25/11/2024
Interesting read!
Signs Your Horse is Happy with Their Bit
I often talk about the signs and behaviours from horses when they aren’t happy with their bit, so now I’m going to explain how you can tell if your bit is working well for your horse. This is a huge topic, and every horse is different, but let’s look at the basic signs.
Firstly a good sign is that your horse is happy to be bridled and is willing to take the bit, and will happily lick their lips and have a few soft regular chews to place the bit comfortably in their mouths. This light chewing helps the horse to relax their jaw, and set the tongue in a comfortable position to receive the bit.
When ridden work begins there are many signs for the rider to observe that show the horse is comfortable.
In the beginning of the session the horse should be happy to seek the contact and ‘look’ for the riders hands. At this point they should have a relaxed jaw, be moving forward in each gait, have freedom through the body (suppleness) and a relaxed facial expression.
Upon taking up contact the feel down the rein should be soft and yielding, you should be able to ask your horse for contact/flexion, and they should be happy to oblige, sometimes with gentle chewing and lip licking, while still feeling soft in your hand.
As you begin asking for more work and perhaps shortening the rein, they should still feel soft and happy to respond.
As work begins most horses will still show some light chewing movements and lip licking, this shows they are relaxed in the jaw and not showing signs of tension. You should also have an easy and happy response to your rein aids, without any evasive behaviour, such as open mouth, head tilting, bracing or pulling. Even in more advanced work where more energy is required and the horses’ frame changes and they move into more self carriage, they should still have a soft and pliable contact without tension through the jaw. Sometimes more advanced work may require a stronger contact, but this should still have a supple ‘give and take’ feel to it.
When horses are happy with their bit the riders rein aids can become very subtle and quiet, just a closing of the fingers on the rein should be enough to communicate to the horse, there should be no need for pulling or drastic hand movements. This is where true contact, throughness and connection begins. If you feel that you are having to over exaggerate rein aids, this could be a sign your horse is not happy with their bit.
Facial expressions are also a key element to gauge if the horse is happy with the bit. Obviously it can be rather difficult for a rider to see this, so it can be beneficial to have arena mirrors or someone on the ground to watch the process.
Sometimes the rider may not feel any changes down the rein but the horse can perhaps draw back the lips or open their mouth. This is a sign that the bit is perhaps not quite right and needs addressing.
However, a good visual for the rider is looking at where the horse’s ears are placed and their movement. A relaxed horse will often let their ears drop to a more sideways position where they become quite floppy and go with the movement of the gait. They may also have a soft backwards position towards the rider and this can show they are listening to the riders vocal commands. A stiff, flat and lowered ear that coincides with rein aids may indicate an aversion to the bit and its function, whether through pain or misunderstanding. These responses may indicate that the horse is uncomfortable with the bit or the work being asked of them.
Another sign that is often misunderstood is foam around the mouth. The ideal amount of foam should present like the horse is wearing lipstick. It would usually be a soft white colour….but it can be green due to recently eating grass or even orange if the horse has eaten carrots!
This lipstick would usually be from the corner of the lips, where the bit sits, down and round the front of the muzzle to the opposite side. This shows the horse is able to swallow saliva and have a relaxed jaw. The foam shouldn’t have excessive bubbles, or be dribbling down the front of the horses chest, this can indicate the horse may be struggling with swallowing or mobilising the tongue and jaw.
Above all, if your horse is comfortable with their bit they should be happy to respond to your rein aids without showing any evasions, and riding should be a pleasant experience for both you and your horse. Schooling/education should progress at a steady rate with mutual understanding.
Always remember, the horse is a non vocal animal that can only express discomfort with visual or physical signs. They cannot communicate with vocal sounds like dogs can, so it is up to us to understand their signs of discomfort.
If you are experiencing ridden problems with bit evasions, whether you are a seasoned professional or just starting out on your learning journey and would like to help your horse to be happy and comfortable, Equine Bitting Solutions is here to help.
Creating Harmony and Connection With Your Horse ❤️
