[PaintedBrat]

I have a mare, and when i lope her she bows her neck and compleatly escapes the bit. We have tried several diffrent bits on her, and she always bows when she is fussy.
Any ideas you all could offer to help me?

 

[paintluver]

Could her back be in pain?

 

[PaintedBrat]

We are haveing a chiropractor out in the next couple of days, i can see if that will help.

 

[SavvyHearts]

I might not be picturing this correctly in my mind, but if I am correct in what you are saying
some horses stretch down because they are comfortable and have alot of back and shoulder movement also

 

[mom2pride]

If the mare in question is the one in your avator, she is really down hill built, that will cause her to want to lower her head more, the faster she moves.

 

[SaddleUp158]

What bit are you riding her in? What where is she at in training? Are you working with a trainer? How old is she?

Without knowing this information, here is what I would suggest. Put a smooth snaffle in her mouth and give her her head. Just work on moving out and not concentrating on rating her speed with the reins. She needs to learn to move into the bit, but first of all if this is ducking behind the bit is ingrained in her she needs to first learn that it is ok to put her nose in front of the vertical. Once she is doing this and you can take up contact with her and she won't go behind the bit, you can begin asking for her face, but be sure to push her up into the bit with your seat and legs, your hands will be there for her to come up against and have to give to, not something that is pulling her face in.

We had a horse come back from a trainer like this and spent an entire winter doing what I outlined above.

 

[PaintedBrat]

If the mare in question is the one in your avator, she is really down hill built, that will cause her to want to lower her head more, the faster she moves.

Naw, thats our two year old filly. She is still growing and has levled out some.

 

[PaintedBrat]

What bit are you riding her in? What where is she at in training? Are you working with a trainer? How old is she?

Without knowing this information, here is what I would suggest. Put a smooth snaffle in her mouth and give her her head. Just work on moving out and not concentrating on rating her speed with the reins. She needs to learn to move into the bit, but first of all if this is ducking behind the bit is ingrained in her she needs to first learn that it is ok to put her nose in front of the vertical. Once she is doing this and you can take up contact with her and she won't go behind the bit, you can begin asking for her face, but be sure to push her up into the bit with your seat and legs, your hands will be there for her to come up against and have to give to, not something that is pulling her face in.

We had a horse come back from a trainer like this and spent an entire winter doing what I outlined above.

She is 22, a 4H grand champion and i usualy ride her in a loose ring smooth snaffle unless im doing drill. She only bows when i try to do my patterns in sections, if i dont do the pattern the whole way through she gets bord.

In drill i use a Short shanked raining bit, and she wants to race when ever we go into a line togeather, so i ask her to slow down and usualy she will, but more frequetly laitly, she ignores and bows.

I was working wth a trainer, but we bont have any coverd arenas to use out here, so when the open arena we used turned to mud we had to stop.