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ACantrell — At the Bit
Published: 2012-06-19 17:27:15 +0000 UTC; Views: 3242; Favourites: 76; Downloads: 17
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"At the Bit"12 x 16"
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Stock photo found here [link]
Thanks to *aussiegal7
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Comments: 19
Actually that's perfectly normal. The reins are too slack to be pulling that hard on his mouth. I ride a horse that chomps on her bit like crazy, even when I'm letting the reins really loose. They just do it because they can.
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If these reins are slack, how do they look when they are not? 
I just don't think bits are necessary to communicate with a horse, in fact, they are a cheap shortcut when speaking of horsemanship. I would not like to be this horse, or any other that has to put up with a piece of metal yanked in its vulnerable mouth. If we can make horse's life better, why wouldn't we? (besides 10,000 excuses why not to).
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How do reins look when they're not? I'm assuming, going by common logic, that they'd be taught. The rider isn't holding them that short either; if they are, they're doing it in entirely the wrong way - they're not letting their hands lower to the saddle, making steering very difficult and, due to the cropping of the picture, it's hard to tell what the horse itself is actually doing. The rider appears to be leaning forward in the saddle, an extremely awkward position to be pulling on the reins.
I sadly disagree about your comment "And I sadly agree, this sight is so frequent it is taken by "normal". Like, "it was done for so long, it has to be good!".
So many things have been done for a long time and are normal to us, and we're only just finding out if they're good or not. A bit in a horse's mouth is not of the latter. Yes, I will agree that there are people who abuse their horses. But, by looking at a single picture, a snapshot in a split second where the horse is simply throwing his head down and opening his mouth, with no clue as to what he or the rider is actually doing, can you be certain the horse is not happy? That's like if I was riding Carly, and she suddenly spooked at a leaf. As a photo, that would look like she is most unhappy and trying to throw me, rather than merely being spooked by a leaf.
Back onto the bit business. A horse has a gap in its teeth where the bit rests. If it didn't like it, you'd know. Bits are probably the most useful of equipment for guiding a horse. Tell me, how are they not necessary? What other alternative is there? Something like pushing them on the neck? Any other contact like that? Speech? God forbid any of those to replacing the bit. I couldn't image trying to guide Carly like that and then trying to hold on when she spooks, trots, canters, jumps or does any other movement other than walk. I know there are people who ride horses with nothing. I would like to be able to learn how to do so myself. But so many more things can go wrong.
Now the expression thing. Okay, just because the ears are back does NOT mean the horse is angry or in discomfort. Carly, even when standing calmly still, will have her ears right back, often to listen to me. When she is raring to get going on a trot, her ears will be back. When she is walking, her ears will be back, again, to listen to me. And they can be really back at times. Now this is not some incredibly passive horse who won't do anything when she's not happy. If something upsets her she will let you know. Lastly, it's hard to tell from this picture because of the shadow over the eye, but if a horse was in true discomfort, the sclera of its eye would show.
Rather a long comment on my part
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It's not a problem that your comment is long
Look, you do understand that the bit is a tool that in itself doesn't make the horse listen. There has to be a whole lot other things done - the horse has to be prepared mentally and physically to be able to carry a rider. The horseperson (I know it sound a little silly) does a lot of groundwork and sacking out first, prepares to hande a horse with a simple halter. Every horse is handled in a halter when being led. So it does know how to behave without bit. You surely don't believe a horse is automatically ready not to spook and listen to every command when having a bit in its mouth, right? 
Here is the page explaining why riding bitless is a big step towards truly loving your horse and what can go wrong: thinklikeahorse.org/index-7.ht… You can't say the bitless riding doesn't work unless you try it, right? 
Now from the artistic point of view: I get what you explain, looking at the image on its own it's hard to say what is really going on. However, this drawing took a lot of time, work and effort to be made. It is a frame rozen in time, and from dozens of ther angles, positions and moments the author decided to pick this one. Why? I guess it's more dramatic than just standing still. But the more I look at it, the more I imagine what this horse might be feeling. How to explain this better, hm... It's like looking at the picture of accident - lots of blood, pain of the person etc. And we can still relate to that, there's no use saying "it happend long ago, the person is ok now". The picture is still powerful in its atmosphere. I'd much rather see the same horse in a halter, and with no rider 
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I do not believe that having a bit on a horse is going to save me from everything. I absolutely do not. I've been riding for three years; I'm not that naive.
I greatly disagree with the notion that everything a horse does is all our fault. Horses have their own mind; they're not something that's controlled purely by us. Yes, a human may influence a horse. But a horse is just as capable of being difficult and cause problems. Carly is a very stubborn horse when she wants, she will shy away from a fence and can be outright difficult to control. This is all of her own accord. Perhaps she is testing me; I'll never know.
I never said bitless riding can't work. I would love to be able to try and ride without tack of any sort if possible. Please, don't try to enforce an anti-bit agenda onto me. I fully respect your opinion, but I feel like the whole cruelty of the bit is much like the whole 'factory farm thing is cruel' - only the bad stuff is pointed out, and non of the good stuff. Like I said, yes, it is misused, all too often. But I've seen so many horses and they are in general very at peace about a bit in their mouth.
And I can't do anything about it, even if I wanted to. Carly is a horse owned by a riding centre and I can only see her once a week for half an hour, and only if the weather is good and it's not during a school holiday. And they, the centre, absolutely won't exchange bits for rope halters. This is a centre for disabled people; riding therapy. Usually the horses are led by a rope, but the more capable riders, such as myself, can be left in charge of our own steeds. Like you said, these are animals that are fully capable of killing. Even though I've already signed a bit of paper about 'I understand the risk of being killed/injured blah blah etc,' I'm certain this centre won't want to increase the risk by straying from a tried and tested method.
Though, we will never truly know, at least not until some sort of newfangled thingy that can read animals' minds in invented. I prefer to sort of hover around the 'it's okay but maybe it has this con and that issue' sort of mindset. 
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There is a saying, "the horse is only as good as its rider". Although I wouldn't take it too literally, there is something to consider. When the horses are left without humans, they behave good - why? The horse is only a horse, it's all it knows how to be. Horses do have the mind of their own and learn pretty quick, but can only be worsen by humans. Give me any example of so-called bad behaviour and it will always come back to human interference. Standing in stall, being riden by inexperienced riders, years of mind-numbing excercises, having bit every time they're ridden - no wonder school horses are so wrecked and called lazy, stupid, resigned, mean. I myself went to such places, and seen how the horses are treated. It's not about horses, it's always about people. Stall owners won't let use rope halters because they require much more confidence, understanding of a horse (body language is their language, no mind reading thingy is required) and establishing dominance; people don't have time for all this.
I know there are places which won't let use rope halters, and overall - the world isn't perfect. I won't push more anti-bit agenda, there's not much to add after my previous post
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Horses can be downright nasty in the wild. Not in the same way, granted, but they can harass others for no reason, they will fight (whether for dominance, rights or just because) and so on, just like nearly every other animal out there. Nature is far from perfect, it just seems that way at face value because man isn't there.
The horses I know are ridden twice a week, for half a day, and are let out into open fields and are only taken to stalls at night. And they can still be difficult, but one can expect that, as with any other creature. A normally passive dog can suddenly turn into a killer, just as a normally slow, lazy horse can suddenly rear and buck. They are living creatures with a mind of their ow; we treat them with respect. But too many people do the exact opposite and all attention is turned towards them. I'm not saying ignore them, but they give everyone who deals with horses a bad name to some >:
Like I said, I can't be around horses much. So in my case, a mind reader thingy would be very much required, and totally appreciated. I don't have time to get to learn everything about a horse. Most people don't. And as for confidence, well. *Points at signature* I hardly have any confidence due to that, so doing anything with a rope halter is far down the line for me. Just cantering is enough to have me scared, though admittedley I'm only just starting out there
Isn't loving any animal the same, though? Something as mundane as a pet rat, for example. Loving them is way more than stroking them and giving them a treat from time to time. My two practically live alongside me as I go about my daily life. I'm sure plenty horse owners are the same. I know some who live and breath horses in the way I never could xD Again, that does not mean that we should ignore those who are truly cruel.
And I believe I've gone off topic? Oops I just find debates like these so interesting :'D
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I strongly disagree with the statement that horses are nasty in the wild. If that were so, we would see plenty of fighting, injured wild horses who wouln't be able to live in herds. Just because we don't understand all the reasons they fight, doesn't mean there are none. (www.youtube.com/watch?v=t87dPo… Usually horses communicate with very subtle signals, a human has to train his eye in order to start realising how complex their language is. After watching 100+ videos from Rick Gore I started to notice how horses talk with each other. Every really nasty, dangerous or ill horse is quickly removed from the herd - but even in that sense nature is perfect in making sure only the strongest and fittest animals survive. I don't see why it should be any other way. There are no limp, weak horses in the wild. I think that every mustang owner would tell you his horse has no feet problem, is healthy and strong.
If a man takes for granted that every animal should be obediant, well, he'll quickly be proven wrong.
I'm not feeling very safe around horses too, that's why I know I have to be around them more - I know if something goes wrong it's because of me, my fear, not paying attention etc. Maybe just don't do scary things and slowly build your confidence?
Some people only have animals so they can say they love them and brag in front of other people - not saying you're like that, but you know some people are. They will put a pink blanket on a horse and then not take it when it's hot and neglect to give fresh water. My dog would surely appreciate more playing, walking and having a garden, but I can't provide that now. It's a dog from a shelter, it surely has better life than there, but I'm aware I'm not doing everything I can for her. Loving an animal is about looking how you can improve animals life, right?
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I think that's part of the reason people see wild horses as such beautiful, perfect animals. They are, as you said, flight animals, prey animals. Any individual that gets badly injured, whether from an accident, another herd member or for whatever reason, quickly gets picked off by predators. And it's hard to find records of such things because well, wild horses are hard to find now, much less study thoroughly, at least judging from what I can turn up in my searches. I'm not saying that horses are terrible, evil creatures when left to their own devices. But they can and will do some pretty nasty things from time to time.
I knew a dog that was perfectly nice and friendly for much of its life, and then it just snapped for no apparent reason and became so vicious it had to be put down. The worst part about animals is that it can be very, very hard to understand them. They cannot talk, and even leading experts in animal communication are just scratching the surface of so many critters' languages. Horses are one of the easier creatures to understand, with generally predictable body language. But again, one has to really spend time around their horse to learn even a little.
Yeah, it's no secret that horses are kept in terrible conditions. And I wish something could be done. But for every one of those places that gets shut down, another opens elsewhere.
I'm most scared when leading my horse from the ground. They're big creatures, very strong and can walk a little faster than what I'd prefer. I've only got to that recently though, so hoping I'll get used to it :'D
I've pretty much got the rising trot nailed, after a year and a half of work. So slowly getting there, and I'm taking small steps into cantering. Carly is the fastest horse in the centre and once she gets going, she really gets going. I've been given the option to choose one of the slower horses, but I've been riding Carly since I started there, got to know her way more than the other horses and she's just
There's nearly no limit to how you can improve a creature's life. My rats spend about half the day and the night in their cage, and as soon as I'm up and about they're let right out to wander almost half the room. It's the most I can give them and they're the most loveable little critters.
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Still not sure what nasty things you have in mind
I heard about a similar case, when a lovely dog suddenly became so aggressive it was dangerous to be around him. An owner had to put him down and ordered an autopsy, which revealed the dog had a brain tumor. There was nothing to be done for him 
Hopefully the awareness spreads and some day the majority of animals will be treated with dignity, not only horses. Sigh.
If there's no good instructor, handling a horse may be a very scary thing! From what I gathered, you have to be able to control the speed of a horse. If it goes too fast, you have to stop it and even make it move back. Still learning that too
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