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” but he wont listen in a snaffle. Any exercises I can do? ”

 ”…but my horse tosses her head. Any exercies I can do?”

I was taught to use one rein at a time in the snaffle,  so when I stop a horse, I may go right left right …  not pull with both reins at a time.  When I pull my horse resists so I pick up the slack in my rein with no pull. Many times I get a stop before the slack is out of the rein, even with my colts. I have to remember not to pull, because in the beginning I was taught to pull for a stop. Pull does not create stop, it creates resist.

 Basic Groundwork - My Morgan mare Ginger that I’d just bought tossed her head wildly when I rode her in a snaffle. So I got off and circled her. Pick up slack in rein slowly and get her nose to give one inch or less to the side. Rinse and repeat.  Switch sides…

back to groundwork when the horse wont ride…

Simple little exercise taught her to relax, quit tossing her head, yield or give to the bit…  

One rein stop. My one rein stops look like this, pick up slack in one rein, horse stops feet.

If not stop (ok then turn) maybe rollback- it depends. Maybe move hip over one or two steps in a turn on forehand. If the horse bends his head to your boot he may fall down, so I dont like that approach. At one clinic we from the canter/ lope used inside rein to circle - circle smaller - spiral down to circle and walk. You may get trot steps before walk. This was a reining horse clinic, but before you ( the student - trainer)  get slides you first get stop with one rein from a snaffle. Anyhow thats how I was taught.

I learned through trial and error an arena or round pen is good untill my colt will listen to the bit, circle, change direstions and stop. Then maybe open trails may be fun. Runaways on colts in snaffles was no fun; just like runaways on spoiled broke horse when I was a kid was no fun neither.  Pulling in shank leverage bits would not stop them, the stop is not in the pull, nor the bigger bit.

When I quit pulling and learned to handle the reins softer, my horses got softer too. More responsive with less. And the snaffle became my friend. Only at the time I thought I’d die learning control with a little snaffle bit- even in the old spoiled horse’s mouth, like Cally, my Arab I got at the sale barn.  They can feel a fly, and they can respond to less.

Less is more. The snaffle became my friend. The stop is in the turn, just like in the round pen, at liberty.  If I can control the feet of a loose horse in the round pen at liberty, by gollie I ought to be able to control the feet in just a snaffle bit. And so I did, only in the beginning I thought I’d die learning this dance; because I did not have enough sence to  ride in a pen and did not understand the foundation ground work provides.

 Blind gives in groundwork. - Tish clinic, Yamhill Oregon. This little exercise is dynamite. Shut yer eyes, circle horse, pick up slack slowly and release when you feela give.  I release with less- my horse gets it faster- the softer I become the better my horse is and then the quicker they learn- and the softer they become. Woza.

 When I took pull and shank bits out of my program, I had a blast.

 Justa Dunn is galloping in a Pat Wyse clinic. To get a stop I pull- and she slamms into the ground with her front end, and next try I remember n0t to pull and we get my first big smooth slide. Because the stop is not in the pull nor the bit- its in the mind. Train the mind of yer horse without force in steps and may you discover the mystery of less is more.

Happy trails and may you always ride a good horse.  

I have studied hard to learn the foundation or basics of horse training. It is different strokes for different folks, what one says to do another says not to do. I guess we all have to find our own way on the journey. Les says to start with lateral flex and exercises; also master picking up and releasing your rein. I can release my rein, but picking it up with grace can be a struggle. Is my hand in my nose in that picture, oh no! Maybe if I video me and watch me ride that might help?

Ginger -Grace a Morgan mare tosses her head and resist the bit. We walk in a small circle and practice lateral flex. I may ask the nose to come one inch or less over ( spot one give) or I may want her nose more into her shoulder, where the leg meets the shoulder; ( spot 6 give. ) See this give in Les Vogt Cowhorse U foundation. Maybe Les has another name for it, or no name?

If she does not give me her nose, (spot one give) I may correct her by taking her head ( to spot 6) and moving the hindquarters ( turn on forehand) for a correction. I want the nose to move softly as I pick up the rein. This exercise works on horses who rear also, the head goes up before the feet come up, its hard to rear when your nose is in your shoulder.

Walking in a small circle asking for spot one gives softened Boonie on the bridle after a 4- H kid got done riding him. She put more pressure on the reins than I did which taught him not to respond. I got my light snaffle bit horse back with those foundation exercises. Foundation exercises fix the broken places in our horses. They also get our colts started right. Doug Milholland said if you train with no mistakes, then you have nothing to fix. That is good advice, but most folks dont start a horse from the beginning.