HOW TO ACHIEVE YOU RIDING AND TRAINING GOALS
THE REAL DEAL ABOUT BITTING YOUR HORSE
Hi my name is Hope Birsh and I am the owner of the Maryland
Saddlery.
Here at the Maryland Saddlery we spend lots of time talking to our
customers about their horses. Much of
the discussion revolves around the equipment and bit choices they are making for
their level of training. Many of us use whatever bit is in the barn or what
ever bit the horse we purchased came with. I have come to realize that most
people choose a bit based on convenience rather than what the horse really
needs. Can a bit cut down our training
time? Or is it just a piece of metal that we use to stop and turn our mounts?
The answer is yes to both. But if you think a bit by its self can stop a horse
you are sorely mistaken. Can you stop a moving car, by pulling on the steering
wheel? Of course you can’t. Horses stop because we train them to stop when we
pull back on the reins. If a horse is truly determined to run away, no amount
of pulling back will actually bring it to a stop. You cannot physically stop a
moving object that you are sitting on. Only by
running into a fixed object, like a tree or a wall, will a runaway horse
stop if they choose to continue running.
ACTION - REACTION
So my point is that training your horse is more important
than any bit you or I could choose. What kind of training am I talking about?
Circles and transitions. Lots of circles and transitions… You have to train
your horse through repetition so that they understand that your action will
elicit a specific reaction from them. You close your leg on their sides and
they move forward, you brace your back they slow down, you lay your rein on a
western horses neck and they turn. These behaviors are only achieved through
repetition.
When our horses are born we wait just a few days and most
people put a halter on the foals. They are led in and out everyday along side
their mothers. They learn that when we pull against their nose it means stop
and wait. Foals learn to turn by the pressure on the sides of their face as we
navigate through open stall doors and gates.
We have just given them their first set of circles and
transitions.
It’s when young horses are first being broken to ride, the
real trouble begins, we humans change up the game. We throw a snaffle bit in
their mouth hop on their back and expect them to have a clue about stopping and
turning from their mouth. What happened to all those years of training off of
their nose? Most people just forget about it. So what can we do to solve this
issue? A simple solution might be:
Ride with a
halter and reins under your young horses bridle. This means two sets of reins.
That way you can translate to your horse that stopping from a bit is the same
as pulling back on his nose. You probably will only have to do this for a few
rides before your horse will catch on.
BUT THEN WHAT?
In my Blog on Horse Bitting and Training
1.
You will learn the three keys to horse training.
2.
You will learn how bits function in a horse’s
mouth.
3.
I will teach you the differences between bits.
4.
I will guide you on choosing a bit that will
help you train your horse.
5.
And much more.
Horses are amazing creatures that always surprise me with
their ability to learn. Be sure to read all of our blogs so I can help you
learn, so you may achieve your riding and training goals.
