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3 tips: How to avoid having your horse eat while wearing the bit

Who needs a horse that eats grass with the bit in its mouth? It is annoying and some even believe there is a risk for the horse to choke on the grass because of the bit. However, we have not been able to determine whether this is true or not. No matter what, we can probably agree that the combination of grass and a bit is not preferable. Therefore, we give you our own three tips on how to avoid this.  

1. Is eating with the bit really a bad habit? 

Most riders probably believe that eating while wearing a bit is a bad habit. Often the horse wins the fight for the grass. Perhaps you have also tried that it eats whatever it can find in the arena or on the way coming in from the field. And it might not take long before the horse finds the opportunity to do it without permission.  

If you really want to deal with the problem, and you have a horse who cannot behave at all if permitted to eat grass occasionally, the only thing you can do is: Never let it eat grass while being handle by you or anyone else. Otherwise, you will end up fighting with it day in and day out.

Yoa may also like to read: Field time: How many kilometers do horses walk every day?

2. A horse head stuck to the ground 

If the horse is determined to put its head in the ground to start eating grass we often result to trying to do everything in our power to prevent it. The result is often a rough pull on the reins and thereby the bit. We all know this is a good. So what can we do? To prevent it you can try the following:  

Create energy from behind 

Tip the horse gently on the hindquarters with a whip. The exact same thing as when you are riding the horse. Create energy from behind which can result in fewer struggles at the front of the horse. At the same time, it is important that you move ahead, look up and not down at the horse. This way it understands the signals better. Think about it this way; the horse should be thinking: “Oh we are moving forward.” And this is the case no matter if you ride it or walk next to it.  

Shaking the reins 

You can also try to lightly shake the reins until the horse finds it so annoying that it lifts its head. You should not pull on the reins – the horse should just have a sense that something is happening.  

Tap on the shoulder 

If you are sitting on the horse, you can also decide to place three slow taps on the shoulder. The same way as with the shaking the reins this will also make the horse pay attention - something is suddenly more important than the grass.  

"The aim is that we as riders should be more interesting for the horse than the grass

Michaela Love, trainer in horsemanship. 

The advice is from a trainer in horsemanship Michaela Love. She is inspired by the legendary Pat Parelli who is the founder of ‘Natural Horsemanship’. In the video below you can watch how Michaela complete all the exercises mentioned above.  

3. If you want to allow your horse to eat grass   

Of course, we do understand if you enjoy grazing with your horse occasionally both when standing next to it and while riding it on a fun hack. There is a way to do this without the bit being in the way. However, if you do this sometimes you also have to accept the fact that the horse will try on its own to eat grass even you have not permitted it.  

How to let your horse eat while wearing a bridle and bit: 

  1. Keep the rains in one hand so that the horse does not leave you.  
  1. Loosen the cheek piece from the bit. 
  1. Remove the bit from the horse’s mouth in one side. Now the bit is hanging lose on one side of the horse’s head.   
  1. Place the bit behind the mouth of the horse and tighten it to the bit, cheek piece and noseband. 
  1. Loosen the noseband as much as possible so that the horse can open its mouth and eat properly.  
Step by step; how to release the bit if you wish the horse to eat grass while wearing a bridle. Photo: Malgré Tout Media 
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