As much as we all would love to just tune out and relax while we spend time with our horses, it’s important for us to learn to develop consistent rituals or habits in every thing that we do with each horse. Horses live by instinct, and by habit, the patterns of their every day life are memorized into their physical and mental memory. By developing consistent patterns for each action we take with our horse, the better we can mold the horse’s reactions or skills within even minor tasks such as haltering, or bridling. If the pattern is practiced repetitively and consistently long enough, the horse will take on an automatic willingness and memorized skills for taking the bridle or halter with the drop of his head and the opening of his mouth…all in all making life easier for you and your horse.
In the Level 1 Program, students-whether horse or human are taught a strict routine in bridling. A routine that can be used for either introducing the horse to take the bridle and bit, or to retrain a horse that may be having trouble accepting the bridle.
Does your horse drop his head quietly for you when presenting him with halter or bridle? Does he open his mouth respectfully and allow you to enter the bit? Are you able to enter or exit the bit from his mouth without hitting his teeth? Or does he clamp his mouth shut, keeping you from putting the bridle on in the first place?
With a standard routine, you can fix each of these potential problems and avoid dangerous things such as the horse throwing his head into your face or so high that you can’t reach him.
Step 1: Desensitize and Give to General Pressure Cues
Step 2: Head Down, 3 C’s
Step 3: Open Mouth, With Challenges
Step 4: Vertical Placement, Accept the Bit
Step 5: Far Ear, Near Ear with Respect to the Facial Features
Step 6: Reward, Reward, Reward
The same type of routine should also be followed when removing the bridle. Very common bridle problems are developed when the bridle is pulled off so quickly that the horse’s teeth get slammed by the bit upon exit. This certainly can be painful for the horse, and can cause serious refusal of the bridle in general.
–When you’re uncomfortable, the horse is uncomfortable.–
