Thanks for the comment and feedback. Glad it was helpful!

Ok! We can do that. Stay tuned!

🤣🤣🤣😬

ok! Thank you. We can do that!!!

I am so glad to hear you found some helpful tips. Let us know how it goes incorporating these ideas into your riding!

Yes, just take that first step. Your horse will certainly believe you are good enough, you just have to learn it for yourself. if you but try, they always appreciate it. Come join us on this new journey into the What, Why and How of riding and working with a horse, even a youngster. We wish you the best on your journey.

Join us in the Working Equitation world … it’s great fun and the community very welcoming ❤

@@patriciamelton9399 already doing it and love it!

The hyoid does not need a bit to come into play or release, as the mouth/tongue help to release it. Connection of the rein to the horse and through to hocks can happen without a bit. In fact this circle of aids can happen with or without a bit, and even without a rider, like when working in hand or on longe. Achieving 'on the bit' has nothing to do with the bit.

@@headtohoofequine1106 wow. I need to digest this. So I need more information or a more thorough explanation. What is the connection? Is it more mental than physical. Is it pressure here causes contraction there. What?

My whole learning has been hyoid to hocks. I ride an I feel. My connection is connected to my horses hocks. No connection is a horse who lolli gags where ever it chooses. We need to connect to communicate and the reins and bit are THE connection. The hyoid accesses the body. Please reeducate me.

@@headtohoofequine1106 the mouth and the tongue help to release the hyoid. So the hyoid is still the key. Could we then say it is more difficult to activate the mouth and the tongue and consequently the hyoid without a bit. But it can be done. Is this for novices? Why is this not taught at lower levels? Is the bit a crutch? So many questions.

@@janetgerl893 It's a huge can of worms. If you haven't joined this Challenge, you really should and ask these questions in the group, but much of the 'how' is explained within the content of this Challenge, really. In my education, I have learned about the hyoid and how to release it, because I have a mare that manages to hold tension there and my Masterson Method body worked explained it to me and showed me some exercises to help her release it. I think this may be part of the french Legerete method too, but I am not super familiar with that method, tbh. As to this idea of you must have a bit to connect to the hocks, I say bah. You do not need a bit to connect to the hocks, you just need the horse working correctly engaged and 'through'. I was taught the poll and the hocks are connected. Anyway, being able to help the horse work correctly engaged can happen without a bit. I know because I get this just working on longe in just a cavesson alone. (I don't use anything but cavesson, line and longe whip) To get the connection under saddle without a bit, it is basically the same, it's the connection of the aids, the circle of the aids, where the horses hind legs connect through the back to the rider to the hands to the horse's head and cycles back again to the rider through the back and to the hind legs. When the horse is working correctly from back to front you don't even really need reins for this cycle of the energy to travel back and forth. the hind legs push, it travels over the back to the rider's seat and hands , the horse's head will react to the energy of the hind legs pushing off the ground, and it cycles right back to the hind legs the same way as if there is a bit and reins, or a halter and a rope. I am not sure it's the hyoid that is the key, for myself it is the hind legs folding and pushing that is the key. It's true if the hyoid is blocked they can hold tension in jaw and poll and may have trouble releasing both. But, I believe it is also true that they can release in the poll and jaw and that will release the hyoid as well. The hyoid can be one of the puzzle pieces to getting that bit of lipstick which most of us use as an indicator to how relaxed the jaw and poll are. Lastly, just because I may ride occasionally bitless doesn't mean my horse is just lolli-gagging around. Hahaha I am a dressage rider, even bareback and tackless. ;) Join the Challenge, lots more information in there.

Excellent observation. Lies are told because the truth is hard to learn and has to be studied with intent. Many or most riders approach dressage as a form of entertainment in the form of sport. Most riders do this from ignorance that is cultivated with “lies” that perpetuate ignorance and keep the students in their comfort zone with “hope” as their motivation. Even the most dedicated trainers do this out of necessity. It’s a cultural norm.