is constantlyhaving me asses by my seat how much she is moving out and deciding when to push her a bit more with my seat and legs or when to just let up a tad but still support her when she is moving out properly.when she is moving out, i push her a tad more and support her by constant light hold on the outside rein and i just give her a half halt with my inside and she will drop her head and move out. then, i ease up on her. With flicka, i find that she moves out much better when she has dropped her head. Also one of the reasons i was having trouble is because flicka was owned by a summer camp at one time in her life, thats who i bought her from so she was used to any kid getting on her and yanking at her bit and i was told hat some of the kids were very aggressive with her mouth.so...when i got her, i had been riding a very sensitive thoroughbred and was used to using my seat more then my hands.when i got flicka...it didnt work.so i had to learn with her instead of teach her.and i wouldnt ever do that again.to make a long story short, i really havnt had any experience with on the bit riding but now i have a professional trainer helping me out and i have to admit he really has brought my pony and i a long way!Thanks agin to all of you and especiallydragoon for those stretches!:D