On Jan 3, 2008, at 7:49 AM, Xuxa'smom wrote: > > Can someone please tell me how a bit is supposed to > work? Should it sit loose in the horses mouth until > the horse is driven into collection? What exactly, is > the function of the bit? If anyone cares to explain > this basic piece of equipment, I would really > appreciate it. My horse is currently in the bosal and > the reins are so heavy I cannot feel much of how hard > or soft I need to pull to get her to turn and stop. > > Maria
IMO, the bit has little to do with collection -- that comes from your seat and legs and proper athletic preparation of the horse. The bit is there to communicate with the horse, as an adjunct to the cues provided by your body, and it takes very little pressure. (My granddaughter when she was little had no stopping control over my gelding that she wanted to ride: she'd haul back on the bit, he'd tuck his chin to his chest and just keep going where he wanted to go. So we took them in the arena and taught Nicole how to stop the horse: say Whoa!..light pull and release on the reins while tipping her pelvis down and forward (pelvic thrust). Horse stopped immediately, even though Nicole didn't weigh that much more than the saddle. ) You can see how light the reins are held in this enfrenadura performance (http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=933081075&channel=934042866), although if he'd had serious competition in the class the gaping mouth in the back up would have cost him dearly. Or how Kelly Powers holds the reins in this tutorial (http://www.friendsoftheperuvianhorse.com/equitation/ proper_peruvian.htm). If she's in bosal she's at an early stage of her training, being ridden bitless while she learns to carry herself and respond to the rider. She's being plow reined, and until she starts to "get it" it can take a fair amount of muscle to turn or stop her. Once she's in 4 reins, then she'll be starting to approach the lightness you can expect with just the bit. Lynn Kinsky, Santa Ynez, CA http://www.silcom.com/~lkinsky/ http://www.dslextreme.com/~napha/JoyOfRiding/index.htm
