Leaning on the bit

[Gemma16]

Hi NR people

I have been doing lots of work with Taffy recently and we have established a good outline and he is working forward and really uphill until we get into canter.

He will start off well really light in my hands, the he starts to go on the forehand and leans his head right down and brings his head behind the bit.

I don't know how to correct this problem I've tried giving my hands away and giving half halts. When i give him the reins he just rushes and either breaks into trot of tries to gallop off.

I don't know if he gets unbalanced or what but i could do with some help and advice.

Thanks **Gemma**

[casey]

Hi there, it sounds to me like you dont have enough leg. I dont know you level of experience, but some people mistake a horse having a hold of a bit (ie actively moving forward in balance with a contact) to a horse leaning on the bit. If he is leaning, a series of half halts will do the trick. NEVER NEVER NEVER give away the contact. Alot of people are taught to do this, by giving the inside rein or whatever. This isnt the case as your "conversation" between you and the horse will be broken.

If your horse is too slow its because you dont have enough leg - if its too fast you still need alot of leg. Good luck

[Gemma16]

Thanks for the advice but leg isn't the problem because I have a good leg contact all the time as that is what I've been taught.

I tried the half halt thing but it doesn't work he just egnores them and carries on. He takes note if I really jab him in the mouth but I don't like doing that.

Please help I'm really stuck!:(

**Gemma**

[eml]

If he is bringing his head behind the bit then he is not really leaning on you but trying to evade the contact. What happens if you widen your hands slighly with your legs on? If he is not coming behind the bit I have found with one of mine that if you lift your inside hand up slightly while doing a half halt this brings her back into balance.

[galadriel]

If he starts off well and gets progressively heavier, it's probably a musculature thing. He just doesn't have the muscles yet to keep carrying himself, so he tries to keep doing what you want and needs to "lean" on you to keep in "frame."

Try giving him lots of opportunities to get out of the "outline," and stretch, between asking him to really work his back and back end. "Work" a few minutes, stretch a few minutes, "work" a few minutes, stretch a few minutes.

If you ask him to do more that he physically can yet, and he leans when he gets tired, he'll develop the wrong muscles during the time that he's leaning. Try to just stop asking him to work so hard before he even starts to lean. As you work with him more and more, you'll be able to make your "work" segments longer until he can hold himself for, say, a whole warmup, (then stretch), then dressage test...but don't ask for it all right away, or he'll cramp in his neck, lean on you, and carry himself funny because he doesn't have enough strength yet.

[Gemma16]

Thank you Galadriel your advice seems to explain exactly the problem I have.

It should be apparent to me because he has such big shoulders obviously they will be heavy for him.

Thank you so much I will try your method tomorrow.

**Gemma**

[Gemma16]

Hi, So I tried the method galadriel suggested and it worked pretty well. I also did what eml said and they seemed to work as a combination between the two. He worked more consistantly and seemed to beable to go for longer!:D

Very pleased mummy. Thanks for yet more brilliant advice.

**Gemma**

[galadriel]

Great :)

[AJB]

Yes thats what I would suggest, my horse is a big boy and green in the school and thats exactly what happens to me, after 15 minutes of schooling he gets really heavy, however after a walk and stretch hes fine again for about 10 minutes this seems to help, also sometimes I lunge mid schooling just to give him a change of pace and to loosen up, dont know if thats what helps as well....good luck

[Dressage addict]

Hi Gemma16

Sounds cool that the advice has worked for you.

Another suggestion that I got told for this kind of thing is to try stride counting. Start by trying this in walk and trot - try 10 strides trot then five strides walk, ten trot and so on. It sounds pretty hectic but it really helps with the rhythm and the horse listening. It also makes us do more transitions than we do normally. I did this to start with on a large circle.

Then try trot for 10, canter for 10, trot 10. As you say he starts off well so by trying this means you do not keep it for too long so you both dont struggle. Then after having a bash in one direction try the stretching out again before doing the other rein.

Might work, did for me:)

Cheers
dressage addict:)

[Gemma16]

Thaks AJB and Dressage addict,

AJB: I would do the lunging bit but Taffy isn't to chuffed at the whole idea of lunging he has a paddy, but it sounds like a good idea.

Dressage addict: I'll try that next session see how we find it. I might really help with keeping him rythem.

Thanks **Gemma**:D