How do we get our horses to go on the bit?
The first thing to consider when you think about getting your horse on the bit is that, it’s really just pressure and release. So when you put a certain pressure in your horse’s mouth, you want them to give to that pressure, basically to release to the pressure.
Where people get in trouble, I think, is that they’re not consistent about the pressure, and they’re not consistent about the release. We end up just kind of hanging in our horse’s mouths, never really getting a release to the pressure.
So if I take up contact, I’m going to shorten my reins up and feel each corner of the horse’s mouth. I have a little pressure, and I’m going to do just a little more until he put his head a little down. When he puts his head down, I slightly give my hands forward in that moment. What you don’t want to do is, when they put their head down, just keep pulling because then they don’t got a release for doing the right thing.
So if I want my horse to put his head down, I start by getting a little pressure. He gives a little, his head goes down, and then I give back to him. I start asking again, he drops a little more, and then I give a little back to him. When you give, you don’t want to totally throw him away, or he’s going to just put his head back up. But you do want to give a little bit and reward. You always want to reward the slightest try, so if you feel him just try a little bit in the right direction, you want to reward that.
Watch this video of me demonstrating it and stay tuned for part 2!
Happy Riding!
Amelia
