From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia On the bit
On the bit
The horse does not have to have its head perfectly per-
pendicular to the ground; it is acceptable, in dressage
tests, to have the nose slightly in front of the vertical.
Common faults
A horse correctly "on the bit" with a soft contact, due to impul-
sion causing him to raise his back.
on bit" behind bit"
The phrases "on the bit and "behind the bit and "above above
bit"
the bit are equestrian terms used to describe a horse’s
posture relative to the reins and the bridle bit.[1] A posi-
tion on the bit is submissive to the rider’s rein aids, given How coming "above the bit" causes the back to drop.
through the bit. When a horse is behind the bit, the head is
tucked too far down and rearward.[1] If above the bit, then
the head is too high.
Technique
Being on the bit requires the horse to engage the hips
and raise the back, which it cannot do when its head is
pulled rearward. The neck is connected to the shoulders,
and impeding the shoulders prevents extension of the
forehand. This will cause the horse to hollow its back.
A horse is properly placed, on the bit, by creating im-
pulsion (pushing power)[1] from the rider’s driving aids,
and then containing this forward energy in the hands, via
the reins and bit. Impulsion causes the horse to engage
its hind end, lift its back, and finally (when it becomes A horse avoiding contact, coming "behind the bit"
submissive and accepts contact with the bit, without re-
sistance) results in the horse flexing at the poll, main- Many wrongly believe a horse to be "on the bit" if its
taining an elastic contact that is equal on both sides of head is held "at the vertical," or perpendicular to the
the bit. The horse stretches over its topline and follows ground. However, a horse is still able to maintain this
the bit’s contact forward and down. Being "on the bit" is headset while remaining stiff, heavy on the bit, and un-
more than just a fancy head position; seesawing on the responsive to the rider’s aids. The vertical headset is not
bit causes tension throughout the body. On the bit is syn- a guarantee by any means that the animal is truly on the
onymous with "on the aids", where the horse is relaxed, bit, and many novice riders achieve the vertical headset,
using its back and hindquarters, and is responsive to the while losing the impulsion from the horse, because they
aids without tension. ride "front to back," or pull the horse’s head down in an
As a test, the rider can soften contact, and the horse effort to make the horse appear to be accepting the aids.
will maintain the pressure and follow the bit downward. This is also sometimes seen when the horse is ridden in
certain gadgets, such as draw reins, especially if the rider
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia On the bit
is not skilled enough to correctly use the piece of equip- the rider. If the horse follows, it is so to speak the horse
ment. that chooses to touch the rider with its mouth. If this
A horse that is on its forehand or unbalanced will not quality of contact is established, the horse is really work-
be able to come correctly on the bit, and will usually ei- ing on the bit, even if its head is a little in front of or be-
ther lean on the rider’s hands, placing too much pressure hind the vertical.
on the bit, pull against the rider and "root" or else brace
upward against rein pressure and come "above the bit".
This makes the contact heavy, and the aids can not come
Uses
"through." Horses are required to go on the bit in certain riding dis-
Some horses will avoid contact with the bit, rather ciplines, such as dressage. However, all horses ridden on
than correctly accepting it, and come "behind the bit". contact are generally encouraged to go on the bit, as this
This may occur either due to evasion by the horse (so it not only makes them more responsive to the rider’s aids,
does not have to listen to the rider) or because the rider is but also allows them to move in a more athletic manner
using the bit too strongly or physically trying to pull the since the animal is raising its back and bringing its hocks
horse on the bit.[1] It is a very common fault if the rider further under its body.
"see-saws" on the reins. Sometimes the horse will have
a very strong contact, most commonly if its head is pur-
posefully pulled in by the rider. Additionally, the horse
References
will bring its nose closer to his chest, or "behind the ver- [1] ^ "The Art of Classical Riding--On the Bit",
tical." ArtOfRiding.com, 2010, web: AoR-Bit.
The most important test is if the horse will follow the
contact forward, and down, if the reins are softened by
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_bit"
Categories: Dressage terminology, Riding techniques and movements
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