Horses have been ridden for many . . . → Read More: Is Your Horse Bit Hurting Your Horse?]]> Addressing a problem often requires some sort of 2 way communication between the parties. Speak the wrong language and problem resolution will be difficult or even impossible.  However when it comes to addressing problems between man and beast just ask any Veternarian, communication takes on a different challenge.

Horses have been ridden for many centuries for business and pleasure and getting the most from the horse has always been a challenge. For professionals that train and race horses they have systems to ensure the horse can reach its full potential. However for the average horse owner often they are not training the horse from a very young age. A lot of horses are pre-owned and the new owner will of course be inheriting the good or bad results of that prior owners training skills.

Fixing your horse problems mayrequire a little behaviour analysis and  maybe the occassional bit of bribery to get your way.

One of the most important aspects of riding is choosing horse bits. The communication between the rider and the horse often relies on trial and error to arrive at a satisfactory outcome and there is a whole catalog of horse behaviours that are considered problematic. It can be that some of them are due to a poor choice of horse bit. Shaking their head, refusing to take the bit, clenching their teeth, being unresponsive due to hard mouths often caused by bad bit use by previous owner. Maybe the horse simply has bad teeth so a trip to the dentist may be necessary.

Bit based behaviour issues are addressable. Or at least one should strive to address the common issues. If he refuses the bit maybe you need to try a little cunning. There are a few stories of wrapping the bit’s mouth piece in a “fruit roll” or covering it with molasses so that the horse associates the bit with pleasure and not pain! On the subject of taste you can of course buy horse bits with sweet iron mouth pieces or copper snaffles that pander to the tastes of the horse. If he just seems to hate the bit then the bit might not be the right bit.  Is it the wrong size? Are you guilty of “over bitting” your horse where the bit is too extreme, maybe with huge shanks that generate too much force. Based on how light your hands are and how much control you need to get the horse to respond, choose your curb bit carefully .

Check that bit width is correct, typically around about half inch each side should ensure it is neither too tight or too loose. Check that the bit is not pinching the sides of the horse’s mouth and it should sit loosely in the horse’s mouth after letting down the cheek pieces. Using bit guards can help and are often a simple and effective solution.

Be aware of the effects of broken bits such as the jointed pelham bit where the bit breaks in the centre.  You can also get a nutcracker effect by squashing the tongue and also even stabbing into the top of the mouth. Some horses respond well to this but others no so much. Remember the horse may not just behave badly when you engage the bit. The thought of a jolt of pain coming from your pulling on the reins at any time would be enough to cause the horse some issues don’t you think.

If you have the luxury of trying different bits out then do so but also be sure to follow the basic rules. Start of simple with basic snaffles and take it from there. If you are dealing with engrained issues in a pre-owned horse then thinking outside of the box might be the only way to go.

Horses have been ridden for many . . . → Read More: Does Your Horse Hate His Bit?]]> Getting to the bottom of any problem typically requires a degree of communication between the parties involved. Speak the wrong language and problem resolution will be difficult or even impossible.  Fixing problems related to animals such as horses brings on a whole new challenge, just ask any vet.

Horses have been ridden for many centuries for business and pleasure and getting the most from the horse has been a continual challenge. When we consider professionals in industries such as horse racing there are proven systems that counter the most common issues. However for the average horse owner often they are not training the horse from a very young age. A lot of horses are pre-owned and the new owner will of course be inheriting the good or bad results of that prior owners training skills.

Fixing your horse problems mayrequire a little behaviour analysis and  sometimes the odd bit of bribery to get your way.

One of the most important aspects of riding is choosing horse bits. The communication between the rider and the horse often relies on trial and error to arrive at a satisfactory outcome and there is a whole catalog of horse behaviours that are considered problematic. It can be that some of them are due to a poor choice of horse bit. Shaking their head, refusing to take the bit, clenching their teeth, being unresponsive due to hard mouths often caused by poor bit choice or riding skills of the previous owner. Maybe the horse has teeth problems so a trip to the dentist may be necessary.

Fixing real behaviour problems related to the bit is possible. Or at least one should strive to address the common issues. If he refuses the bit maybe you need to try a little cunning. There are a few stories of wrapping the bit’s mouth piece in a “fruit roll” or covering it with molasses to get the horse to associate the bit with a joyful experience! You cannot yet buy fruit flavoured horse bits but you can buy sweet iron bits that some horses love. If he just seems to hate the bit then maybe the bit is just plain wrong.  Is it the wrong size? Are you guilty of “over bitting” your horse where the bit is too extreme, maybe with huge shanks that generate too much force. Once size fits all does not apply here .

Check that bit width is correct, there should be at least a half an inch clearance on each side. Check that the bit is not pinching the sides of the horse’s mouth and it should sit loosely in the horse’s mouth after letting down the cheek pieces. Bit guards are an option to reduce this chaffing.

If you have inherited a broken bit that breaks in the middle such as french link snaffle bits do think about what it is doing for your horse.  You can also get a nutcracker effect by squashing the tongue and also even stabbing into the top of the mouth. Some horses respond well to this but others no so much. Don’t forget the horse may not just behave badly when you engage the bit. Think about it, if you were expecting a painful jolt at any time whilst you were running around wouldn’t you be somewhat distracted.

If you have the luxury of trying different bits out then do so but also be sure to follow the basic rules. Start of simple with basic snaffles and take it from there. If you are dealing with engrained issues in a pre-owned horse then a bit of scientific trial and error can get you on the right track.

The basis of this method is COMMUNICATION. We believe it is possible to communicate . . . → Read More: HorseSense Training]]> The Qavah Method of Training Horses is not a “quick-fix” or magical method. It requires patience and understanding along with a desire to form a relationship with the horse that provides both horse and rider pleasure and comfort.

The basis of this method is COMMUNICATION. We believe it is possible to communicate effectively with the horse. This is done primarily through observation-trainer observing horse and horse observing trainer. Knowing what to do is not enough to be a success. Those who work with horses most successfully haveHORSESENSE. They are able to read a horse’s mood and temperament by noticing eye and muscle movement. This is essential to this method for in the words of Kenny Rodgers, you must “KNOW WHEN TO WALK AWAY!”

You will notice throughout the clinic that the trainer walks away from the horse many times. This is deliberate.  It is communicating to the horse that he is doing what the trainer wants him to do.  If the horse makes the first move and walks before the trainer has successfully completed a step, he is communicating a lack of understanding.

Horses are capable of reasoning, so they are trainable.  When the horse learns what the trainer wants him to do and when he can relax while doing it, horse and trainer are in “sync.” Each is communicating with the other and they have formed a working partnership.

This, in a nutshell, is what we are trying to do.

• Build a sturdy foundation. Do not rush the basics. Building on a secure foundation makes advanced training easier.
• A horse is a reflection of its owner. Nervous people will make nervous horses. The horse can sense your fears and concerns. Make your approaches and handling confident and secure.
• Horses are condition-response animals. We set up a condition, we get a response. If we set up the condition often enough, we will get the same response consistently. This, then, becomes a cue.

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Horse . . . → Read More: The Snaffle Bit. Simple but effective.]]> Horse bits are a very important ingredient in the success of the horse and rider’s relationship .  Literally dozens if not hundreds of different types of horse bit can be purchasedso understanding how they work and how they can address your problems is critical to your relationship with your horse .

Horse bit types are broken down into different categories based on the features they have and how they control the horse. Within such categories are sub-categories where the action of the bit is adapted or added to by extra attributes such as the material the bit is made from .

At the top level of our horse bits categories typically we see Snaffles and Curb bits.  The term Snaffle covers quite a broad category of horse bits exhibiting a single common principle in that they allow control of the horse via direct force from the rider by the pulling of one or both reigns.

Physically all Snaffle bits are formed from a straight bar or mouthpiece with rings connected with different degrees of freedom to move at each end. The bit sits in the horse’s mouthresting on the gums not the teeth, in the space behind the front incisors and the molars behind sometimes refered to as the “bars”.

These two main features of the Snaffle are key to the way the bit behaves .  The mouthpiece can be in one solid piece or it may be “broken” or jointed in the middle . Solid mouthpieces often come made in moulded rubber or vulcanite which is kinder to the horse and often used for young horses whilst they are being introduced to the bit . The jointed bit results in the mouthpiece breaking when the reins are pulled inducing a “nutcracker” effect on the horses tongue which provides the control.  The joint can be a single break or it can be two breaks resulting in the mouthpiece forming a “U” shaped instead of a “V” shape. This modification can give the horse’s tongue more room and can also be kinder on the roof of the mouth.  

The severity of the action of the mouthpiece may be increased by changing the mouth piece from being a smooth material such as stainless steel to using twisted pieces. The effect on the horse can be drastic and as a responsible owner always be very mindful of the welfare of your horse and seek expert advice ensuring the problem you are trying to solve is in fact addressed by such a bit . 

Remember there is a balance between being too soft on the horse and not firm enough. Choosing a “soft” solution can lead to bad habbits that are then more difficult to address later on and being too harsh can cause the horse pain and discomfort and is just bad in every way.

The rings positioned at each end of the mouthpiece of the Snaffle are how the mouthpiece connects to the reins . Whilst simple in concept they still come in different forms giving you many different options and provide varying types of control to your horse.  To introduce you this variety we will introduce some of the more common ring features seen on snaffle type horse bits.

Loose Ring Snaffles are where the rings connected to the mouthpiece are allowedto rotate and move back and forth and as such tend to prevent the horse from fighting against the bit and encourages the horse to chew and eventually relax .  One downside to loose rings is that they can pinch the horse’s mouth and get pulled through the mouth.  That brings us to Fixed Ring Snaffles which are not free to rotate but can move back and forth.  The Eggbutt and the D-ring Snaffle are popular examples.  They have “D” shaped rings rather than “O” shaped and the straight part of the “D” functions to help prevent the bit being pulled through the mouth, ie. if forms a brace against the side of the mouth in both directions.  The Eggbutt has a slightly softer edge to it’s “D” and is therefore kinder to the horse’s mouth.

The fixed ring effects can be further enforced by using a Full Cheek Snaffle Bit where there is a vertical piece of metal on each end of the mouthpiece as well as the ring. This piece provides a larger surface area in contact with the mouth sides compared to the D-Ring and EggButt and often to help it stay in the vertical position “keepers” are used to hold it in place. Not only do full cheeks bit pull through they can provide a mild leverage effect and also encourage the horse to move in the direction required.

This is just a brief introduction to the features of Snaffle Bits.  As you can see by careful understanding of your horse’s behaviour and how to control him you may find a snaffle  to suit your needs.