Accepting the bit

This kind of question can be tricky to answer. The basic “moves” to putting a bit in a horses mouth are pretty simple. But how we expect a horse to behave and respond to us before that is so important. Once a horse is ready for me to put a bit in it’s mouth, it is standing loose in the center of and area, (round pen or not), paying attention to me. If I have a rope halter on I will slide it off and put it around the horses neck. They will put heir head down but might not keep it down very well. Once I put the bridle on, (thumb in back of mouth with out hesitating). The only way a horse will avoid my finger in their mouth is to open their mouth at the first hint of a bit touching their teeth. No emotions either way. I don’t consider making it “enjoyable” for them or me. I don’t put the bridle on unless I am planning to drive them. On and off is confusing to me. Think of them like your children. You would certainly like to take the time to teach them to cross the road safely, but you would just do it while you were crossing the road. not by walking up to it and going back a bunch of times. When I teach a horse to lead, we are always going some were. I seldom stop to teach this basic skill. We always end up in the barn or paddock as intended.

I guess this sounds a little negative to me. Please don’t take it that way. I have been a way from my horses and mules for a couples weeks. makes me a little stiff and uncoordinated! Donn

I don’t think horses relate accepting the bit with any other activities after that. Accepting the bit is just another task, like any other. Like Donn says, approach the horse with intention. There should be no attempt to get the horses permission. Obviously if you are too aggressive, then you will have a lot of ground to make up.

I have also successfully used a shortcut on horses that I got with a habit for resistance. I hold a peppermint in my hand with the bit. The horse has to accept the bit to get the peppermint. Of course you then have to wean them off that……. but it is fast, and easy, with little struggle.

George’s description is great. I have never used a round pen, but use the same methodology to some degree. You basically need to spend the background time to get the horse to want to do what you expect. This leads to something that Donn also touched on……

You can’t put the roof on and ignore the foundation. Accepting the bit, or not, is just an indication of the effectiveness of the communication between you and the horse. Pressure and release. When you press the horse, does it accept, or resist? Do you reward the horse for resisting by releasing pressure?

Even at the most fundamental level of interaction this communication needs to be reinforced. A task like accepting the bit is somewhat more important than some others, as you really can’t work most horses without getting the bit in, so I think it is imperative that it is taken on when the horse is open to your initiative.

Sometimes these expressions of resistance are the horse’s way of telling you that you may need to go back a few steps and work on fundamentals. I have seen a lot of teamsters who seem to be afraid of fundamentals, as if it is too remedial. The most experienced teamsters regularly revisit fundamentals….. you can’t hitch a horse that won’t stand still, you can’t bit a horse that won’t accept it….. and you really shouldn’t try until they are ready……and the only way to get them there is fundamental communication.

Carl

One of my horse show customers is a 3 day Eventer that I I groomed for years ago. When she brought a new horse to the barn, they were taught 3 foundational manners right off the bat. First to stand ground tied (in the grooming and bathing areas to start), lift all four feet from the same side for quick hoof picking (they all had picks in back pocket, pick before coming out of a stall or paddock) and to drop their head on command. Rearguards of what exactly or why, these were here foundational behaviors to set them up for success, whether it was at competition, international travel, or everyday routine. The horses were asked to do things with little resistance as possible. Her mothers horse was off the track and terribly head shy, it took a long time to get him to take a halter or bridle. When he resisted he was asked to put his head down. This was done by applying pressure to his sternum at his heart girth, they were all trained that this means to put your head down. By taking the focus off the bridle and onto something that he knows how to do and is comfortable with (back to the foundation), he was able to a) be distracted from resisting and b) gets his head back to a good place to try again. This strategy worked for training many other desired behaviors as well, if they are supposed to be standing to be tacked and are getting into something on the shelf, have them put their head down, they can’t fiddle with the shelf if their head is where you asked for it. By asking with the sternum pressure point it made control of their head possible without being at their head, one could easily be at the flank and reach the pressure point.

I took these methods to college and used them on the horses that I had in my training classes. I never had a nice performance horse like the teachers pets, but all of mine ground tied, dropped their heads for the bridle, would take a full bath with hose to the face, accepted the clippers to their heads and went home to owners with top notch ground manners. Now that I have cattle the opposite command comes into play, “head up,” this keeps them from fiddling, grazing and keeps the yoke from dropping while yoking up. No matter what animal you are training for any purpose it is best to set yourself up for success with some good basic foundational manners, especially those that can aid in lessening resistance to new tasks.

NJFarmer you don’t have to get fancy with pressure point commands, but certainly getting your horse to do something simple like dropping its head when you ask (with gentle pressure on the lead, then release when they give) will set you up for more success with the bridle. If they are comfortable giving you control of their head, acceptance of the bridle is a step closer to obtainable. I look forward to hearing how it all works out for you.