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Kelly
Platinum Member
England
1571 Posts |
 Posted - 03 Mar 2010 : 1:04:40 PM
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I wasn't sure what to call this post!
as we only hack out, I normally ride Jack in a rope halter, on a loose rein and so he yields well to pressure.
However, I think it's about time he was schooled half decently, and for this, I feel I need to take a little bit of a contact.
However, even in my rope halter with wide, plaited noseband and two low rings, so theoretically more 'direct' aids, he backs off even the lightest contact.
Obviously, this is what I've taught him to do  What a good boy  I clearly can't use that as it confuses him.
I have a Dr Cooks bridle that I stopped using two years ago when he developed an aversion to the poll pressure that resulted when he pulled. I can also use it as a sidepull, clipping reins directly to the rings on the noseband. But last time I tried this, he remembered the poll pressure, felt a thicker headband than his rope halter behind his ears, and had a similar reaction (head poking, rushing, head tilting, ear back....).
What are your thoughts? Do I persevere with the Dr Cook, and hope that he both gets over the remembered poll pressure AND learns to take a light contact with the different bridle? Or do I bite the bullet and bit him (scuse the pun), so it's completely different?
I haven't successfully managed to bit him yet, my fault I'm sure, don't really know what I'm doing (though there are handy tips on here) 
Thanks for reading, and any suggestions are gratefully received.
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Kelly
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GHALEEM
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
2028 Posts |
Posted - 03 Mar 2010 : 4:25:25 PM
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Hi Kelly,
Not good at advice but for me when asking Khalifa to work in a outline in his halter i do loads of transisions until we have plenty of impulsion then i ask him to bend on the circle. He usually then starts to hold himself a natural outline. I think the thing with riding bitless is that you cant try to pull their head into any outline or they will just start to get heavy and lean on your hands. In the beginning i taught him to bend his neck round to my foot for a treat, then standing with his bum to a fence i asked him to flex his neck to the feel of my hands and released as soon as he did so.
I also ride in my bit 80% of the time as i want to compete and show i need to keep him used to his bit. Im sure Jack would yield to the pressure of a bit in the same way as he does his halter.
Hope this helps,
Michelle |
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Contact in a bitless bridle, yielding to pressure
