Educating the horse to the bit in-hand is a kind, rational approach to training. Through soft, intelligent hands, we can teach the horse to unlock their jaw and tongue, thereby unlocking their whole body from the neck, chest, belly, back, to the hind legs. We can teach the horse to bend and extend the neck, engage the thoracic sling, steer, and so much more through methodical training in hand. (Remember to start with Part 1: Self-Bridling if you haven’t read that blog post already!)

I do not bridle my horses; my horses bridle themselves. This isn’t just some party trick I teach them for show– my process and practice of teaching horses to self-bridle is part of education to the bit, as well as a means of checking in to see how they’re feeling and asking permission to work off of the bridle in hand and/or under saddle. Part 1 of this Education to the Bit post is all about teaching horses to self-bridle. Part 2 goes through next steps of educating a horse to the bit so that nothing they feel under saddle is a surprise or a question to them!

Many students feel overwhelmed by too many things to focus on and control when it comes to their aids. Seat, hands, legs, and then I’m telling them to also bring their breath and back and jaw and tongue and knees and thighs and ankles and toes into their awareness… this list could go on. How can we integrate all of these pieces without our brains exploding and still manage to enjoy the ride? This blog post begins to answer that question and offer a framework to develop feel so it’s not just your brain knowing… it’s your body.