Comments - When will it End? - Barnmice Equestrian Social Community2024-03-28T09:19:49Zhttp://www.barnmice.com/profiles/comment/feed?attachedTo=1773158%3ABlogPost%3A759300&xn_auth=noThank you Jackie, my biggest…tag:www.barnmice.com,2014-12-21:1773158:Comment:7598052014-12-21T22:52:29.406ZPaula Stevenshttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/paulastevens
<p>Thank you Jackie, my biggest issue is with being to hard on the reins. I've been working on This for a while now, I'm slow getting better at using legs not reins, but I still foget every now and then. </p>
<p></p>
<p>Thank you Jackie, my biggest issue is with being to hard on the reins. I've been working on This for a while now, I'm slow getting better at using legs not reins, but I still foget every now and then. </p>
<p></p> Since you are riding in an ho…tag:www.barnmice.com,2014-12-21:1773158:Comment:7597072014-12-21T22:23:15.774ZJackie Cochranhttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JackieCochran
<p>Since you are riding in an honest-to-goodness REAL bosal your horse is telling you that you are not giving him enough rein. With a bosal this can hurt MORE than with a bit (those lower jaw bones are thin and sharp.) Bosals are NOT made to be ridden with contact! They are made to give a clear signal that is immediately released. I suspect that if you rode with sagging reins, released your rein aids immediately, and realized that you have a very powerful gizmo on his head he would behave…</p>
<p>Since you are riding in an honest-to-goodness REAL bosal your horse is telling you that you are not giving him enough rein. With a bosal this can hurt MORE than with a bit (those lower jaw bones are thin and sharp.) Bosals are NOT made to be ridden with contact! They are made to give a clear signal that is immediately released. I suspect that if you rode with sagging reins, released your rein aids immediately, and realized that you have a very powerful gizmo on his head he would behave better and you would be much, much happier. If the rider does not learn to use a bosal properly the horse can learn to "run through it", with constant pressure the skin of the lower jaws becomes numb and the rider loses that delightful lightness a bosal can bring as the horse puts his weight on his forehand and becomes generally unmanageable. It is not good for the lower jaw bones either, they do not have much more padding as the horse's bars (where the bit acts) and they are JUST AS SENSITIVE as a horse's mouth with a light hand.</p>
<p>LOOSEN YOUR REINS!!!!!!!</p>
<p>If you are scared that your horse will just go faster and faster, here is a tip from higher equitation. The correct time to give the horse a slowing down rein aid at the canter is when the horse's head comes UP, with relaxed fingers (NOT a hard fist) and immediate release of course. This is the proper moment of the stride because: 1) you are not blocking the forward thrust of his hindquarters, 2) the horse's hind legs are coming under the horse's body so it is much easier for the horse to use his hind legs as brakes, and 3) when you release your rein aid the horse can move his head and neck to adapt to his new balance (I always move my hands forward an inch or two when I release a rein aid to slow down, sometimes more.) When a horse bolts and starts to run away he usually give himself a good wallop on the mouth (or nose) so I immediately move my hands FORWARD several inches, then give the above rein aids whenever his head comes up.</p>
<p>These are EFFECTIVE hand aids, this is what I do whenever a horse bolts on me. Usually the horse responds within three strides (repeating the rein aid each time the horse's head comes up with immediate release) the horse has stopped running away and comes down to a more or less relaxed trot and then to a walk. Often I get a sort of "what happened?????" reaction from the horse, he WAS going to have a delightful run-away but he finds himself cantering or trotting, well in hand (even on sagging reins) and doing what I want. No head slinging, diving the head to the ground (you HAVE to give the horse rein or he will try to take it himself), or the horse feeling abused, just a little miffed because I calmly and effectively told him to BEHAVE in such a way that he essentially agreed to do it himself. </p>
<p>If you want the horse to correctly respond to the rein aids you have to make your hands LIGHT. With a bosal you don't need contact for the horse to be able to feel you gently closing your fist on a loose rein. Since you've been sort of hanging on the reins I recommend you start training him with this at a walk, then the trot. Even at the trot the head comes up a little bit, this is when you apply the rein aid to slow down or stop.</p>
<p>I hope this helps! It took me decades (and a few runaways) for me to figure this out.</p>