25/03/2026
So I went on a ride today, and my girlfriends young horse is always a little ‘difficult’
After listening to some of Daniel’s podcasts
“Adult onset horsemanship”
I said I thought the bit was to high. Dropped it three holes on each side.
That’s a ridiculous amount!!!!!!
But, on this windy and hail stone to the face day, he was the best he’s been in a good wile.
Has anyone ever spent time working with you on your hands and communicating with the horse through the reins? I gave a presentation a few years ago. Some pretty high level pros told me they'd never thought of it this way were now feeling for these tissues and riding more softly.
One of the things I do is break down all the steps of things that occur when you pick up on the reins. I call this the Action Chain and you're free and even encouraged to print out this picture, laminate it, and hang it up in the barn to be reminded to slow your hands down and ask for things slow enough that you don't cause bracing up. If you're concerned about making your horse as comfortable as possible, it's highly likely that your hands are the worst offender. Let's fix you up.
Assuming you started with slack in the reins, the mechanics of the bit don't begin to play out until step 6 of 8. During this step is the most critical demand for your skills with your hands. You should FEEL the soft tissues. You can feel contact with the lips, and then contact with the tongue, and then compression of those tissues. If you master this skill, you'll be communicating at a "loudness" that the horse can tolerate. Most of us don't feel anything until we've blown past the uber sensitive soft tissues and made contact with the bars, which are neurologically numb. If this describes you as a rider, you're not alone. Your horse also has a similar feeling about you as you might a neighbor that blares music so loudly it vibrates your house/apartment.
We've got another MasterClass that will begin in about a month. The Self-Guided course is available at any time. You should check out the testimonials. This course is going to rock your riding world!
