How does one train a horse to keep its mouth shut without a noseband?
Maybe someone else can do a better job of answering this question than I can. I have a mental picture of what I want to say, but can't find the right words. It's actually probably more a matter of rider training than horse training, but young horses are inclined to open their mouths when they first feel tension applied from the reins to the bit. So, first of all, I make smooth only-as-much-as-it-takes contact with the snaffle bit. Large sweeping or jerking gestures on my part will cause that mouth to open because the horse has been made uncomfortable. As training progresses and the youngster becomes more in tune to subtle opening and closings of my hands and fingers, the moutn stays shut on its own. Here's an example using Tosca. When I ride her in the arena we first work on transitions and some yielding and suppling exercises before we work on the rail. If I am tactful with the use on my hands, then her mouth might never open in a 40 minute riding session. Bur the other day I took her out on trail and our trails are "technical" enough that they scare some people. We actually have folks come out to ride with us who never return. There are some spots where going off the narrow trail or being foolish is also being dangerous. So the still green Tosca made a sudden dart off to the right and uphill from the head of a very steep downhill section of trail. I gave her mouth a pretty good jerk and said "What ARE you doing" because it was not a time for pretty riding. Her mouth came open because I applied my hand in a rough manner in order to keep us both safe. Nancy
