From: Lynn
We recently purchased a 13yr. old Arabian gelding. He has been shown in 4H and was a barrel racer for a few years. When we bought him we also bought the same bridle and bit that his previouse owners used. He has only allowed me to use it once though. He will yank his head away and back up as soon as he sees it. He does allow me to ride him with the lead line hooked to his halter as reins though. He listens well that way but we have children and would prefer them to use the bridle to begin with. Is there anyway to get Lance to accept the bridle and can you think of a reason why he won't. I would really appreciate your input.
Thank you, Lynn
Retraining an ex-barrel horse and teaching it to understand - and not to fear - the bit is a difficult task, very much like retraining an ex-racehorse. It's not impossible, but it may be too much for you to take on at this stage. It's a job for someone with a great deal of experience, and it's definitely not a job for children. It's also not something that you can hope to accomplish WITH a bit, whilst the horse is being ridden by novices and children. That said, there ARE things you can do to make life easier for all of you, and for your horse.
Here's a tip for you, and for anyone else who buys a horse and finds that it "comes with" a bit, bridle, or saddle. Don't assume that these items were actually used on the horse, and even if they WERE, don't assume that they FIT, or that the horse is comfortable in them. Horses don't generally come with tack, and when they DO, it's generally not a good sign, unless the previous owner is selling you a saddle, bit, or other item that was custom-designed for that particular animal. "Horse for sale, all tack included" usually means that someone has decided that riding isn't all THAT much fun, and is getting rid of the entire initial investment. It doesn't say anything at all about the quality or suitability or even the proper adjustment of the tack! Here's an example - not unique, I'm afraid - from a tack-fitting clinic: A rider brought in a horse that was terribly difficult to bridle, and terribly uncooperative, and the owner couldn't imagine what could be wrong or what the horse's problem was, because the horse CAME WITH THE BRIDLE AND BIT. Well... not only was the bit a particularly painful one, a curb with a single-jointed mouthpiece, it was also attached BACKWARD. No wonder the horse didn't want its bridle put on, and no wonder it tended to rear when the reins were pulled - that poor horse was in agony every second that the bit was in its mouth. When I pointed out that the bit was attached backward and suggested that this might have happened the last time the tack was cleaned, the owner said "I don't think so, I've never taken the bit off the bridle since I've had it, that's how it was when I got the horse, that's how his old owner put it on there."
So remember: Many horses "come with" , or were previously ridden with, bits and bridles and saddles that didn't fit them and caused them great pain. It's not safe to make any assumptions about any tack you get with the horse. LOOK at the tack, look at the horse, put the tack on the horse and check the fit, observe the horse's reaction. If the horse says that something is wrong, believe the horse.
Since YOUR new horse goes nicely without a bit, with just a leadrope attached to his halter, he's obviously a kind, cooperative animal who is - like almost all horses - very willing to cooperate as long as doing what you want doesn't cause him PAIN. So - why not use a bridle WITHOUT a bit? I agree that riding in a halter and leadrope is less than ideal. You can't be subtle with your signals, and you run the risk of pulling the halter into the horse's eye, but you can avoid that risk AND gain effectiveness and subtlety by using a purpose-designed bridle without a bit.
By giving up the use of the bit, you don't sacrifice any control - but you DO make it less likely that the horse will bolt, buck, or bite because of mouth pain. One of the great myths of horseback riding is that the bit stops the horse. The bit does NOT stop the horse. A bit can hurt a horse, frighten a horse, cut through the horse's tongue, or otherwise damage the horse. A bit can be used to signal a horse, crudely and harshly or gently and lightly, depending on the skill of the rider. But no bit ever stopped a horse. All the bit can do is help you tell the horse that you would like it to stop - and you can say that just as clearly WITHOUT a bit.
The best and most subtle version of a bitless bridle is, in fact, the Bitless Bridle that I've discussed previously on HORSE-SENSE (you'll find those articles in the archives). But an English jumping hackamore would also be suitable, or - if you can find one to fit him - a Western sidepull with a wide flat leather noseband and a leather curb strap.
Stay away from all mechanical hackamores - you do NOT want to use strong, painful leverage on any horse. Avoid anything that has a metal or cord noseband, or that has a curb chain or a piece of metal under the jaw. Don't be taken in by fanciful catalogue copy or elaborate tags on bits at the tack shop - there are hundreds of bits and mechanical hackamores that are nothing more than instruments of torture, and they're often described as "gentle", "kind", or "mild". You should also avoid using a bosal, partly because this requires a great deal of knowledge and experience to adjust properly, partly because it offers little or no lateral control. For both longitudinal ("whoa" and "go") control and lateral ("turn, please") control, the top three bridles for you would be, in order, the Bitless Bridle, the English Jumping hackamore, and the Western sidepull.
If you're willing to invest the time and consistent handling, and use a bridle that controls by signals rather than by force, you'll probably do well with him. He's experienced force, and is clear about disliking it - try using something that will let you and your children ride quietly and kindly, and something that won't trigger memories and previous training, and pop him into barrel-racing mode.
If you still feel that you "need" a bit in the horse's mouth, find a mullen-mouth or low-port one-piece snaffle or a colt bit (mullen-mouth sweet iron bit with very short shanks, and no purchase or an extremely short purchase) of suitable size, then ride with very light hands.
In any case, whether you do or don't choose to use a bit, have your horse's teeth checked. Sharp edges on teeth can cause even the "mildest" bit to lacerate a horse's tongue - and even WITHOUT a bit, sharp edges on the outside of the teeth, between the teeth and the inside of the horse's cheeks, can lacerate the horse's cheeks just because of the pressure of a cavesson, jumping hackamore, or sidepull. A good equine dentist can remove those sharp edges in a single session - or reassure you that your horse's teeth are fine and not in need of any floating. Either way, make the call and find out!
Even without a bit, you will still need to be careful with your horse when you are putting on or taking off the bridle. Children, especially, tend to get quick - they often try to shove the bridle onto the horse's head very quickly, and the startled horse will raise his head - and find out that the children can't reach him as long as his head is in the air. Show your children how to put the bridle on gently and slowly, so that they aren't shoving the headstall roughly over the horse's ears (this is painful as well as frightening to the horse). Remind them that they must ALWAYS undo the cavesson before putting the bridle on the horse or taking it off. If the horse has been ridden with a bit that causes pain, that's enough to make it want to avoid the bridle entirely. If the horse has been bridled roughly by a rider who banged the horse's teeth with the bit (on the way into or out of the horse's mouth), forgot to undo the cavesson, bent the horse's ears, or adjusted the browband so that the horse's ears were rubbed painfully - each one of these actions will cause pain and apprehension, and any one is enough to make a horse want to avoid its bridle. Arabians typically have mouth conformation that make many painful bits even more painful for them - and they also typically do not respond well to force and coercion, or to less-than-subtle riders who pull to turn or who hang on the reins. Beginner riders and children typically do BOTH.
There can be other reasons for a horse to refuse his bridle. If the horse has a sore back or is being ridden in a saddle that doesn't fit or is incorrectly placed, then he may resist being bridled because the bridle is a signal that he's about to be ridden - something he knows is going to hurt. If the horse is experiencing back pain because of the saddle, the rider, or a combination of the two, you'll see his back go DOWN and his head and neck go UP as soon as the pain begins. You'll also see this happen as soon as the rider begins to hang on the horse's mouth - so if you want the horse to relax and learn to trust its new riders, you'll have to PROVE to it, every single day, every single ride, that life is different now, and that you care about its comfort.
Check your saddle fit and its position. Check your horse's spine, shoulders, withers, hips, and croup - none of these areas should be sore, and none should be impacted by the saddle. Double- and triple-check your saddle fit. Many Arabians have extremely flat backs and round ribcages - and almost no withers. This makes it hard to find suitable saddles for them, but you have to try, because a saddle that fits a Quarter Horse of the same approximate size may pinch the Arabian very badly, making it impossible for him to relax his back.
Remember that you are dealing with a horse that has been trained to run very fast and lean into turns. Remember also that although at age 13 an Arabian is by no means an old horse, he will certainly have habits established, and it will take time and consistent handling to help him overcome those habits. Arabians ARE high-headed, and yours is probably used to going with a hollow back, whether his head is naturally high or (as it would have been for barrel racing) forced low with a tie-down. To turn him into a pleasant, easy-moving riding horse with a lifted back involves asking him to move his body in an entirely new way. It's going to take time for him to learn what you want, it's going to take time for him to be able to DO what you want - his muscles, like your own, get SORE from being used differently, and it's going to take time for him to acquire the HABIT of moving in the new way. Your primary tools are not mechanical, though - they are patience and understanding. Your horse needs a lot of both, from EVERYONE who rides him and handles him. Take your time with him, help him by ensuring that his tack suits him and fits him well, encourage your children to ride gently and become the best riders they can be, and you'll probably have a very enjoyable horse to ride for the next thirteen years. ;-)
Jessica
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