Difference between collection,headset, and on the bit

Question
What is the difference between a horse being on the bit, being collected, and having a head set? can you have all at once? Also,Im trying to teach my 7 yr old gelding to have a nice head set and he wont keep it up, also,he is a complete mess at the canter. any ideas how i can keep him round and collected(and happy)?

Answer
Hello Kelly,

Herein lies the greatest confusion in English horse training.  I am glad you asked.  First of all we must forget about head set and collection. Head set comes from riding from the front to the back and your attempts to force it actually prevent the horse from moving properly.  On the bit means that the horse is accepting the bit with a few ounces of pressure and is chewing and not fighting it.  He may be flexed at the poll and the jaw, but THERE IS NO COLLECTION until months of proper work has been done.  And that comes from riding from the back to the front. The horse develops collection by your working on his hind end.  The untrained horse carries 2/3s of his weight on the front and only 1/3 on the hind.  The purpose of training is to get him to carry more on the hind...to balance him and make him more maneuverable.  Here is the proper work.  
Take a bit of contact ... not much, but just enough to control and guide.  To encourage him to be on the bit take a little more contact with the outside rein than the inside, and "talk" with that inside rein. Gently "ask" for a relaxed jaw and poll and when he gives them, quiet the rein and say good boy.  Put your horse in a large circle and do transitions from the trot to the canter to the walk to the trot, canter, etc.  It is the transition rather than the gait that develops the inside hind.  Therefore you must work on both reins equally.  No more than 10 minutes on one rein at first before you reverse.  At the canter keep enough rein contact to prevent a runaway, then at the trot let the rein go all the way and drive him into a longer stride.  Don't be afraid if he rushes a bit ...then gradually take in the rein and go to the canter again.  It takes months of this sort of work, followed by lateral movements to develop collection in a horse.  You see, it is developed, not forced. It happens as a result of proper work.  Suddenly one day you take up contact and put him into a trot or canter and your hands are empty.  He is as light as a feather in front and you don't even need to pull on the reins at all. You just take up the slack and enjoy.  But it will not happen at all without correct work.  
If you work for a head set you will have an unhappy, cramped horse that will fight you and you will have to be stronger and stronger to hold him.  So my advice is to forget about the head and worry about the hind end.  The head will follow.

The horse will develop more balance and impulsion when he is worked on a long rein (even a loose rein) than he will if your hands try to pull his head into position.  How long does it take?????  It takes as long as it takes.  Much depends on how often you work him and how correctly you do it.  If there is a very good dressage trainer in your area I advise that you take some instruction.  But beware...there are many out there who do not know the proper way but think they do.  There are many books that you can read and they will tell you much to help you.  Try anything by Charles de Kunffy or Alois Podhasky or Valdemar Seunig. Then you will know if your trainer is correct or not.

If you have any other questions, please let me know.

Happy riding,
Dorothy