Help! I need help re-wording a sub-heading

[hest]

I am editing a text for an industry professional, who has written a quite technical book about bits, the horse's mouth, teeth and so forth. It's being (re)translated from another language, some of which needs rewriting to be much less 'wordy' and obviously no longer 'foreign' sounding.

One of the sub-headings in the trouble-shooting section at the back is this:

My horse refuses to be within my aids and is not taking on a quiet and uniform contact to the bit.

There are obviously many different ways of re-wording both points in this heading, but my problem is that I need the heading to be shorter and the terminology to be more American, and less British, as that's the market it's primarily being aimed at.

How do Americans describe these two problems when they ride? Any ideas? Much of US equine terminology is very different to that of the UK, I have discovered.

Grateful thanks, and a generous dollop of spring sunshine for anyone who can help

 

[Caol Ila]

I'm linguistically confused these days because I am American but have been living in the UK for the past six years.

You could say: "My horse won't go on the bit." or "My horse isn't steady in the contact." Or "My horse isn't on the aids." Or "My horse won't accept a steady contact." Or "My horse lacks acceptance of the aids" (that last is how I think judges used to word things when commenting on dressage tests). Or "My horse is unsteady in the bridle and won't accept the aids."

Many incarnations of that....

 

[hest]

Thank you CI for your reply

Therein lies my problem - there are so many ways of saying it. I just need the most American-sounding one!

Am tempted just to rewrite the sub-heading:

My horse is downright naughty and off to the Findus Factory tomorrow

But may be Americans don't have Findus.....

 

[Caol Ila]

Any of those should make sense to Yanks. Especially if the phrase "accept the aids/bit/contact" is a part of it, as aforesaid phrase is plastered all over the USDF dressage tests.

Don't think they have Findus, though.

 

[hest]

OK, that's the phrase I shall use.
Huge thanks!