Up to the bit

Most riders, once they have mastered walk, trot and canter, get curious about how to get the horse to go "on the bit".

I am currently reading Tom Roberts' other book, "Horse control and the rider", and his chapter on "on the bit" fascinates me. I think I read it twice to really get the concept, and I definitely have never had it properly explained to me in a lesson. The one person who came pretty close was Greg Smith, my showjumping instructor.

Anyway. The conept is this. The bit is like a bar hanging in space. And the horse has to be ridden up to this bar. Further more, the horse has to take the bar in its mouth, and ride up to it just that little bit closer, and hold it in space. In the right space.

Your hands just need to hold the bar in space. That's it, they do nothing more.

And your seat and leg have to ride the horse up to that bar. And quite often you may need to use a bit of sideways movement to get there.

Ah! it's so simple ... once it's explained the right way.