Bits... to anyone who can help

[lollielala]

I've posted this before but I need help on what kind of bits I should use. My horse has been tossing his head a lot lately. I put the tiedown back on him to see if it would help and he still tries to do it... I think the problem is the hackamore is hurting his teeth and/or mouth and I need some advice on what kind of bits to use. He is currently using a chain hackamore (which is what is causing the head tossing and constant chewing and fighting). When I barely pull back on the reins or ask for him to back up, he tosses his head high. Could it be that his teeth need to be floated or could it just be that he needs new bits? I'm really stressed because he never fought the hackamore up until recently. I'd appreciate any help.

[Harry Hobbes]

I suspect that you haven't received acceptable replies to your prior queries because you seem to be asking what hardware to use to stop normal behavior (i.e., head tossing in reaction to pressure), rather than how to train your horse to respond to light cues. (These are two different things.)

If you wish to cure the problem, then the thing to do is to re-start your horse in a plain snaffle bit; and, to train the horse to softly yield to a rein cue. When the horse softly yields to a rein cue, it will not be tossing its head or otherwise evading.

This will require using the methods and techniques from such people as Pat Parelli, John Lyons, Buck Brannaman, et al, with ground work first and foremost; then, from the saddle.

Available resources to show you how to do this are:

1. Parelli's Natural-Horse-Man-Ship book, from Western Horseman publishing.

2. Mary Marten's Problem Solving Volume 1 and Volume 2 books, also from Western Horseman publishing.

3. Bill Dorrance and Leslie Desmond's True Horsemanship Through Feel.

4. John Lyons' Communicating With Cues series of books.

There are also a couple of web sites that publish various "how to..." techniques.

Personally, I never get on a horse that has not demonstrated consistent soft and light response to cues to the head (and elsewhere). Then, when I do get on, we work on maintaining the "soft feel" above all else, and before we move on to anything else.

Best regards,
Harry

[Jennp]

I'm a little confused, I thought I hackamore was a bitless bridle? What I'm thinking of would put pressure on the now and the chain puts pressure on the chin. Is it possible he's sore in either place? I would feel around any place the hackamore puts pressure on him and see if he throws his head. I've always read that head throwing was a pain response. The horse I used to ride used to throw his head, but I realized that it was because I was keeping pressure in the reins after he slowed or stopped like I asked. Once I realized what I was doing wrong, he stopped throwing his head. So in my case, it was rider error.

[Harry Hobbes]

I thought I hackamore was a bitless bridle?
It is one form of a bitless bridle.
Is it possible he's sore in either place? ...I've always read that head throwing was a pain response.
The horse is resisting for whatever reason(s); it is reacting rather than responding; and the possible reasons are manifold. It probably is avoiding/anticipating pain or pressure.

However, if one trains the horse to softly yield, then by definition, it is responding and not resisting, and will not be in pain from resisting hardware; nor from the person on the other end of the hardware.

But more importantly, for any human to train a horse to softly yield, it is requisite that the human learn how to be soft with the horse (else the human cannot accomplish the training.) Softness originates with the human; harshness comes from hardware.

In other words, learn to offer softness to the horse, and the horse will learn softness (light responsiveness). This requires that the human be trained first; and, only the gentlest of hardware be employed.

Best regards,
Harry