HOPE'S BIT BLOG - All about horse bits! Hope's Bit Blog - Issue 1 | Page 2

You close your leg on their sides, they move forward, you brace
your back, they slow down, you lay your rein on a western
horses neck, they turn. These behaviors are only achieved
through repetition.
After our foals are born we wait just a few days and most
people put a halter them. They are led in and out everyday
along side their mothers. They learn that when we pull against
their nose it means stop and wait. Foals learn to turn by the
pressure on the sides of their face as we navigate through open
stall doors and gates. By leading them in and out every day we
have introduced them to their first lessons on transitions and
circles.

It’s when young horses are first being broken to ride, the real
trouble begins, we humans change up the game. We throw a snaffle
bit in their mouth hop on their back and expect them to have a
clue about stopping and turning from their mouth. What happened
to all those years of training off of their nose? Most people just
forget about it. So what can we do to solve this issue? A simple
solution might be:
Riding with a halter and reins under your young horses
bridle. This means two sets of reins. That way you can
translate to your horse that stopping from a bit is the same
as pulling back on his nose. You probably will only have to do
this for a few rides before your horse will catch on.