Horse Problems: Hard Mouth – Another Approach

Generally, a horse is said to have a “hard” mouth when he has developed callouses in the corners of his mouth or dead spots on the bars of his mouth where nerve endings have been damaged. The more callouses or dead spots, the more pain he can take and the harder you will have to pull on him to get the response you want.

However, there is another perspective:
Many “Hard Mouthed” horses still have plenty of nerves and bars. A rider who is hanging on a bit (staying in constant contact with the horse’s mouth regardless of the “go” or “stop” of the ride) or using the reins to balance instead of developing a good seat, sends a constant pressure signal that eventually makes a horse “immune” to the bit. He gets no relief and so learns no response.

Alternatively, a horse’s current or previous experience with a bit that is too harsh can derail the whole stopping process.

ie: In an effort to get their horse to “pay attention” and “respond”, many, many riders resort to harsher and harsher bits. In an effort to avoid the pain of the bit, the horse develops a stiff head, poll, neck and general front end. The moment they anticipate the pull of the rein, they stiffen and brace against the impending unpleasant consequences. Even if changed to another bit or rider, they have developed both a set of psychological reactions and the physiology that reinforces the strength of the posture.

A rider trying to pit his strength against a runaway horse whose head and neck are thrust forward and whose front is braced against the pull is lost. The horse simply cannot be stopped until he feels like rating back of his own accord.

Additionally, a horse who either turns stiffly on his front or (worse) actually turns with his head on the outside of a turn is off balance and could be dangerous.

What to do?

This type of horse (a significant percentage of the “hard mouth” horses out there), needs to be taught how to give to pressure and how to be supple in both lateral and vertical flex. His habitual stiffening must be reduced and replaced with a supple body and mind.

He needs to start back at the beginning learning how to “Whoa” and how to bend his body – starting at the head and neck (see Flex Training).

Re-training starts on the ground in the round pen, progresses to under saddle in the arena or pasture. It starts at the walk, and ends up with a horse who is supple and compliant in both the stop and the turn – even at the canter or gallop. In the end you have a horse who is responsive, relaxed, reliable and a pleasure to ride.

How long this will take depends on how long he has suffered under bad bits or poor riders, and how frequently he is practiced and how consistent the new training. It is most possible that the rider should also be getting instruction from a professional who can get them balanced and centered on top of their horse, thus alleviating the constant drag on the reins, and make sure that the rider is not cuing a runaway by leg-gripping his barrel and pressuring him forward.

On the Ground, in the Round Pen:
You will need all of the aids available to re-train this horse. You will need a verbal cue to stop, a seat cue to stop and a rein cue to stop.

Begin teaching the verbal whoa on the ground, using it during lunging and also as you walk the horse around the property.

Under Saddle in the Round Pen
At the same time as you practice on the ground, saddle up to brush up the “whoa” using your seat and reins.

What tack? This is where less is more. You are in a very controlled area. Take his usual head gear off and replace with a side-pull or knotted halter with side rings. No chance of a mouth problem here. (Even a forward horse can usually do these exercises safely in the round pen).

Ride across the round pen from one side to the other. About 3/4 of the way across, plant your seat bones into his back muscles (see: Pressure Points), say “whoa”, count one-one thousand (1 second) and pull back on the reins until he stops. When he stops (which he must or he will run into the fence), immediately relax your posture and the reins and allow him to rest for a full minute. Repeat.

When you have done this enough times that your seat cue is beginning to slow his forward progress even before you pick up the reins, then begin traveling along the rail, circling the inside of the pen.

When you decide to stop, plant your seat, say “whoa”, and then pull back on the reins. Relax IMMEDIATELY when forward movement has stopped. The sequence is important: Seat, Verbal Request, Reins.

He has two chances to stop BEFORE the reins are used. And if you have to use the reins, there is no pain – rather the immediate satisfaction of relaxation at the stop.

He needs to learn the cues AND stop anticipating pain. Teach the “WHOA” using your seat and reins.

On the Ground in the Round Pen – More Simultaneous Exercises

Start teaching him to flex his head and neck laterally. A horse who has been stiff and resistant for a long period of time may take some very gradual training.

Make no mistake. It is not difficult for him to bring his head to his girth. If he had a fly on his hip or an itch on his barrel, he would whip his head right around where you want it. It is not that he CANNOT bring his head around but that he has developed specific muscle structures that make it difficult for YOU to force the issue. He is resistant and strong.

In the beginning, accept a very tiny baby step response: he moves his head just a couple of inches toward his girth voluntarily. Success. Then ask for further and further swings.

This exercise is of PARAMOUNT importance to make him supple and compliant. He has learned to ignore any cues toward this goal.

Once this is conquered on both sides, begin to practice it under saddle.

Move to the Arena or a Small Pasture.

Now the birds come home to roost. Still in a confined space but not so small as the round pen, and using his new “less-is-more” headgear, repeat the same maneuvers you practiced in the round pen. It is of paramount importance that EVERY ride starts with 10 flexes to the right and 10 to the left. No moving forward until that is accomplished.

Walk first across the small side of the arena. Walk, seat cue, “whoa”, reins, stop, relax. Perfect? Now practice along the rail. Walk, seat cue, “whoa”, reins, stop, relax. We are teaching the WHOA. Turning is less important until WHOA is accomplished.

First perfect “whoa” at a walk, then a slow trot, and then a canter (when the other gaits have perfect stops). Anything you cannot do at a slow pace will be 10 times more difficult at a faster one, and we do NOT want to reinforce his habit of stiffening into (against) your pull.

Now We Move into Suppling into a Turn

Because you have been practicing the lateral flex, he is prepared with a more supple and responsive turn of his head and neck toward his girth when you apply lateral pressure to the reins. Let’s now start to practice turning during a walking trip around the arena rail.

Walk the rail. We are going to turn away from the rail into the arena. At a mid point of your choosing, apply pressure to the outside rein while applying pressure to his inside front with your inside leg and taking all pressure off your outside leg. (Taking your outside leg off his barrel will give him “room” to step to the outside away from the rail.) When he brings his head to the outside and you can see the corner of his eye, his direction of travel should alter. He should follow his face. Teaching the Forward Leg Cue

Keep the rein and leg pressure on until his direction changes. At that point, IMMEDIATELY release the pressure and allow him to travel in a straight line for a few more steps. “Whoa”, relax. You have accomplished his first lateral turn with some flex in his neck. You have also combined the turn and the whoa.

Proceed back to a rail.

While moving along the rail at a walk, ask for a turn again exactly the same way. When it seems easy, continue the pressure for him to make 2, 3, or 4 steps in a circle. Soon you will be able to make a complete circle in a controlled, gentle turn. Then “Whoa”. RELAX.

Now, straight across the arena to the other side, make a circle and go back to the starting side. Each trip gets a little longer between the whoa’s: First stopping after each circle and then making two or three trips across before stopping.

Now, at a walk, try some patterns. Look at your space and make a visual map in your head of a triangle – much like a barrel racing pattern. Then a cloverleaf.

If all is going well, you are getting bored and he is getting easy.

Repeat all of this at a trot. When PERFECT, repeat at a canter. How is his “hard mouth” now? No bit. No problem.

The Emergency Stop


Before you can trust his responses outside the pasture or in an emergency situation, you need to teach him the “emergency stop”, which involves bringing his head all the way to your leg while moving. It forces him to circle tightly into a stop. This was impossible before. You couldn’t get him to even turn his head when you put pressure on his bit.

Now, if he is being flexed laterally multiple times during a lesson, he is getting used to keeping his balance while being tightly flexed and walking into a turn with some flex.

Walking along the rail, ask him to “whoa”. If he is the least bit tardy at stopping, immediately (using the outside rein only) bring his head to his girth on the outside, which causes him to circle tightly (head to ribs) until he stops moving.

Release the pressure immediately when his feet stop moving. Now rest and relax.

Practice this until his “whoa” is perfect at the walk. Practice the circle until you feel him gaining confidence in his own balance. Then proceed to the trot with the same procedure. He is gaining both a quick stop, and a moving flex with good balance. Don’t increase your speed until each pace has a perfect one-rein stop.

Don’t wait to perform this maneuver until there is an emergency. A horse who is panicked or running straight ahead and is suddenly thrown into a tight circle can lose his balance. Practice. Practice. Practice. Get a feel for his abilities and your strength in high-speed circling situations.

On the Trail

Riding the trails should be a re-training session in disguise. Find opportunities to practice each of these maneuvers – first at slow pace and then faster – every time you go out. Over weeks and months of practice his old “hard mouth” habits will be shed and a new horse will be emerge.

Re-evaluate


I haven’t asked you to put his bit back in his mouth. If you feel he must wear the bit, start over with the mildest snaffle (3-piece) and see how it goes from there. A harsh bit can start the whole problem over in a heartbeat.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *