June 24, 2008
What is "on the bit"?
So, here you are in your weekly dressage lesson. You’ve just finished your warm-up and your instructor steps into the arena.
“Ok, go ahead and put him on the bit and we’ll get started.” He calls to you.
What does that mean? For most, it means we take up the reins to shorten the horse’s neck and put his nose on the vertical. Hopefully your mount is fairly well trained and complies without a struggle on your part. He puts himself into a lovely frame and you go on to have a delightful lesson.
The fact of the matter is there is a lot more going on, or at least there should be, in your horse’s mouth and his entire body as well. All of this begins with your willingness and ability to communicate with him through your hands.
The largest and most important component of ‘on the bit’ is self carriage. Your mount is light and soft in the mouth, yet willing to stretch into and maintain even contact with your hand. He does not lean and become heavy, nor does he seek to avoid contact by coming behind the vertical. Regardless of the length of rein, he is always seeking and accepting the contact of your hand through the reins and bit.
So, does that mean if he is stretching long and low he can still be on the bit? Technically, yes. If you are able to maintain the connection between your hand and his mouth, he is on the bit. This is actually how I teach my horses to stretch, by allowing the rein to slowly lengthen so that they are able to maintain the contact as they stretch out and down. It works in reverse too; as I take up the rein, they shorten their necks, not because they are being restricted, but because they are seeking that same contact with my hand.
So then, what about the frame? Well, the frame that we commonly try to achieve in dressage is that of nicely arched neck, poll at the highest point, nose slightly ahead of or on the vertical. This position, when the horse is correctly engaged and connected back to front (on the bit), allows for correct muscle development over his top line. So, there is a purpose to it and it is
not just because it looks pretty. Unfortunately, your horse can be in the correct “frame” and still not be on the bit.
Next time you ride, you be the judge. Is your horse ”on the bit”?
JW