AboutKaren Bell Expertise I can help answer questions in the basic training of the hunter or dressage horse, and I am certified to teach in these areas. I train horses in lower level dressage and instruct beginner to intermediate riders in dressage and hunt seat. Some of my students show locally as well. I can also help other newer instructors with any questions they may have. Also, I consult new farm owners on barn management.
Experience 4 years teaching, 17 years riding and training
Organizations United States Dressage Federation, American Riding Instructors Association, United States Hunter Jumper Association
Publications All my publications can be found on my website at http://bellequine.net
Education/Credentials Certified in dressage and hunt seat and stable management by the American Riding Instructors Association
Expert: Karen Bell Date: 2/29/2008 Subject: Dr. Briston bit
Question QUESTION: Hello Karen!
Alright, I ride my horse in a copper twisted bit. He works so well in it. He gives to the bit no problem. I have no trouble getting him into the frame, bending and all that fun stuff.. lol haha
BUT, once we enter the show ring, he is great at the walk trot and over fences, but it's the canter..hmm..he tries to rush it, he hand gallops everywhere...and he is very heavy on my hands. My coach said to try a Dr. Briston bit.
Are these very severe? Will he be able to frame as well in it? Will he be able to hang on to the bit and run?
Thanks alot
Josee
ANSWER: Dr. Bristol bit is less severe than a twisted snaffle. Your problem is not the bit. Your problem is getting your horse off its front end and "on the bit"- and he may be leaning on you for support as well. Your answer is to learn to half halt your horse and make him work in self-carriage. Half halting is not something you can read about and necessarily do first thing when you go out to ride, but you can think about it as using leg, then "squeeze (the rein), freeze (your seat) and release" (the rein back to your horse, i.e. lightest contact possible). Then he will get off your hands, support himself more in the canter using his hind end. In extremely forward horses, you can do some canter- halt transitions until he stops dropping his front end so much. Your problem is a lack of your horse's training and your skill (the rider must learn a proper half halt using their bodies correctly, not just their hands as you will read in some hunter texts), but it's easy to fix. I suggest doing some dressage lessons working on the canter with a certified instructor or judge in your area. Then go back to doing it with small fences. Then you will test him- see if it's the fences that is overstimulating him or it's the training all around (does he fall on his front end on the flat, for example)? Can you do 20 m. circles WELL at the canter or is he falling on one shoulder or the other? Can he counter-canter easily? I find that there are horses that can move well (relatively) on the flat and still pick up speed and fight the rider in between fences. If that is the case, you need to back off and start again with cantering over poles and small crossrails. You have skipped a step in his training so figure out where that mistakes was made. It's also possible- and I have seen this with my students- that you are overjumping the jump, i.e. getting ahead of your horse, and making him land heavy and forward. Then the student struggles to regain control and half-halts become full halts (since polite tugs on the reins do not work at that point).
So...to sum it up, it's about half halts and rethinking your training program, in respect to what you think you can accomplish at your level of riding. Your horse will be a joy to ride once he moves in better balance and self-carriage in between fences. Then, it will be with an imperceptable (to the judge and audience) half halt in the show ring that gives you the performance you desire.
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QUESTION: Hello again.
I am currently showing Trillium, and I am an experienced rider. My coach is a certified hunter jumper who shows A Circuit. I ride my horse from behind, and i push him into the bit each and every stride. He really works from behind. He is very very light in my hands in each gait at home.....(just not when we are cantering in the show ring)
He was professionally trained by a Grand Prix rider, therefore I really don't think he is lacking training.
Mind you, he was bred for racing, and his 1st trainer had trained him for racing (when he was 2)(his grandsire is Secretariat)
People say he tries to run off on me, because he was taught to race, but I dunno, because I got him re trained after I got him.
And yah he counter canters amazingly, and he does NOT lean on his inside shoulder when circling or bending.
And I do use ALOT of half halts before each transition. He is quite responsive to the seat (exept at the canter in the show ring)
But yah, like i said, he really brings his hind end under him once he is in the frame. I could hold my reins at the buckle, and he would still hold himself.
Any more suggestions?
thanks
ANSWER: Was this horse also trained as a jumper? Without seeing it happen, I would have to guess this is due to behavioral sensitization in the show ring (trained in by previous riders?). One question to ask yourself is if he does this in the warm up ring, show ring, and at clinics or elsewhere. Is this just overzealousness due to a learned behavior? You might need to take him in to your next class and halt him or break to the trot or walk during the show. Teach him not to run through the reins and you will probably have to do this repeatedly (it takes 60-100 trials to teach a horse and if it's unlearning, possibly more). So what you don't get a ribbon. A bit change will do nothing, I assure you. If it's not his training or your riding, he's learned it. You will have to do more than just ride a speedy horse over jumps- you'll have to break him of the habit and be consistent about it. Never let him do it again and you can extinguish the learned response. If you give up even once and just let him canter away, you've changed the rules, and he will perservere in the behavior and it will be even harder to fix. Still, this is an easy fix. Just humble yourself that the show ring may have to be his training format for the season.
Hope that helps...
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: No not jumper, he's a hunter (sorry should have specified) lol haha sorry about that
I don't show him over fences, maybe 1 show out of the year..
I show hunter under saddle and hunt seat eq.
He is amazing in the warm up ring, and in clinics. It's just in my 3rd class where he usually starts acting up...
I really don't get it..:S
Answer YOu'll need to call me for further info- this latest info,on the 3rd class and being US only, is one piece of the puzzle but I need more details. Phone number is 804-339-5927. Best to call after 6 pm. You can call me tonight if you want. It's no problem.
Thanks, Karen
