Teaching to accept a contact

He is i a flash as he opens his mouth and tries to get his tongue over the bit....very unpleasant for us both.

I have tried a full cheek snaffle, full cheek french link, other french link, thick and thin eggbutt will try the lozenge now

re contact i am probably overly para about this and one thing u dont do is hang onto his mouth as he isnt going forward enough as it is so this wont help :-)
 
You are right, it is the worst thing you could do to hang onto his mouth. When I retrain racehorses, the first thing I do is lunge in the pessoa or degouge. Once they are going forwards nicely and consistently and working over their backs, I introduce side reins, alternated with the pessoa or degouge. Once they are working nicely and lightly in the side reins, I start their schooling. I hate the method holding a horse firmly and pushing them into a contact as I find this only produces horses that may look very nice, but are heavy in the hand. I like my horses to feel very light in front. This can only be achieved by a rider who has developed 'feel' and cannot be described. But I will try! You need to use plenty of half halts and time the release of the rein to a milisecond. You need to correct the horse at the point that it starts to THINK about coming above the bit, not once it has done it. By riding in this way you will have a horse that is in self carriage and is light in the hand and forward off the leg.
 
I think you should find a competant instructor asap. The horse needs showing how to respond to the bit, not a gallery of "mouth toys" taking the place of correct, knowledgable training.
 
Have you considered using elasticated reins and/or elasticated side reins? I find them really useful for young or green horses who need to learn to accept and take a firmer hold of the contact, as it's more sympathetic for sensitive mouths. There's a brand called 'Flexi-Rein' I believe that makes elasticated riding reins.
 
Thing is, there is divided opinion regarding contact. I don't think a horse should ever 'take a firm contact'. The feeling should always be light with the horse going willingly forward in self carriage. Other people ride so that there is always quite a weight in the hands. This must really take its toll on the horse's mouth.
 
it Astounds me the amount of peole that suggest shoving various gadgets on a horse, all of which will create a false outline oh yes your horses head maybe tucked in, but will the horse be working from the back end? soft on the contact ? no i very much doubt it.

for get the horses mouth and ride it from its rear end, using circles, changes of rein, half halts, not to mention the use of the riders body! etc, the horse wil naturally soften and start coming into a soft outline, at which point you start using a bit of contact.

i could type for ever on this as it drives me mad that people think or infact use the bit to get a horses head down, when in actual fact the horses head is in but it is still riding like a plank of wood and dragging its toes!
 
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