How to get a pony on the bit??

Question

my pony sticks her head right in the air when i ride her she wears a martingal but it only helps a bit.

how do you get a pony to go on the bit or just simply stop her from sticking her head in the air.??? thanks

Answer 1

keep your hands low so that might relax her a bit because she might keep her head in the air because she likes hands low maaaybee.

my mare does the same, and shes supposed to be a dosile type (haflinger). she doesnt have a martingale but i keep my hands low and this helps her. she goes on the bit sometimes.

Answer 2

Alright, getting a horse on the bit requires a steady contact with the bit and ability to soften when your pony responds. In can be quite complicated but the simplest way to explain it is:



1. Keep a steady contact with the bit. Your reins need to be short enough to be able to feel the pony's mouth.

2. You need to have your pony moving forward at all times. If your walking it needs to be a marching walk, if trotting and cantering you need to be covering plenty of ground.

3. Keep your hands gripping the reins fairly firmly but be soft with your arms.

4. Just keep up the above until your pony put's her head down even for a split second. When she does soften your hands and push them forward a fraction of an inch until she puts her head up again.

5. You keep working on it until your pony understands more and more what you want. It takes time for them to learn so be patient. As she gets better, you only soften your hands and don't push them forward. That is only to emphasize she is doing what you want at first.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Well I will tell you how I was taught.  Okay, try this at a stop first.  Spread your hands and apply a little bit of pressure.  One of two things can happen. 1.  Your pony starts backing.  If she starts to do this, then squeeze with your legs so she stops. 2. Your pony may put her head down.  If she does this, then reward her by releasing and petting her.  It may take a while for her to put her head down, but just be patient.  As soon as she shows signs of softness or if she starts to put her head down, then release.  Try this at the stop until your pony can do it without a problem.  Once she masters it at the stop, then try this at the walk, then the trot, and then the canter.  But wait to try it at the trot until she masters it at the walk, and wait to try it at the canter until she masters it at the trot.   It will take a lot of patience, but if you reward her when she does it right, then she will wait for you to ask her.  In fact, why don't you try asking her to put her head down while your on the ground.  Put your hand on the top of her head, and apply a little bit of pressure.  If she puts her head down, then release.  If she doesn't put her head down, then move her head from side to side, until she softens.  If she softens, then release, if not, then keep trying.  I hope this helps!

Answer 4

making sure the usual back/teeth/tack are fine.  She either needs to build up muscle in the neck to bend (doing lots of big circles and gradually smalling the circles)  

sit in a good position, and just squeeze one hand then the other, keep doing this and she should go on the bit. Have a nice forward impulsion too so she's working from the hindquarters into the bit.

I hope this helps and good luck! =]

Answer 5

Try using draw reins. My pony used to do the same thing. Talk to your trainer also she will be able to help you with the bit more than I can explain. If you don't understand it try looking on YouTube for a video that explains how to do this.

Good luck,

HJB

Answer 6

well, when i was taught by a friend to do this, she told me to pull at the rains alternitivley, so pull the left rain, then right, but not hard just so the horse can feel which rain is being pulled.

you should pull for like a second. 1...2....3...4

left right left right.

i hope that helps, ive probs bamboozled you, lol

xx

Answer 7

I would suggest lunging her with side reins or getting a pair of draw reins. Also, you may not have quiet (steady) hands, and this is frustrating her. If this is the case, try to keep your hands more relaxed. Also, relax your seat. This may not be a question of getting her on the bit, but more of getting her to relax.

Answer 8

Blimey what a question!! Takes a LOT of hard work to acheive this, I'm talking months - probably easier if your pony is younger. Look up in google about side reigning, lungeing and look up horse 'bunjee'. It's a training aid that you can use when you either ride or lunge. If you're not very experienced, ask someone for their help. It will be a VERY good idea to get a couple of lessons too, as it is way too complicated to tell you how to get a pony to 'collect' by writing on here. It's all about contact, and giving and taking on each rein. also, the pony needs to be on the right bend. sorry, it's very complicated! google some of the stuff i said and good luck!!

Answer 9

If your pony is doing that leave your bridal wear it is until her head goes down and she relaxes. Then when her head goes gown your hands go down, and then you should try agian until she allows you to put the bridal on her. I know this advise works because I learned that from a horse trainer.

Answer 10

Getting a horse on the bit is not the same as just lowering the horse's head.  So far most of the answers seem to focus on the reins and mouth whereas to come onto the bit you need to get the horse to relax through its whole body and create a of more rounded outline with its hindquarters right underneath it.  When your pony sticks her head up her back becomes hollow making it weaker and the ride more uncomfortable for both of you.  

Seesawing, jerking, and pulling are methods should not be used as these shortening the horses strides, making his back hollow, and making him tense through the jaw and other faults.  Also pulling when she raises her head will just make her resist more so keep just a light firm but relaxed contact not so strong that you fight against one another.  

Firstly check your position, make sure your weight is not falling onto the horse's forehand by ensuring you are really sitting up straight and you have a little even contact with the horses mouth.  Get the horse going forward really well, then offer him a slightly stronger, but still light, elastic hand.  If your horse is experienced and has been ridden on the bit before this may be all you need but it sounds as if you might need some exercises to encourage her to.

One method that works on most horses is the following: ride the horse on a circle and move him sideways in leg-yielding a couple of steps by coordinating your inside leg and inside rein and riding straight in between with the help of mostly the outside aids. In the leg-yielding, let the supporting inside rein be somewhat leading toward your inside thigh. Try when you go straight forward, to give a little on the rein to encourage the horse to seek forward-down. Also, try doing a small square just in walk and use turn on the forehand at each corner, this will make your horse put her hind legs right underneath her and make her lighter in the hands.  

Another method, is half halts which will give rebalance your pony and re-establish the contact.  You need to restrict the forward movement for a second or two with your hands at the same time still pushingforward with your legs to prevent her stopping or changing gait.

Even though with some horses this may take some time, one should not compensate for one's difficulty to show the right way by the use of draw-reins or similar devices.  Good luck.

Answer 11

Lunge your horse in side reins, on a loose setting.

Also, like that other person said...

Take a pretty firm feel of her mouth. She might resist and put her head up. Keep your hands low and keep a contact.

AS SOON as she lowers her head a little and gives in to the contact, release the pressure on the reins. Then tighten them up again. Continue this until she understands to give in to the pressure.

I'm doing this with my gelding. We are at the point when, as soon as I pick up my reins, he tucks and lowers his head. It's confusing at first but this is how i've been doing it. Basically its more comfortable for him to lower his head into the bit.