hello

Question
i have a seven year old saddle bred who is trained in english and western. i prefer english but cant think of the right bit to use. i would like to have him jump for pleasure and on the other hand he is a bit high stung. i have tried a curb but for western and he hated it. he does ok in a full cheek snaffle but he tends to rear with both so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

Answer
Hello,

Remember that getting a horse to understand what you need him to do is a long and varied process.Communication should start with your seat and legs, the hands as an aid are just part of the picture.

It is serious if your horse is rearing. This can be caused by so many things, including either too severe a bit, the bit itself,the horse needing his teeth floated, the rider's hands, soreness in the horse's back, a bad fitting saddle, fear or a conditioned response. In any case, it is dangerous and serious.

You need to go back to ground work. I like the T.E.A.M. methods employed by Linda Tellington Jones, and also correct lungeing techniques. My web site, www.MitziSummers.com, has an article on lungeing correctly.

I often use a Bitless Bridle, (not a mechanical hackamore) when determining if the problem is in the horse's response to a bit.Start back on ground work first, though,with your horse. Then I think if you DO go back to a bit, the most severe you would ever want would be a mild snaffle. Beware of their nutcracker action in these also, however. There are 3 piece snaffles.

I would love more information from you..when he rears, what his former owners did with him, and I can help you more. My email is Summersdressage@aol.com