Oh gee - I was watching a girl work a National Show Horse yesterday. She had
her overbent just like that. She was riding in draw reins, and the mare did
have her mouth closed and her jaw looked soft, but she was definitely
avoiding contact by going "behind the bit".
She certainly was not stepping up underself and she was taking rather short
choppy steps.
At the risk of weighing in here, I think "head set" is achieved not by taking
hold of the head, but but engaging the hindquarters. The pretty head and
neck (face vertical) are a result of the horse's having rounder her back as she
steps under herself with her hind feet.
Nancy
