A very common issue I am asked to help with is horses leaning on the bit.
This can be a complicated issue to fix, as there can be many factors involved. It’s not as easy as just changing the bit, although it can help, a lot of hard work is also required to teach the horse to carry themselves and not to lean.
When your horse leans on the bit it can be very tiring for the rider, it will make your shoulders and arms ache and schooling sessions are not very enjoyable.
There are many reasons a horse will lean, such as:

•   Conformation - if the horse is built ‘downhill’ it will be harder for the horse to lighten the forehand, but not impossible.
•   Laziness - lack of forward impulsion will make the horse rely on the riders hands.
•   Lack of balance and self carriage. 
•   A thick/straight/uncomfortable bit
•   Strong hands/unbalanced rider - unyielding hands create a ‘leaning post’ for the horse. 

The action of some bits can encourage the horse to stiffen the jaw and tongue, and resist the riders rein aids and lean. This can happen when too much pressure is being exerted on an area in the mouth that the horse finds uncomfortable, such as the tongue so the horse will brace against it. Often, the rider will opt for a stronger bit to help ‘lift’ the horse, but this isn’t fixing the issue, so the horse will start to lean again.
Unfortunately there is no ‘quick fix’ for leaning. It takes time for the horse to change the way they move to build the correct muscles and strength to achieve self carriage and working through from behind, also for the rider to make some changes to their way of riding.
From a bitting point of view, I often fit the horse with a more comfortable bit that is thinner than the previous one, and one that offers more defined rein aids and signals. This helps the rider feel less ignored by the horse, so they then become more subtle with the rein aids. A lighter more comfortable bit can also help the horse be more forward.
When I have changed the bit I also teach the rider how to become more gentle with the rein aids so the horse is less inclined to resist. The usual cycle is that when a horse leans, the rider grips the reins and pulls harder, holding the horse up and thus letting them lean. The horse knows no difference and thinks this is the way forward, as this makes work easier for the horse and they then become reliant on the hands for balance. We take away the support of the riders hand, and the horse has to learn to carry themselves. The human reaction to a horse ignoring the aids is to do more….in fact, most horses respond better if you do less.
There are many exercises to help the horse become lighter, to work from behind and become more responsive. Transitions are invaluable to get your horse more in tune with the rider. Not just walk/trot/walk, but also transitions within the pace, changing the tempo of the trot is also a transition and they really help with suppleness and engage the hind end.
Leg yield and shoulder in are very useful exercises to help the horse become more supple and encourage the hind legs to engage and the hind legs to come under the horse to create lightness in front. Good corners also engage the hind leg, don’t just reply on the school fence to initiate a turn, come off the track and engage your horse in a turn.
A lot of horses tend to lean through downward transitions, where the rider has inadvertently used too much of a braking rein aid and allowed the horse to drop on the forehand and lean on the bit. Keep the aid light, and ask once, a short squeeze on the rein rather than a long pull, so the horse learns that the hands will not be there to lean on during the transition, also closing the shoulders behind the back and lifting your chin will signal to the horse to slow down.
If a rider doesn’t have an independent seat, they tend to use the hands for balance. This can be a major factor in how the horse learns to lean, so making sure you have an independent seat is imperative to creating an uphill, light horse.
A supple, responsive horse is such a joy to ride!
These are issues I cover in the Combined Bitting and Training Session. Please message to find out more.

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