On the bit?

Jen Pigs Fly

Has anyone got any techniques to get a horse on the bit?

My 9 year old arabian mare has been riding for around 3 years now, she's in a snaffle bit - eggbut snaffle.

I've tried flexing with her, where I will halt her and pull her head from side to side so her nose touches my feet and then back to try to get her to listen to my contact but as soon as we go into a walk, even while I maintain my contact her head is back to being stuck up in the air like an ignorant cow.

In the canter she tends to even go over the bit, a flash noseband has stopped her habit of grabbing hold of the bit and running.
other than her inability to go onto the bit she's great to ride, she's responsive, knows her aids, transitions are brilliant, she has a lovely steady canter despite me sometimes getting a mouthful of ear and forelock ...

So any ideas? I have heard that a different bit could work ... She does not seem to be as comfotable with the bit as she used to, the eggbut joints are quite thick, we used to get a fair amount of foam after riding, but now we get nothing, so I do think this is a bitting issue. Any thoughts?

I am currently lunging her in side reins to try to get her to get her head down, she does go into a shape when lunging mostly because she has no other choice really.

She does need to get her teeth done, but I do not think this is the main issue I've been trying unsuccessfully for almost a year to try to get her to go into a shape.

I'm thinking if I try a snaffle with skinner joints may work or even a full cheek snaffle - but I really do not want to go out buying a new bit for her to not be comfortable with it.

So anyone have any thoughts or any suggestions as to getting her into a shape? We are hoping to start novice dressage but we won't be able to untill I get her into a shape.

elusiveguy

I'd start with teeth, back and saddle fit. If all of those are ok, try something like a french link bit and maybe get a lesson or two with someone who schools horses?

Borderfox

Long warm ups for my guy help, i ride him in a loose ring snaffle (my preference) one other girl that use him prefers a pelham. When I ride in the pelham he goes into an outline nearly straight away but i dont like it because its not coming from behind, more from the bit.

For novice dressage I wouldnt worry about getting into a shape

silverfox88

if your thinking of changing bit, try the bit bank - look it up on google - you pay about 5 pounds sterling, they send the bit out to you and if you dont like it you can send it back. i've used them and theyre great, nothing more infuriating than spending 40-80 euro on a bit and have them having an absolute tantrum when they dont like it and being stuck with it!

Jen Pigs Fly

Thanks for all the replies!

She is getting the dentist (it's been six months) and the back man out to her, as she hasn't been seen in a while, this could be the problem.

She is ridden by myself and another two girls who have both broken and schooled horses and one is going for her BHS level 3, they have the same problem with her!

That's a great idea about the bit bank, I will definitly look into that!

elusiveguy

do check saddle fit!!! We had a "professionally fitted" saddle for a mare who needed her back done every six weeks. Turns out said "professionals" has sold us a saddle that was 1 inch to long for her

loopyloulilly

Hi jenny,

I had the same problem with my 4 year old gelding. He was leaning on the bit. The work i used was to kept him on walk and trot, no canter. Slowing threading my left rein through to my right rein. Eventually he came on to the bit. Working in a lovely outline.

Hope this helps.

Savvylover112

Getting a horse 'on the bit' should have nothing to do with the bit you use and your hands should be the last thing that comes into the equation. You should ride you're horse back to front and not ride the head. Riding your horse only based on the position of his head will get you with a 'pretty' looking outline that has your horse using the wrong muscles in his body and will be heavy on the forehand. You should ride your horse so he is using his hind end because this is his engine this will inturn bring his back up and your horse will drop it's head and find his own natural outline and go 'on the bit'himself.

The best way to explain it is to use the dressage training scale. There are two one is German and one is French. The most commonly used one is the German ones.

http://www.artofriding.com/articles/trainingscale.html

mothoin

in my experience of horses, arabs do not like going on the bit! simple as!

Marina-anseo

mothoin wrote: »

in my experience of horses, arabs do not like going on the bit! simple as!

My sister has an arabian mare who at 5 years was as mad as a hatter but after some training with a dressage specialist she calmed right down and became the IPS 148cm Cork Show pony of the year 2007. She had no problem with being on the bit. The second my sister asked her she did it. I wouldn't blame the breed for the problem.:)

ell

Echo elusive guy, savvy love & marina's posts.

loukealy

I had the same problem with my 10yr old gelding... i changed his bit to a french link rode him in a bungee on the flat only and i did a lot of lung work in draw reins and a lot of long reining with him... It took me a few months to get him in a shape but the because of his age its quite difficult... In my experience the older they are the harder it becomes to train them into a shape... If that training was done at an earlier age it might be easier... but alas hinesight is a bitter sweet thing ...

Jen Pigs Fly

She has been diagnosed with kissing spines - so unfortunatly there is absolutly zero riding going on at the moment.

After posting this around a year ago I changed her bit to a full cheek filmer with copper roller - she loved it!

However she is on a strict no riding break at the moment, all I'm doing with her is slow walker, long reigning and going for slow walks.

silverfox88

Savvylover112 wrote: »

Getting a horse 'on the bit' should have nothing to do with the bit you use and your hands should be the last thing that comes into the equation.

not necessarily true. riding is a whole body activity, so the notion that encouraging a horse to work in a correct outline has "nothing to do" with your bit or hands is incorrect.
with regards to hands, my mare works in a fantastic outline, and as she is very forward going she is largely ridden from your seat and legs. when ridden this way, she will engage her hind quarters and drop her head - but it still takes some action from my hands to get her to round up fully and correctly. im not talking a sawing action here, merely flexing the reins and playing with her mouth to encourage her to complete a proper outline.

in terms of the effects of different bits,i used to ride her in a d-ring snaffle, and rode exactly the same way, but with considerably less success. while she would still engage from behind, she had little respect for the bit and leaned on my hands, locking her jaw and rushing forwards, thereby throwing herself onto the forehand and off her hinds. I rode her for a good while in the snaffle, trying everything to get her to calm down and work properly, but it was just a battle with the two of us ending up stressed and hot and bothered and achieving very little.

after several unsuccessful new bits, she is now ridden in a three-ring with roundings from the first to last ring and rides like a dream in it. the bit is not too much for her (as for example i had found with a pelham, where she did not lean but became tense and rigid as the bit was simply too strong) as she is still well capable of taking a pull when the mood suits her. I find she has more respect for the bit and as such is much quicker to respond to my aids, so i can ask her to do something and get an immediate response in comparison to my battles in the snaffle.

when looking at a problem or a challenge with respect to horses, ALL aspects should be considered. Never rule out something as having "nothing to do with" whatever the issue is.