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Today I had planned on tacking up Max. However before I move onto any stage of training, I do a few tests to make sure that the previous stage has been complete. Before putting on tack, I wanted to make sure that Max was compliant without it. This is in keeping with the basic approach that until the horse is obediant to the reins WITHOUT a bit, I will not put one in his mouth. For me, the bit is a tool for fine communication. It is NOT to be used to force obedience. Unfortunately, if the horse is not compliant to the halter and lead rope, then the bit will become, an instrument that forces obedience by default.
It is my opinion that using the bit to force compliance is not only unfair, it is also unreliable. As soon as the horse encounters something that illicites an emotional reaction greater than the force that the bit can exert, the bit will fail, and the rider will lose command of the horse. It is never advisable to rely on equipment to control a horse. It is much better to give a horse the chance to develop self control, and then rely on that. Although the horse's self control may not be as reliable as one could hope, if and when it fails, the bit will ALWAYS fail immediately after. Thus, developing the horse's self control before inserting a bit is paramount.
In this series of videos, I have instructed the rider to ask the horse to bend his neck using the lead rope and halter. Max does not bend his neck until the rider puts direct pressure on the lead rope. This is not acceptable. I do not consider Max compliant until he will turn as soon as the rider lifts the rein. If the rider needs to pull on the rein, then it is too much pressure. Thus, I have determined that Max is NOT ready for a bit or tack.
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on June 22, 2009
at 6/22/2009
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