Creating softness in hand and in the bridle.

When ever you attend a horse event do you ever take note when you see a horse that is riding soft in the bridle? Maybe it’s a western horse or maybe it’s a dressage horse but you notice the horse performing on a loose inside rein, or even a completely loose reign. Did you know that your horse can ride like that too?

Softness in our horses at Pearson Equine LLC starts being created on day one! Little by little as the horse progresses with our communication we end each exercise with softness. This starts with the halter and lead rope on our younger horses and transitions into the bridle. Once your horse develops an understanding of softening to our cues it will soon develop softness as a habit. Can you soften your riding horse at the poll? Throughout it’s neck? How about into the shoulders and rib cage? A soft horse will develop the fluid movements and clear transitions that we all desire in our riding horses.

A horse that has been trained to search for softness is also a safe horse! At our facility safety of horses and riders is always our number one concern. After spending a number of years studying safety in industry and sitting on a certified stable committee, safety will always be our number one concern. Your probably wonder how having a horse that responds to softness is a safer horse? Well it is simply because you are able to gain better control of your horses mind throughout it’s body! A soft horse is easy to control if your horse spooks at something on the trail, while working in hand around the farm, or can help you prevent a runaway.

Another step we take when creating our young horses that soften to the rein is we always utilize the eggbutt mullen mouth bit for our first dozen rides. This is one of the most gentle bits on the market and is easy on the horses mouth without any pinching or added pressure to the horse. This bit is also easy for the horse to hold, and easy for the initial introduction of the bit as you can hold it from one end or the other when inserting it into the horses mouth. Once the young horse develops an understanding for basic lateral reigning we transition into a snaffle bit.

How do you we create a horse that is soft in the bridle from day one? Well we use the simple use of applied pressure followed by an immediate release but the timing of your release of pressure is critical to how your horse will understand it. When working with horses we often need to work on our timing with the help of a trained eye because we simply cannot see ourselves communicating with the horse and even with the use of a Pivo, or camera system we may not gain the understanding.

Are you interested in creating a horse that softens to your cues and eagerly waits for the next one? Or how about riding that horse that everyone compliments at the show? Then be sure to take advantage of our horse and rider assessment where we give you the tools to train the horse of your dreams. Sign up today under our services page!