Finding their frame

TEXT: CHRISTIE WOLHUTER

There has been a fixation with horses being ‘on the bit’ that has permeated horse training for decades. Sadly this ‘demand’ is now seemingly reflected in a lot of young horse training. Here we discuss how just fixating on your young horse’s head position is not helpful and may even be harmful to their future development.

THE REASONS FOR THE MYTH

It is often presumed that if your young horse is ‘on the vertical’ or ‘on the bit’, they must be working correctly and using their backs. And yet, biomechanics shows that for some horses, this could not be further from the truth.

THE ISSUE

When young horses freely move about their paddock or in a loose movement display, many look coordinated and rhythmic. They may even display beautiful neck and poll flexion and stride extension when showing off.

However, this display of collection will likely be brief, and they will quickly resort back to carrying most of their weight on the forehand, as is typical for all horses. Over their initial years, young horses develop their own balance and way of going to allow them to move about easily in their surroundings. Now, when we suddenly throw a rider into the equation, things become difficult for the horse, as they are not used to the shift in weight or the additional weight. As horses rely heavily on their necks for balance, particularly when young and acclimatising to the weight of a rider on board, forcing them into a frame can make the whole process very difficult and frightening for them. We all know the feeling of being out of balance and how anxious you can feel trying to right yourself – this is the feeling we subject young horses to when we don’t allow them to use their head and neck to find their centre. Of course, a horse needs to learn to shorten his frame and start to carry more weight on his hindquarters, but this process takes time and forcing them to adopt a certain head carriage to ‘look correct’ will not serve the horse in the long run.

Another problem with prematurely focusing on getting the horse ‘on the bit’ is that young horses can be highly bit sensitive, as having a bit in their mouth is already a new experience for them. What frequently happens is a rider fusses and fiddles with the hands to get the horse on the vertical, and then to avoid the discomfort, the horse simply tucks its chin in, leaving the rider to assume their horse is on the vertical. In reality, most of these youngsters are ‘behind the vertical’, which puts extreme pressure on the poll.

Another problem with this overbending is it puts the horse into a position where his field of vision is very limited. This can add further stress to the situation.

All in all, messing with the mouth and head of young horses creates tension and anxiety in the ride and can cause health problems such as damage to the poll.

Furthermore, if you look carefully, you will see that these horses will not be stepping under correctly and will not likely be using their backs optimally either. They are bracing and hollowing to escape the pressure. Over time, this false frame can lead to incorrect muscle development and possibly, injury in the rest of the body. Adding a training aid is even more unhelpful, as most horses just tuck themselves into a ball to get away from the pressure.

TOP TIP

Remember that horses are also all very different in their natural ability, and some just mature later than others. This is not to say they do not have potential, just that their potential may need be realised with a bit more patience and empathy. Wait for these horses – do not rush them!

FINAL THOUGHTS

Young horses need sympathetic and patient trainers and riders to help them develop into the best athletes they can be. The process is not fast and quick fixes never work. Holding onto a horse’s head or fussing with the mouth to try and create the ‘right’ shape in front is a bad idea in an adult horse, but in a young horse with a developing skeleton and a young and impressionable mind, it can be absolutely disastrous.