Horse info & SA blogs

BIT VS. BITLESS TRAINING

When it comes to the welfare of the horse, riders and trainers do their best to ensure that the horse is not subject to pain under saddle. One of the most common debates is about training horses to be ridden with a bit and training them to be ridden without a bit. There are many advantages to both methods. For certain situations, a bit may be more efficient than not using one. In other situations, riding without a bit may be more comfortable to the horse than using a bit. It depends on the situation, the training level of the horse, the rider’s abilities, and the goals that you are trying to achieve with your horse as to which method will work best.  

If you are inexperienced in horse training, using voice commands are just simple words and to the horse they are only sounds because horses cannot speak english… Think about what you will say to your horse when you want your horse to perform a specific task.

If you have not studied horse training, it can be a mystifying subject.  Even more of a puzzle is a horse with a behavioral problem.  This causes the owner stress and frustration.  Many people don’t understand that the problem usually lies with the trainer not the horse.

Training of a horse is a gradual process of getting your horse’s attention and teaching him what you want him to do.  You want the horse to think of you at it’s lead mare no matter the gender of the horse or the owner.  Your horse may be a natural leader, which can make training a challenge.

Mistake #1 – Thinking your horse is like a dog or a cat.

Unless the new horse owner has been educated, they may think their horse is like a cat or dog.  The new horse owner may pat his thigh and say, “C’mon” a few times and the horse will just leap into the trailer like a happy dog.

If you haven’t already made the purchase of a horse, here is something you might want to keep in mind.  Have a vet go with you to look at the horse before finalizing the purchase.  As the vet is looking over the horse, let him tell you what he learns about the horse.  You will have the opportunity to ask the vet questions about the horse.  If the vet does not feel the horse is right for you, listen to him when he tells you not to buy the horse.

Mistake #1 – Assuming you can ride any horse

Horses are not all the same.  Some will let you get on and you can ride them easily.  While others are so green that you could get hurt if you have little or no riding experience.  The horses that will let just about anyone on and ride are usually the older horses.  Because they have been ridden the most they will be the most forgiving of the mistakes that a beginning rider can make.  The younger horses are a lot tougher to ride unless they have been completely broke.

There are some people who try to lead their horse by controlling their head with a lead rope.  This results in them pulling or jerking the lead rope and the horse will pull back or push around the person with the lead rope.