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Getting him on the Bit?

Last post 11-17-2009 12:57 PM by cafl. 8 replies.
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  • 10-17-2009 8:52 PM

    Getting him on the Bit?

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     I am trying to get my Gelding on the bit but all he does is through his head, rear, or yank the reins out of my hands and then buck. Any ideas how I can get him on the bit correctly? 

  • 10-18-2009 9:10 AM In reply to

    Re: Getting him on the Bit?

    Wow, if he is reacting that badly to bit pressure, get his teeth and back checked out.  That's not normal at all. This should be your first step.

    Also, what kind of bit are you using?  I noticed in another post you were asking questions about getting him off the forehand for western work.  Are you using a shanked bit?  If this is the case, you should not have a direct contact with his mouth as you would with a simple snaffle because of the leverage that a shanked bit gives you.  Either way, I would also check the bit's fit and see if that is causing him to give these extreme reactions.

    The way to get a horse on the bit is to focus on the hind end.  The horse must be coming through from behind and pushing with its hindquarters to be able to take an appropriate and consistent contact with the bit.  If he is falling on the forehand as you mention in your other post, you will not be able to get him correctly on the bit.  His head shaking and general protest (if not from pain) is most likely a result of not having enough power from behind for him to put into the bridle. 

    Getting a horse off his forehand and onto the bit is a long, complex training process.  You first need to obtain a consistent rhythm from the horse, which requires a certain amount of strength on his part.  So that is where I would start out.  I would ride him with virtually no contact (and any contact used for steering or lateral work should be a vibrating, non-pulling contact so he can't lean on the reins) while focusing on maintaining the same rhythm with my seat and legs around the ring and during figures until he learns to hold himself.  Half halt when he speeds up, and push him on when he slows.  This small step takes time for the horse. How much time will depend on your consistency.  Once you get the rhythm, you can start asking with your leg for more power from behind (without losing the rhythm) to catch in the bridle.  The contact in the bridle always comes from the energy in the hind end.  

    To get him off his forehand, you will need to work on strengthening his hind end to carry his weight.  Lateral work, transitions, and ground poles or hill work will help.  Don't let him lean on the bridle.  Don't worry about him taking a contact with the bit just yet.  He needs to learn how to use his body and build strength before he can stretch into the bit without simply leaning on it or yanking the reins out of your hands. 

    Like I said, this is a complex process in which everything sort of builds upon each other and there are a million different ways to get to the same end result.  But there is no real order of operations when training a horse.  Each horse is different and while we can say that there is a typical "training scale" in which it seems like there would be a simple step-by-step process for training a horse to self-carriage, it doesn't always work that way in practice.  It is almost impossible to properly explain how to get a horse on the bit over the internet without knowing the horse and rider.  I would really recommend working with a good trainer to help you feel for these things and to know when you can move on to the "next step." 

     

     

    *~Nicole~*
  • 10-18-2009 9:46 AM In reply to

    Re: Getting him on the Bit?

     Okay. That is the problem. I have been focusing on his Front end not as much hindend. I am using a reagular snaffle Thank  You. Maybe he will like the bit know. 

  • 10-18-2009 9:50 AM In reply to

    Re: Getting him on the Bit?

    I agree with Nicole: his reaction to going on the bit seems to be too dramatic for anything but a pain response. 

    But taking care of the pain--checking bit fit, having teeth worked on--will not really change much if your hands are part of the problem and they have not changed. When you add light pressure to the bit to ask for flexing at the poll, the horse will move his head toward your hands to yield to that pressure. The instant the horse yields to light pressure on the bit, the rider HAS to yield her hands in turn as a reward. If you continue exerting pressure even once he has yielded--or even worse, start pulling on the reins--he will try to move away from the pressure by pushing his head forward and yanking the reins out of your hands. If he drops the "on the bit" position, that's okay, he's still learning. Just ask him to get back into that position with a vibration of the reins or a light "give and take" of the reins. Do not pull on the reins to keep him on the bit. Your hands have to be having a conversation with him, and the contact must be elastic, not unyielding or stiff. You have to do your part when asking him to go on the bit.

    In addition, the horse needs to learn how to stay on the bit, and it's hard work. He'll need frequent stretch breaks--especially if he is young--and the sessions of learning to carry himself should be very short at the beginning. All horses, even those more experienced on going on the bit, should get stretch breaks every 5 to 10 minutes.

    But as Nicole said, nobody can tell you how to get your horse on the bit on a forum. We can give you tips, but we're not watching you and your horse work together. That requires a competent trainer/instructor.
    Megan

    "No matter how badly behaved you are, your horse always gives you a second chance."
    Anonymous

    /˚)__≈
    _((_))_

  • 10-18-2009 6:00 PM In reply to

    Re: Getting him on the Bit?

     You have great responses, and I agree with both posters.  I just wanted to reiterate that teaching a horse to work on the bit requires an overdose of patience, lots of giving, some more patience, and a really good feel from the rider.  So be ready for that!



    Solaris -- 16 hh Appendix Quarter Horse = MY DREAM COME TRUE!
    Wander With Wild Things
    We Are Flying Solo
  • 10-31-2009 9:50 PM In reply to

    Re: Getting him on the Bit?

    I agree with everything thats been posted here already just thought I'd throw in a thought or two. At school we are using a specalized German Martingale that is actually tied onto our regular rein so that the first thing the horse feels is a draw rein effect and then the direct pressure of the rein. We've been working on the self carriage of our horses and we will start off just warming our horses up on a normal rein length then start working circles in and out, sidepassing circles, and then do some fore hand turns and some roll backs. Then we will move back out onto the rail and start suppleing our horses head/poll by keeping them traveling in a straight line while having them flex their head towards the point of the shoulder, to the inside and outside and then back to the center and then getting them on the bit and get them to round their back and lift their shoulders. We will hold them like this for maybe 3 laps and then let them out. If they fall out of frame then we just calmly collect up our reins and start again. Good luck with everything it's a project I know and depending on if your horse want's to learn and weather he's a quick learner or not it could take a while. Just remember to be patient because in the long run your horse will learn it better if your are clear, consise, and consistent.

    Your horse can only be as brave as you are

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  • 11-01-2009 6:24 PM In reply to

    Re: Getting him on the Bit?

    Heather, what you are saying scares me but I will not criticize it here because I have not been to your school to see how this is actually being done.  What I will say is that this is really scary advice to give over a forum. Following this advice could easily lead to someone putting their horse in to a "proper frame" and not really teaching the horse how to carry from behind and correctly use their back.  The original poster needs to find a trainer locally who can teach her how to get her horse to carry from it's hind quarters and then learn to accept the bit correctly.

  • 11-01-2009 8:04 PM In reply to

    Re: Getting him on the Bit?

    When I saw Heather's post, I cringed at the talk of a "gadget" used to get a horse on the bit. Using draw reins--that's basically what the "German martingale" is, by your own admission--is not the way to train a horse tactfully. Draw reins do NOT make for a happy horse than enjoys her work. I will side with DD--I'm not at your school so I can't criticize--but I have to say that the use of any gadget speaks of taking short cuts, and no short cut is an effective way to train the horse while considering her well-being and sanity. 
    Megan

    "No matter how badly behaved you are, your horse always gives you a second chance."
    Anonymous

    /˚)__≈
    _((_))_

  • 11-17-2009 12:57 PM In reply to

    Re: Getting him on the Bit?

    48northfarm:
    Using draw reins--that's basically what the "German martingale" is, by your own admission--is not the way to train a horse tactfully.
     

    Amen to that, 48!

    I learned the hard way, with a bad trainer, that all draw reins and german martingales do is annoy and possibly harm your horse (can cause back and neck pain, etc.).  

    My horse also didn't really learn anything from that experience!  Shortt cuts never pay off!!!!!

    What does pay off is relaxation, patience, consistency, a good trainer and not thinking of getting your horse "on the bit" as something you do with your hands.  I wish someone had been able to explain the big picture to me earlier...it would have saved me and my horse a lot of painSad  


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