Q: I am trying to teach my 11-year-old Fjord to supple and get on the bit, but she is very hard in the mouth. I have tried riding her in a kimberwick and several different snaffles, but none of them made a difference. How can I get through her toughness?
Bit up your horse using your most effective snaffle, a surcingle and side reins. If you don’t have a surcingle you can buckle the side reins to the girth of your saddle. Introduce the side rein concept to your mare gradually so she doesn’t rebel. Once she’s working on the longe line in the side reins, shorten up the inside rein enough to create a visible bend to the inside of her circle. As you work her, she’ll learn on her own that in order to escape the pressure of the side rein she has to yield or supple her neck laterally. Then even up the side reins, reverse, and repeat the exercise the opposite direction. Continue your side rein work on the longe line for days or weeks until you observe that your horse has grasped the concept. She should be bent in the direction she’s traveling and, ideally, flexed slightly at the poll.
When you return to under saddle work (minus the side reins!), focus on flatwork that uses turns and circles so that you’re continually asking your mare to bend laterally. Integrate half-halts and downward transitions (such as trot to halt and canter to walk). Remember that you can’t just rely on your hands to guide your mare, because that will invite her to lean on them for support. Apply your leg behind the girth to press her body where you want her to go. Eventually these exercises will help prevent your mare from bracing her neck and getting locked on your hands. As your horse loosens up and bends laterally (side-to-side), flexing at the poll and coming on to the bit will happen more easily.
Thanks for the help. I also have trouble getting my horse to ‘soften’ so these tips will come in handy.
Thanks for the suggestions. I’m having the same problem with my mare so these should come in handy.
this is great. I am having similar problems with my horse. thanks for the help!
Another method is doing neck bending exsurcises on the ground in a halter.Then do the same in the saddle with a halter.Once she becomes soft and supple move up to a snaffle bit.
Thanks for the great advice. I ride a draught horse and he’s got the same problem.
Yes, you must teach your horse to “give” to the snaffle bit again. Using harsher bits won’t solve the problem.
Thanks for the advice
I agree with Elaine about teaching the horse to yield to pressure with a halter.
Please don’t use strong bits and all that aversive tack.
I have a Fjord and a draught cross mare myself and I got the best results teaching them to yield to pressure by using a rope halter + clicker-training (reward EACH AND EVERY TRY and don’t use a clicker if you don’t feel like it but REWARD!!!).
Why should horses be punished for being what they have been bred for???
Definitely good advice. My horse can be a big, lazy baby, and doesn’t always listen to my cues. As a result, there was a lot of pulling, which, of course, resulted in a hard mouth.
Then I tried retraining. I had to retrain my mare to listen to a snaffle, and believe me, she now has a very soft mouth and is very responsive!
Also, in regards to snaffles, if your horse doesn’t usually do well in a snaffle, it might be because they don’t like jointed bits. My girl hates a jointed bit, but she is very, very compliant to the slightest squeeze of her mullen mouth snaffle!