Understanding these 3 advanced techniques is pivotal in teaching softness, as they combine equipment selection with refined communication skills. This guide delves into advanced techniques for equestrians seeking to enhance their horse’s responsiveness without the burden of heavy hands.
Technique 1 of 3 Advanced Techniques for Teaching Softness: Selecting the Optimal Bits
Never ride in the same bit more than 3 rides in a row. Different bits with slightly different contact pressures encourage softness by keeping the contact points fresh. Always riding with the same bit that is always putting the same pressure on the same point dulls that point. The video, In Depth into my bit program, talks about the bits that I use in my training program and why I use them.
7 possible pressure points can be used to guide your horse. Learn them and how to vary the pressure on each of them. This is important in keeping your horse soft. The article, Mastering Bit Selection for Effective Horse Training, goes into depth on the 7 pressure points and how each affects the horse’s movement.
Technique 2 of 3 Advanced Techniques for Teaching Softness: Using a Heavier Bit for Enhanced Communication
The choice of bit is crucial in influencing a horse’s responsiveness. For horses that exhibit heaviness on the bit, a key recommendation is a snaffle bit with substantially weighted rings, often crafted from sweet iron. The weight encourages a more attentive response from the horse, promoting lighter contact. The one I use weighs about 3 pounds.
Why a Heavier Bit?
- Enhanced Communication: The added weight encourages the horse to hold the bit in its mouth. This aids in clearer communication, providing a distinct and gentle signal to the horse.
- Encouraging Lightness: The horse learns to respond to lighter cues, reducing the tendency to lean or pull against the rider’s hands.
- Encourages Lateral Movement: The weight of the rings encourages the horse to follow the bit with its head movement.
- As the horse learns these things a lighter bit can be used.
Technique 3 of 3 Advanced Techniques for Teaching Softness: Refined Training Strategies for Responsiveness
Establishing Initial Contact
- Soft Approach: Initiate every maneuver with a gentle, yet firm, contact. This sets a baseline for the desired response.
- Progressive Pressure: If the initial soft contact is ignored, incrementally increase pressure. This teaches the horse to tune into subtler cues.
Correcting Heaviness
- Consistent Contact: Begin with a steady and gentle pull on the reins.
- Firm, Controlled Pull: If the response is inadequate, apply a firmer pull, ensuring it is smooth and controlled, not abrupt or jerky.
- Repetition and Consistency: Regularly practice this method to instill a habit of responsiveness in the horse. Remember the horse does not learn to become lighter by the rider always being light. The horse learns to become lighter by the rider pulling firmer through resistance. If the rider never pulls firmly through the resistance the horse will never become lighter.
The horse in the video above is named Val. You can read his full training journey and the hurdles he had to overcome in the article, Val’s Training Journey.
Enhancing Responsiveness
- Guided Movement: The objective is to encourage the horse to willingly follow the rider’s hand movements.
- Integrated Leg Commands: Utilize leg pressure to support and guide the horse, enhancing overall responsiveness. In the article, The Link Between Resistance in the Face and Shoulders, I discuss how resistance in the face is reflected in the feet and the importance of body control with your legs to soften the face.
- Aim for light, but not too light: The horse should be light on your hands but not too light. A horse that is too light leads to just as many issues as a horse that is too heavy. Too light and the horse will be trying to make something out of the rider’s movements that do not mean anything.
Advanced Steering
- Gradual Contact Increase: Begin with minimal contact, escalating only as necessary.
- Synchronized Guidance: Coordinate leg pressure with hand movements for effective steering and body control.
- Acknowledging Progress: Recognize and reward even minor improvements to motivate the horse. As the horse improves, the target for the reward improves also.
Addressing Specific Behavioral Challenges
- Counteracting Behind Vertical Tendency: If the horse tends to fall behind the vertical, focus on elevating their back and shoulders using spurs, promoting a more upright posture.
- Fostering Self-Carriage: Encourage the horse to maintain its own balance and carriage, reducing dependence on the rider’s hands for support.
Practice, Patience, and Perseverance
- Consistent Training: Regular, disciplined practice of these techniques is essential for ingraining these behaviors. Here is another video of me working with a horse that is resistant to steering.
- Patience and Understanding: Maintain patience and empathetic understanding of your horse’s learning curve.
Conclusion
These 3 Advanced Techniques for Teaching Softness – optimal bit selection, heavier bit usage, and refined training strategies – are fundamental in achieving precision and lightness in horse steering maneuvers.
By changing bits regularly, employing a heavier bit for clearer cues, initiating with soft contact, and progressively building up pressure, riders can cultivate a more responsive and agile partner. I encourage you to integrate these 3 advanced techniques in your training to see a remarkable improvement in your horse’s responsiveness and softness. My horse training journey has brought me from winning world titles to now trying to make every horse the best they can be and to help you to improve your equestrian knowledge.