On Whoozits and Whatsits (Correction Tools) for Training Your Horse
I’m no expert when it come to horse training – or even in all elements of riding for that matter. I’m your average horse woman who grew up in the saddle, taking lessons, and is now an adult noodling around with a horse of her own. I am however a reader, researcher, and listener and love to soak in all that I can from great trainers and different schools of thought.
One of the areas I’ve really been struggling over lately is the usefulness (and ethics) of using correction tools in training.
I’m talking things like spurs, draw reins, side reins, gag bits – anything outside of your basic saddle and bridle with a gentle snaffle. I think there are three general camps that we fall into as horse men and women:
- These tools should never be used any under circumstances.
- When used judiciously, these can be useful training tools.
- Always use these tools to get training done quickly or to mitigate issues.
I am not a believer in quick fixes. Training a horse to be a successful partner long-term takes patience, kindness, firmness, and consistency. I also think the goal of solid training is to teach your horse to require as little cue as it takes to get the desired result. The slightest closing of the leg sends him forward. Quieting the seat slows him down. The slightest squeeze on a rein increases the bend or straightens the neck. And eventually, with time and patience and consistency, we should be able to do this without spurs, whips, or correction bits.
However, when your horse is just learning (and sometimes later if he forgets) it will take more than the lightest squeeze to elicit a response. Sometimes he ignores the light bump of your outside leg that keeps him from overbending as he drags you into the wall and a bigger kick (or even a little spur) is necessary to get his attention.
Lately Ace, who has been very nicely light in the mouth from day one, has started leaning on the bit. He’s not really using it for balance and he’s still responding and moving nicely – he’s just heavy. If I give him more rein he just bears down until he’s trotting with his nose at his ankles (literally). Sending him forward doesn’t help, and light jiggles of the reins to remind him not to lean only help temporarily.
So when my mom offered me an elevator bit on loan to see if the leverage would help him learn to quit the lean, I gave it a shot.
It’s a single jointed Happy Mouth elevator, sometimes referred to as a bubble bit. I could attach two reins – one as the regular snaffle rein, and one on a lower ring to add the upwards leverage as needed. Ace loved it. And so far – just two rides in it did the trick. I kept my hands light, and if he started to get heavy would gently activate the lower rein until he lifted up again. It only took two or three times for Ace to “get it.” He was happy, light, forward, ears perked, soft in the poll, and gentle in the contact.
Next ride we went back to him normal loose-ring Myler bit, and he was still happy, light, forward, soft in the poll, and gentle in the contact.
For Ace, one ride in a judiciously used correction bit solved more issues than the nagging and constantly reminding him with leg and reins to lighten up. Used this way, I’d say it’s a very useful training tool – and one that was much kinder on my horse.
What are your thoughts on tools like spurs, correction bits, draw reins, etc?
Thanks for the oportunity to have a say!!!
I think it really depends on the ethics and morals of the rider!!!!! I’ve seen many cruel use of gadgets by both novices and professionals. In the novice case its usually ignorance and peer pressure and the pros just a quick fix in getting short term results (factory farming principal).
However I have used draw reins, spurs and side reins!!! but only once I had read and observed them being used for the good of communication with the horse and NOT as dominating force!!! Draw reins helped me turn a very unhappy and muscularly incorrect mare, find her way and learn to carry herself in comfort. She went on to be ridden in a simple snaffle at Elem Dressage!
Cheers C
I am not a snaffle purist, I think the selection of a bit involves the bit that the horse goes best in and is happiest in. Whatever allows you to ride with a light hand and does not make the horse worry about his mouth.
As far as whips and spurs, I am old. And I am old school. I was taught that whips and spurs are NOT the fallback tool for the new or ineffective rider, but rather that you earn the right to carry or use them.
WHEN your leg is steady and quiet and the horse is responsive to your quiet leg then you have earned the right to wear a spur and you can get even a lighter and quieter leg and response. Same goes for the whip.
At home I rarely use either. I do take them to shows and clinics and I never jump cross country without a stick, it can save your life.
I believe there is a time and place for a wide variety of aids, and the way they’re used often dictates if they’re effective, fair, or even humane. My horse, like many, is sometimes hot and high-headed when I begin rides, but I know he needs 30 minutes of long-trotting, not a bigger bit and draw reins. On his tough days- when he doesn’t settle or is flat-out belligerent- I’ll use something to strengthen my resources.
I think it is vitally important that you knew what you were doing. Any training tool in the hands of someone who doesn’t know how to use it can be punishing.
Also, I agree that consistency is essential. A natural horsemanship trainer once noted that some horses might prefer a rough cowboy to an inexperienced rider because they know what to expect from the cowboy, and how to avoid his corrections — with the novice rider they don’t know when they might be corrected or what for, or with what level of severity.
When riding a horse all of our aids should be “as needed”. Never done in anger or frustration. Keep our aids simple but clear. We only teach a horse 3 things – Stop, Go and Move over. I personally don’t have any use for draw reins (they can be so incorrectly used and overused). But a stick to reinforce the “go” and a spur (Spursuader spur) to back up for “move over” and all my horses go in a snaffle or a 3 ring on the 2nd hole for cross country. Happy horses!
I teach all of my horses in a rope halter with the lead tied around for a rein. After they know the basics I will put them into a snaffle. Whenever there is a conflict or setback I return to the halter and start over. My horses are light and responsive to my legs and position. I feel the less they have to fuss with the more they can concentrate on the rider.
I would tell most riders I see to never use any of them (option 1). However, option 2 is the one I truly believe. I see many different things being abused, and so far have seen no reason I believe a gag is necessary, but have read of some examples.
We had a horse in college on whom I would have loved to have ridden in an elevator when he was heavy on his forehand. He was a school horse, and therefore never trained out of it. Some horses are naturally heavier on the reins, and if they have a tendency to get on the forehand, the rider should not brace and pull back – which is what the elevator allowed you to correct without resorting to incorrect heavy riding. On the flip side, my horse is VERY light in front, and I only wish bitless bridles were legal for showing dressage, as I can’t come up with a single reason why my horse needs a bit. At his strongest and worst behaved, he is STILL light in the bridle.
I pretty much always ride with a whip to reinforce light off the leg – I’ve found just one time allowing the horse to get behind your leg means about five rides to get the horse back in front. Not fun! I also usually ride in spurs. To me, you should not use either if you can not avoid accidentally using them. I do not use spurs for forward; they are for articulating the joints in the nearest hind leg/lifting the back from the abdomen. I usually use this specifically for lateral work, but as my horse is developing it is now useful when asking for greater collection. Without ever having been trained that way, he just naturally responded that way to spurs – they WILL NOT make him go forward, and if I were to try to use them that way I’m pretty sure he’d buck pretty hard. Instead, they clarify the difference between lateral work and other work for him. It makes it simpler for him to do what I want when I want without confusion. I’m all for clarity of the aids, because ultimately that makes things kinder to the horse. Most of the time I’m opposed to using more than a snaffle for training, most of the time I’m opposed to using draw reins, I’m always opposed to spurs for someone without leg control…. But there are exceptions. All things in moderation.
It could be the case with tools such as a leverage bit that the difference the bit makes is that your hands become stronger when they act. I mean, that is clearly the case – that’s how leverage works- but I guess the question that raises with me is if you were prepared to be a little firmer with your regular tools would that have had the same effect? When we switch to a stronger tool are we really substituting the force that the tool exerts for our own lack of will to apply that force directly?
I don’t mean that as a criticism, it’s a question I find generally interesting.
If my horse is doing something I would prefer them not to do, I try to make the change in myself that means they don’t feel the need to do that any more- sometimes it is firming up, more often it is doing less – because that tends to carry forward better to other horses I ride.
Can we just switch gears for a second and talk about a product I’m trying to learn more about? Has anyone heard of the “Better Bucket”? It is supposed to be more accommodating to the horse’s facial structure and help reduce behavioral problems. You can check out a short video clip on it at
http://www.doublel.com/betterbucket.html
Let me know what all of you think! Thanks!
I have to agree with most of the comments in that there is a appropriate time and place for corrective tools if used correctly. Growing up, I had a gelding who was gelded late in life so he retained some stallion like tendencies. Normally, he was very responsive to the slightest cue, but every once in a while he would become so excited that he would ignore the cues. A quick tug on a nose chain quickly brought him back. It only took a couple times and I never had to use it again.
One thing I truly believe is people’s tendancies towards certian training aids and equipment. As much as it is about finding the correct bit for the horse- it is also about finding the correct bit for the horse AND the person who is riding him.
For example. I believe (because I feel it in me) that my horse goes best for me (and is happiest) when I ride him in a D-ring, single jointed snaffle (with copper rollers). My previous instructor believed that my horse went best (and was happiest) in a loose ring, french link snaffle. He is the same horse- but we both are different shapes, different weights, different heights, suffer from different injuries, have different experience and ultimately ride differently, therefore of course my horse will react differently to us.
People should not forget this, and should not be afraid to ride thier horse in what they believe is the best (most comfortable & most effective) bit for their horse when THEY are riding him.
With regard to elevator gags (bubble bits/ dutch gags)- I use a nathe 3 ring gag (the middle ring being the biggest) for jumping and XC. He is very sensitive in his mouth and I believe that he does not need a metal mouthpiece with the action of the gag. We jump on the 2nd ring and do XC on the 3rd ring. I do however believe that if i was taller (im only 5’5″) and he was smaller (he’s 17.1hh) that we could use a normal nathe snaffle, as i would be able to get my leg around him more (when going XC my leg just about comes past the saddle flap!) and that would naturally alllow me to lift his head (and not need the aid of an elevator bit).
However this is not the case, in order for me to remain light in my hand, and never have to ‘pull’ my horse’s head up, I will remain using my nathe 3-ring gag until my horse tells me otherwise.
i agree zoe, i had not taken in the rider bit connection. thank you for giving me something to think about this `morning.