What is the difference between a horse being on the bit, being collected, and having a head set?
Answer Hello Kelly, Herein lies the greatest confusion in English horse training. I am glad you asked. First of all we must forget about head set and collection. Head set comes from riding from the front to the back and your attempts to force it actually prevent the horse from moving properly. On the bit means that the horse is accepting the bit with a few ounces of pressure and is chewing and not fighting it. He may be flexed at the poll and the jaw, but THERE IS NO COLLECTION until months of proper work has been done. And that comes from riding from the back to the front. The horse develops collection by your working on his hind end. The untrained horse carries 2/3s of his weight on the front and only 1/3 on the hind. The purpose of training is to get him to carry more on the hind…to balance him and make him more maneuverable. Here is the proper work. Take a bit of contact … not much, but just enough to control and guide. To encourage him to be on the bit take a little more conta
