QUESTION: My horse is tight in his jaw and neck, how do I get him to be soft, supply and relaxed?
Answer submitted by Kerry Petty:
First I would look at this bridle and bit. Make sure they fit well with 2 fingers give in the nose band and 4 fingers at the throat latch. The bit needs to be the correct length and width. Then you have to select the kind of bit that works for your horse.
Next, you look at your riding. Are you riding from your hands or your core and seat? Are you working for the horse to balance himself or does he hang on the reins for support? When a horse leans on the bit he stiffens but keeps you from influencing the bars or his mouth, the most sensitive part. When he leans on the bit he puts it in the corner of his mouth and this will bother him less but make him stiff. Is you seat secure so the horse feels secure or are you unbalanced at times so the horse stiffens wondering when next you will lose your balance?
If your riding is balanced then you want to work on bending lines and transitions so the horse learns to soften his body as well as come from behind. The more he comes from behind and uses his back the softer he can become. Also, look at your horse’s confirmation. A long backed horse is harder to supple as well as one with a straight shoulder.
Answer submitted by Margaret Spencer:
Once while riding with Jean Froissard, (author, clinician) I expressed the same concern. His reply was “the problem is not in the front, but is in the hind end”. To quote from his book “Basic Dressage”, “the great and principal seat of the resistance is in the haunches, where the ‘engine’ is.” Work on suppling the hindquarters with turns on the forehand, leg yields, lots of circles. Make your circles large and small, with lots of changes of directions. This should help. Next, check your own position and your rein length and contact. Many people make the mistake of getting the reins too short and then cannot ride the horse from the hindquarters forward into the hand. This idea from the engine forward is very hard to understand and do at first. Also, from the inside leg to the outside rein is another concept that does not make sense until you get it to work for you. Again to quote Mr. Froissard, “you have to feel to learn, and you have to learn in order to feel”.
When your horse is working properly from the hindquarters and over his back, there is no resistance in the hand. Although this may not be easy, it is exciting when you get it. The horse will be light, willing, energetic, and will feel larger in both movement and size. It is one of the great thrills to strive for in riding. You can do it. With persistence, patience, and practice, you too will ride that beautiful flowing horse.