Behind the bit???

[numrx]

1. What does it mean when a horse is behind the bit?
2. And what is show hacking?

I'm just taking an educated guess that show hacking is flat work for show, i.e. grace of the rider and horse and that it is similar to dressage.


Youtube comments on a video (this is where I heard the term used) :

user 1: "that horse is way behind the bit"


user: "that's the way the Arabian show people like them. if someone wanted to do dressage, she could easily be brought up into her bridle."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klv38l5EAeY

 

[Berry]

When a horse is 'behind the bit' it has its neck overbent and nose tucked into its chest and is often on the forehand carrying too much weight on its front legs. It is a form of evasion of the rein contact as the horse is curling its head to avoid the pressure.

A lot of people think this way of going is more acceptable than when the horse is 'above the bit' ie. with its head further up in the air or its nose poking as overbent horses often look 'nice' and there are quite a few dressage horses which go behind the bit. It is incorrect as the horse is not using its body correctly to carry itself and the rider and I think sometimes it can be a harder fault to correct than a horse which is above the bit.

The horse in the video is slightly behind the bit particularly in canter but not 'way behind' - I've seen worse. It is a young horse so is probably not ready and not mature enough to work in a correct outline for long periods of time - it also comes above the bit sometimes in trot.

The comment about being 'brought up into the bridle' means that the person thinks that the horse could be made to work more correctly and on the bit, probably by using forward leg aids combined with an allowing rein contact to let the horse step its hindlegs under a bit more and raise its head slightly to a more correct position.

Sure there must be websites explaining this better - I'll see if I can find any.

Not sure about show hacking - any of our friends across the pond like to comment?

 

[KT C]

No idea about "show hacking" I'm afraid... you can get lightweight/heavyweight hack showing classes... not anything to do with that perhaps?