What's this all about then?

[blitznbobs]

First you have to understand what on the bit means and if your horse isn't well schooled and muscled it can't do it. So you have to teach the horse the aids and be consistent. Training a horse is like training any other animal you could train a dog to bark by saying speak or train a dog to bark on the command 'be quiet' the aid or instruction is immaterial really as long as you are consistent and don't confuse the horse. My horses do pirouettes off a slight neck rein but I know other riders use a different aid. Who is right? We both are - but as long as you understand your methods and why you are doing what u r doing and it has the desired result without cruelty then it doesn't really matter. I personally ride with my inside rein as the still guiding rein ( controlling the direction of the horse) and my outside rein as the conversation rein ( also controlling the oitside shoulder)and don't understand the other way round but each to their own

So to answer your question are their aids for on the bit? Yes there are - loads of them but its about applying them at the right time in the right way and then unapplying them again in the right way

This is so much easier to show someone than it is to type.

And if you are a novice concentrate on getting the horse moving forward with the right amount of straightness and bend and the rest falls into place.

 

[DabDab]

One says firm outside hand and then sponge with the inside, once the horse is going forward. Is that essentially sawing?

No that is not what I mean when I say 'sawing' - I mean holding both reins quite short and the same length then moving one hand forwards and one hand backwards and then moving the forward hand back and the backward hand forward, and so on, quite quickly. So you are using the reins to create a sawing movement with the bit in the pony's mouth.

The answer above is very good - there are many ways to ride a horse very well, and that's what makes the 'sawing' all the more frustrating because it is battering the horse's mouth when there are many equestrian 'paths' that they could go down.

Oh, and definitely not a silly question

 

[PleaseVenus]

Only just saw these replies! Thank you, that does make a lot of sense.

Thanks definitely going to try and focus on keeping forward and straight. Hopefully things will all fall into place at some point

 

[turkana]

Not all instructors teach children this! My daughter is seven and goes to a riding school where they also keep chickens. The children are taught to hold the reins as if they were newly hatched chicks. The instructor is forever calling out "don't squish the chick" and "don't drop the chick" to teach the kids to keep a firm but gentle and consistent contact. The children are only little but they understand this.

My instructor said this to me as well, I'm 47 now so we're talking over 30 years ago but I still remember it, she told me to imagine that as well as my reins I also had a baby bird in each hand, she also said that the head was the last thing to worry about, I had to work on getting the rest of the horse working properly , then the head would come right on it's own. I'm no Carl Hester but this has always worked well for me.

 

[Bernster]

My instructor said this to me as well, I'm 47 now so we're talking over 30 years ago but I still remember it, she told me to imagine that as well as my reins I also had a baby bird in each hand, she also said that the head was the last thing to worry about, I had to work on getting the rest of the horse working properly , then the head would come right on it's own. I'm no Carl Hester but this has always worked well for me.

Aha - is this the answer to the age old question about chickens and eggs?! For some reason, I thought it was an egg you imagined holding

 

[Caol Ila]

Not all instructors teach children this! My daughter is seven and goes to a riding school where they also keep chickens. The children are taught to hold the reins as if they were newly hatched chicks. The instructor is forever calling out "don't squish the chick" and "don't drop the chick" to teach the kids to keep a firm but gentle and consistent contact. The children are only little but they understand this.

That's what I tell adult students! Well, sometimes I tell them "imagine you're holding an egg" if they say that the imagery of them squashing a baby chick upsets them too much.

The last lesson I had (a few years ago), I was advised to put a flash on my horse and put pressure on the inside rein and keep doing so, but increasing it, until the horse yielded. The reason I needed the flash? The horse opened her mouth and braced when you did this. Duh. I would too. I never went back to that instructor. So that is what is out there being taught by some people.

 

[GlamourPuss86]

Sadly its not just kids.

I know a few adults who think you have to really saw to get them down, Ginger took a lot of work and effort to get a nice rounded outline, and he still had a lovely soft mouth when I sold him.

Thankfully I was taught by an 'old school' BHS instructor (mom) and I'd never have been allowed to saw to get an outline and contact!

 

[_GG_]

That's what I tell adult students! Well, sometimes I tell them "imagine you're holding an egg" if they say that the imagery of them squashing a baby chick upsets them too much.

The last lesson I had (a few years ago), I was advised to put a flash on my horse and put pressure on the inside rein and keep doing so, but increasing it, until the horse yielded. The reason I needed the flash? The horse opened her mouth and braced when you did this. Duh. I would too. I never went back to that instructor. So that is what is out there being taught by some people.

Wow....I am always suspicious when people reccommend instant changes of tack. Not surprised you never had a lesson with them again.

I will sometimes advise people to take a flash off, or to try a cavesson not a grackle or they'd be better off with no martingale than one adjusted too tightly, but I would never advise adding stuff.

 

[Arizahn]

This thread makes me realise how lucky I have been so far, I have never met an instructor that would allow this, let alone teach it!

 

[Katikins]

I've seen a few children recently who, in their effort to get their ponies to go 'on the bit' are using the reins to 'saw' at the pony's mouth.

Only recently? I was in PC about 20 years ago and it was happening then.

I think with kids there is an element of 'making him look pretty' rather than thinking through that for it to be 'real' it has to come from the back end. However, much as the kids would do it, certainly in my PC and riding school all the instructors would have pulled you up for it!