What does 'on the bit' really mean?

Finally, I feel like I've come across an article that expresses exactly the relationship I have been trying to achieve between horse and rider. I feel like someone finally understands and I can't even describe how I am feeling right now-I suppose overjoyed would be the best word at the moment? I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!!!! xoxoxo, Dancer



"The important point here is that in correct riding, you earn the trust and voluntary submission of the horse in a physical or gymnastic way, by showing the horse that he is safe in balanced motion.

We don't believe that you can ever achieve this level of mental calmness through training the horse by conditioning his mind, as is the methodology of many natural horsemanship methods. Horses are extremely physical beings, everything about their mental state is related to how they feel in their body. In domesticating horses we have (for the most part) removed them from the physical security of the herd, and then in riding them we have upset their natural way of balancing in motion, so, in riding, it is therefore only by giving them back the physical security of the balanced connection of engagement on the bit, that we can give the horse back his natural lack of tension, and maybe even create something more profound."

Read the entire article, by Camille and Gabrielle Dareau here.

Here is a little background about their approach:

"In our passion for the art of dressage as a pure gymnastic discipline, we have taken the perhaps unusual approach of studying riding purely for its own sake with no other agenda, whether competitive, commercial or even that of simple recognition.

This has allowed us to work with horses that in most other circumstances would be rejected, and in doing so we have discovered exactly how it is that the rider can transform themselves in order to transform the horse.

In the normal context of dressage based on the performance of certain movements, our results may be limited, but the quality of movement we achieve through progressively suppling problematic horses by means of engagement speaks for itself. Riders who apply the principles we teach, often very different from what they learned previously, are equally convinced by the results.

When we come to difficulties with our horses in their training or management, we don't think of 'selling them on and getting another one' as being a relevant option. To us that would only mean passing up an opportunity to learn something from the process of finding a real solution. thanks to this attitude we have seen many of our horses develop a radically different appearance and disposition, to the point of a real change in their conformation and basic temperament, characteristics usually seen as unalterable.

In the same way we have seen riders of many different types and abilities transform to become confident, effective and skillful at riding in engagement, which had often been a totally undiscovered dimension of riding to them."


Thank you, Camille and Gabrielle, for putting so eloquently into words what so many have made their life long search!