Getting Behind The Bit

[DressagePony]

Today I went for a ride on my little Arab gelding, Adamas, and I usually encourage him to be ridden in a deep frame, and get his back up.

It started out normally today, and then when I asked him to come up into the bridle, he just tucked his nose close to his chest, and got behind the bit.

He doesn't really misbehave when he is behind the bit, he just trots around with this horrible frame, and he can't move forward into proper gaits.

Is there a solution I can try that won't result in me getting a bunch of anti-graze reins or anything out there?

Any comments are greatly appreciated.

[galadriel]

Push him forward--lots of leg. Try to really move with his back and _make_ him use his back, while moving forward. He will move his neck forward when he is really moving from behind--he won't have a choice. (Unless he's an equine acrobat!)

This is what I'm doing with the horse I have in training who occasionally gets behind the bit. We're doing okay, though we had to stop riding him entirely for a little while, then for a little ride with NO mouth contact, then when contact was asked for PUSH PUSH PUSH!

He was being very evasive and unhappy about contact, though, and was a kind of drastic case. If he gets into a habit of doing this you're in BIG trouble, as it's a very hard one to correct; it takes time and a lot of work with your seat, since being behind the bit he can't respond well to hand. If he does it once or twice and you make it very uncomfortable (you have to really WORK that butt now, pony!) he will probably not develop a habit.

[IrisSilverMoon]

I posted a reply in the other thread, in general...:)