Tips For Controlling Your Horse

Pressure Points - A horse's head has 6 pressure points: Tongue, Bars (Gums), Curb (Chin), Nose, Poll (Top of Head), Palate (Roof of Mouth).  See our Bits Page for further info.

Snaffle - Direct Pull (Tongue Bars)

Curb Bit - Leveraged Pull

Hackamore - bosals, mechanical hacks, sidepulls (nose, curb, side of head)

Gag Bit - slides along headstall or shank as reins are pulled (poll)

Smooth Mouth<rough mouth  Thick<Thin  No Shank<Long Shank (side)

Broken Bit - single joint>double joint (pinching tongue)

Solid - (bit bars) higher port, more room tongue, more palate touch

Positioning the Head - tiedowns, martingales, side reins, draw reins (position head)

Chest - (Jerking Back) run rope through halter tie around chest

Sides -  leg pressure, pulling to side, dropping weight (neck reining)

Whips - String -stings horse, Crop Popper spanks horse

Lunge - line, lets them excercise, lunge whip