Getting horse on bit hints

oscarwild

oscarwild

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Right I'm just wondering how you guys put your horses on the bit.

My mare can look like she on the bit but doesnt push from behind. She all in the front. She has started leaning when jumping and not engaging her hind legs. You can get her back from leaning by flicking one rein and asking her forward and she comes back to you. But it can look a bit messy. A lady at my yard said she looked like she would buck so I needed to put in a different bit. I said we were working on the schooling side of things and she comes back so I'm not bothered. (we just need more schooling and currently looking for a decent instructor) The lady went off and came back with a different bit which I said I wasnt wanting to use in case it was too stronge from my sensitive tb. She tried her in it and the result has been that my mare has been off work since the 2nd due to a cut mouth.
I rode today for the first time and we were above the contact the whole time and she wouldnt relax onto the bit like she normally does. (she normally ridden in a loose ring french link but today we had her in a normal snaffle with a lozenge.)
normally we have to make sure she is nice and relaxed so can do a full warm up etc before she goes down on the bit. She never really relaxed onto it today but her jumping was greatly improved. We had control and no leaning and lovely rythem.
She really isnt a dressage mare but I'd like her to school on the bit so we can do some showing classes etc along with our hand at some sj.

forgot to mention that she has had her teeth done recently and also had her tack and back checked and she got the all clear.

Is there any advice you guys could lend? I am looking for a good instructor but havent found any yet.
 
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Firstly I would say dont listen to that women sounds like a yard know it all (know a few of those!!) I would keep trying to find a good instructor and give it time, unfortunatly it something that takes time. Also, her mouth may still be sore after it being cut and your mare might be finding it uncomfortable to acceot the bit. I have a very strong mare with a very sensitive mouth which cuts oh-so easily so i can understand the predicament!
 
I have just purchased the Mary Wanless ...... They are expensive but by far the best tapes I have ever had for explaining how to ride with your body, not your hands, to get the horse working freely in an outline.

For the first time ever I now have a horse who will work properly and I have quiet hands and strong core. Really worthwhile investment.

If you could get someone to do short video clips of your riding and get hold of a MW tape it would be a whole lot better than a second rate instructor and would give you heaps to work on until you found the person you wanted to train with.

I would mention that I have worked with a biomechanics teacher and believe that unless you are a pretty natural amazing rider that you need to learn how to organize your own body before you can progress.
 
oscarwild said:
Right I'm just wondering how you guys put your horses on the bit.

My mare can look like she on the bit but doesnt push from behind. She all in the front. She has started leaning when jumping and not engaging her hind legs. You can get her back from leaning by flicking one rein and asking her forward and she comes back to you. But it can look a bit messy. A lady at my yard said she looked like she would buck so I needed to put in a different bit. I said we were working on the schooling side of things and she comes back so I'm not bothered. (we just need more schooling and currently looking for a decent instructor) The lady went off and came back with a different bit which I said I wasnt wanting to use in case it was too stronge from my sensitive tb. She tried her in it and the result has been that my mare has been off work since the 2nd due to a cut mouth.
I rode today for the first time and we were above the contact the whole time
and she wouldnt relax onto the bit like she normally does. (she normally ridden in a loose ring french link but today we had her in a normal snaffle with
a lozenge.)
normally we have to make sure she is nice and relaxed so can do a full warm
up etc before she goes down on the bit. She never really relaxed onto it today but her jumping was greatly improved. We had control and no leaning and
lovely rythem.
She really isnt a dressage mare but I'd like her to school on the bit so we can
do some showing classes etc along with our hand at some sj
forgot to mention that she has had her teeth done recently and also had her tack and back checked and she got the all clear.
Is there any advice you guys could lend? I am looking for a good instructor but havent found any yet.
Click to expand...

Did the woman pull you off the horse and change the bit, if you didnt want to use the bit, why did you let her ?
 
I haven't seen the Mary Wanless DVD but my instructor uses her methods and it has made a huge difference to my riding and my horse's way of going in a really short time. You have to think about riding from the back of the horse to the front; stop worrying about where the head is because it is the last thing to come. Instead think about the horse's back and use your thighs to suck your horse's back up towards you and your abs to push your horse's neck forwards away from you. Also your legs to invite your horse forwards. Sorry that was the most appalling explanation. Try the DVD and forget about the bit, just use the bit that your horse is happy with, ignore the yard know-it-all.
Also where are you? My instructor is amazing and we are in south Herts.
 
well, i'd give her mouth more time to heal if it's not 100%, in case that's why she's avoiding the contact.
i wouldn't try to get her into an outline for jumping, she needs to be looking at the fences not the ground to judge them properly, to put it bluntly... if the jumping improved, that's probably why!
 
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