HOPE'S BIT BLOG - All about horse bits! Hope's Bit Blog - Issue 3 | Page 4
If you have answered yes to any of these questions, your
horse is trying to tell you something.
He is telling you he is in pain when his head is in the correct position
(on the bit) and is trying to find a comfortable place to move his
head in order to evade/avoid that specific discomfort. Just like if
you were wearing a backpack the stuck into your back while hiking.
You too would adjust your body away from the pain in order to
continue to hike. The issue becomes a problem when you hold you
body a funny way to avoid the pain. You will cause other issues to
crop up. For instance, in order to be comfortable you have walked
bent over for 2 hours and your back is now really sore: you have
rubbed a hole in your shoulders by shifting the pack away from the
first discomfort. It is better to evade humans and horses into the
correct position where it is comfortable to remain than evade out
into a position that is incorrect.
Can you pay attention and learn something new when
you are in pain?
Just imagine how much more effective your training would be if
your horse spent more time paying attention to you than his own
discomfort. In order to properly train you horse he must be as
focused as possible during the teaching portion of your ride. He then
must be able to continue to focus during the repetition portion of
your ride. In order to get results that are not temporary, of
triggered continually by the rider your horse must be paying
attention. Pain and discomfort is highly distracting.
I’m sure my horse is trained to be soft and round in the
bridle, or is he?
Many horses are able to come round and accept the bit when a rider
takes up the reins. The question becomes whether the horse is
actually trained to be round in the bridle or is he triggering being
round by a flick or wiggle of the reins? The deeper questions
become, is he supporting himself there through his entire body and
remaining in the bridle for more than three strides and is he
rounding properly in the bridle from his withers?
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