7 tips to tell if your horse is on the bit
How do you know if your horse is on the bit?
Understanding what riding on the bit means and encompasses (read more here), there are certain signs to watch out for.
When our horse is truly accepting the bit, working in self carriage with evenly developed haunches and topline, we have true frame and throughness, and the horse is working with relaxation and swing, we will begin to notice a few things:
The horse stands square everywhere and anywhere.
In the paddock when you catch them, when you tie them up at the stables to tack up, when you mount them, any time you halt when riding and most importantly when you dismount and untack. If they stand square at the end of the ride you know you have trained them evenly and balanced in their ride.
2. The horse tracks up.
The hooves of the hind legs step into the prints left from the front legs in trot. When the horse is tracking up we know they are moving over their back with relaxation.
3. The horse can lift its tail.
If our horse is lifting its tail and swinging lightly to the rhythm of the movement to work into contact, we know they are using and working over their back. If the horses tail is clamped down or swishing stiffly their back is tight, probably sore and they are rotating and twisting their pelvis under instead of transferring their weight into and sitting deeper into their haunches.
4. The poll is the highest point.
A horse that is not in self carriage but looks on the bit will break away at the third vertebrae instead of the poll, and actually be working behind the bit. When the horse is working on the bit their nose should be at 90 degree angle to the ground (on the vertical) or slightly in front of, depending on how far along the training scale they are.
5. Lightness.
The idea of the horse working with lightness confused me for a long time. I thought that their mouth should feel light, which resulted in me working them behind the bit. The bit should feel almost like they are pulling through the bit but that you can half halt and ask them to wait. The lightness is in the way they move. Like comparing my noisy, elephant steps with an elegant dancer. The dancer has learnt through poise, balance and engaging their core how to be light and graceful on their feet.
6. The horse is seeking the contact.
When you give your horse more rein they stay the same and reach for the contact. You can give the contact away all together and they work the same. When you take the contact up they come more together and elevated in their stride but don’t change in tempo, relaxation and ground coverage.
7. Your rein back works really well.
Part of getting your horse to work well in its haunches is a cue that gets them to transfer the weight into the haunches.