Teaching horse to soften

[el_Snowflakes]

Hi all,

I really wish my horse would 'give' to the bit more! I find she just ignores it and sometimes when i try to halt her she just runs right through it- I ride her in a loose ring french link. I changed instructors a while back as I did not agree with her training methods, she wanted me to see saw my horses reins until she lowered her head. If she didnt do this the first time she told me to do it harder and this method just did not rest easy with me at all. My new instructor asks me to sponge the reins but unfortunatly this is not having much of an effect. (all checks have been done and my horse and tack are all in good shape) Can anyone give me some suggestions on how to get her to soften and also maybe suggest a bit which might help? many thanks

 

[el_Snowflakes]

shameless BUMP!

 

[Lollii]

I am having the same problems with my ex race horse, I am trying her in a full cheek, french link which seems to be the best bit for her (I have tried loads!)

I'm sure someone who knows what they are talking about will reply soon, until then ......

I have been told by my instructor to make sure the horse is always ridden 'straight' do loads (and loads!) of transitions and spiral in and out by leg yielding on our circles, there is no 'quick fix' but slowly, slowly we seem to be getting there ....

Good luck

 

[tristar]

any instructor who who pulls at a horses mouth should be binned.


a horse can only truly work on the bit when it is suppled and prepared by gradual gymnastic movements over a long period of time, this will result in development of the horses paces and the horse taking up the correct head position naturally as its head postion stabilizes and it takes the contact with confidence.

forget about the mouth, work the whole horses body, use a very light contact, think rythym, balance, suppleness, straightness, and reward your horse generously.

are you sitting correctly? are you using your legs softly and getting a response, it is us that stop the horse from doing what we ask usually.


so the last thing to come is the mouth, not the first thing to pull on, your intructors have it completely the wrong way round, don't be downhearted just change your perspective and try to understand the difficulties the horse has in trying to understand what is being asked.

 

[Zimzim]

I agree with tristar.

Forget about where the horses head is and think about the horses rhythm, balance, straightness, suppleness and working off your leg (this is the key - your leg!). Do plenty of transitions to get your horse working off your leg, bending away from it etc and get it engaging from behind. Be soft with your hands and do not pull back on the reins.

I found with my mare that I had to give her the reins i.e. move my hands forwards a bit as I was actually blocking her through my hands so she couldnt work correctly and engage her back end, I used my legs to encourage her forwards and she naturally dropped her head into a soft contact.

Also check that you are not being tight through your hands and arms which could be blocking your horse, you need to be relaxed otherwise your horse wont be, even if Im not relaxed through my hips my mare can sense this and react to it.

Maybe get a different instructor

 

[hannahmurphy]

Transitions, transitions, transitions, lots of lateral work, serpentines, leg yielding, half pass, 10m circles leg yield to spiral out to 20m, pole work to get the horse to naturally stretch down, etc, repeat! Lunging with two lines helps them grasp the concept but only work them for short periods of time as it requires a lot of effort from them.

Switch yourself off to what the head is doing for now and just get stuck in with lots of different exercises .... soon enough you will notice a difference!

 

[ISHmad]

As well as ridden work I'd do some in hand work too to help to educate your horse about the bit.

 

[glamourpuss]

I ride my youngster in a nueue Schule lozenge full cheek snaffle. He is incredibly fussy in his mouth & this suits him. Room for his toungue, & the full cheek keeps the bit a little stiller in his mouth. Loose ring's are good but often I find with a youngster who will often mouth & fuss with a bit there is a little too much 'play' & movement which can make it hard for them to take the contact.
I totally agree that you shouldn't be pulling a horse in from the mouth but sometimes some light vibrations.... It really is the lightest movement of your ring finger on the rein can help encourage them to soften.
On a 20 metre circle ensure your inside leg is pushing into your outside still rein. The outside leg supporting the hindquarters. Once the pace feels active & like the hindquarters are pushing through give the small vibration down the inside rein. This should encourage the horse to soften & flex to the inside. As soon as they soften, reward with a slight give of the rein. If you truly have the activity coming from behind you will find them working over their back & stretching into the rein
Transitions on the circle will help prevent them running through the aids. Sit up, a good half halt (I use a small closing on the reins), a light vibration of the inside rein & then ask for the downward transition.
If horse is rude through the transition try again with a stronger half halt prior.
I'm prepared to be shot down here for even suggesting that any movement of the bit helps with their schooling, but it works for me & I hope it helps you

 

[el_Snowflakes]

Thanks for your replies guys. It worries me that there instructors out there who will teach u to use brute force. The majority of folk use that particular instructor & seem to get great results. Perhaps their horses dont require these tactics? Then again, I do see 'swinging heads' quite often (my pet hate!!)

 

[glamourpuss]

Oh yes the 'swinging head' brigade....there's a lot of them about
An elastic contact is all about the reward...the give when you get the soften, this is what encourages the horse to soften more & seek the contact.
There is nothing elastic or rewarding for a horse when the rider is swinging their head from side to side!! How also do they give an effective half halt?

Striving for the best way of going for our horses should be what we aim for, not just accepting what others think is good enough

 

[aimeetb]

I always teach to take a deep breath first in preparation all the way into your stomach then as you let the breath out let your weight relax into the saddle whilst at the same time pulling your tummy in and your pelvic flaw muscle up like zipping yourself up from the bottom, keep your leg on lightly throughout the whole thing to push the horse into your still hands, then whilst pulling your tummy in and pelvic flaw up still your back - at this point your horse will be feeling the change in you and should be slowing, the last thing is then a squeeze of the reigns both together keeping the horse straight, never hand on to the mouth, if necessary you can do one or two squeeze and releases on the reigns and if i have a really difficult horse that really wont listen to any of it, i do the whole thing but then keep my upper arms pushed into my sides and lean my whole upper body back a little to use my whole body weight but again dont hang on to the mouth.

Although this all sounds like ages it actually only takes a stride or 2, the preparation breath then all the rest in the next srtide pretty much.

Hope that makes sense!

 

[el_Snowflakes]

I always teach to take a deep breath first in preparation all the way into your stomach then as you let the breath out let your weight relax into the saddle whilst at the same time pulling your tummy in and your pelvic flaw muscle up like zipping yourself up from the bottom, keep your leg on lightly throughout the whole thing to push the horse into your still hands, then whilst pulling your tummy in and pelvic flaw up still your back - at this point your horse will be feeling the change in you and should be slowing, the last thing is then a squeeze of the reigns both together keeping the horse straight, never hand on to the mouth, if necessary you can do one or two squeeze and releases on the reigns and if i have a really difficult horse that really wont listen to any of it, i do the whole thing but then keep my upper arms pushed into my sides and lean my whole upper body back a little to use my whole body weight but again dont hang on to the mouth.

Although this all sounds like ages it actually only takes a stride or 2, the preparation breath then all the rest in the next srtide pretty much.

Hope that makes sense!

Yes that makes perfect sense! i have never tried pushing my arms into my sides but i will have a go at this today. Anything to stop my horse being pulled in the mouth- i really cant rest easy riding this way

 

[trottingon]

I am having similar issues, and have a great instructor, but it's just so much to remember and think about, especially when she's not there to guide me, but were improving slowly, it's just going to be a long drawn out process.....I've found these comments helpful though, there's a few I'll be trying over the weekend, so much to remember, thanks for the thread OP!