14/01/2025
Special bits or special hands.
Through my experience with my mare, Jen, I learned some valuable lessons.
For over two years, I invested a considerable amount of money in various types of bits in the hope of finding the perfect match for her. Despite my efforts, each new bit would only be effective for a limited time, typically around six weeks, before she would exhibit the same inconsistency in her mouth as she had with previous bits. This led me to realise that simply finding the “right” bit was not the ultimate solution to the challenges I faced; rather, it highlighted the need for a deeper understanding of her responses and comfort.
Along came Philippe Karl!
As my hands began to transform, I discovered the power of communicating through them. Jen's response to this change was remarkable—she evolved alongside me, and we began to like each other!
She no longer felt the need to shout and swear at me and I wasn't so frustrated. No longer were our rides limited to just a few nice moments; instead, we were on a path of steady improvement.
The real breakthrough came when we shifted our focus. It was important for Jen to grasp the language of my hands, just as I needed to decode the messages I was sending with them. This newfound understanding became the key to our progress, bringing a deeper connection between us and paving the way for consistent improvements.
Often, when we begin riding, we are instructed on how to hold the reins, encouraged to pull and resist, instructed to keep our hands down and together, and taught to rely heavily on our legs.
The term "contact" is frequently misunderstood. We hear that the horse should work into a contact, while the rider is seen as the keeper of that contact, often in pursuit of keeping the horse round and flexed at the poll. Breaking this down reveals that if our hands are low, they can only move backwards, typically held in a tight grip around the reins.
We need to consider that the human hand, the most intricate part of our body capable of remarkable feats from creation to communication, is directly connected to the most sensitive area of the horse, its mouth. To truly communicate with this sensitive part of the horse, we must shift our approach. Our hands should not remain low, held tightly, or driven by force. Instead, they need to learn to speak a language.
It makes sense to begin this education with the horse stood still and their person on the ground so everything can be broken down and isolated into their component parts.
The concept of flexions originated with François Baucher, with various interpretations. While flexions may not be unique to our school, they form a vital foundation for our practice.
As these flexions progress into ridden work, the horse begins to understand the reasons for different rein lengths, learning how to respond when the reins shorten or lengthen. The horse learns to mirror the rein length, raising their neck beautifully without leaning on the hands or going above them. When they feel the reins lengthen, they instinctively extend their neck, eagerly seeking contact with the hand.
We owe it to our horses to know what we are saying with our hands instead of looking for a more suitable bit which inevitably will mask many issues.
As I said I spent many 100’s of pounds searching for the correct bit, different shapes, different metal, lozenge bits, straight bar bits, even bitless!
When all along it was my hands that held the solution.
What's ironic is Jen ended up being ridden in a simple and inexpensive single joint fulmer!
I'm not saying we shouldn't do our best to find a bit our horses like but we also need to ask the question, do we know what we are doing/asking with our hands? And we need to give an honest answer before seeking the magic bit!
Jen is no longer with us but I thank her with all my heart for questioning me, teaching me and leading me to the school of légèreté
Welcome to Riding From The Ground UP. Combining work in-hand and under saddle to produce a classic education for both horse and rider. Now, where do i start!
