Not big bits, not big spurs, not big whips.
Riding is not about forced control through device. It is about training a specific response to a specific aid.
If it was all about hardware and leverage, then I would never be able to ride in the thing above.
The horse has to be willing to listen to a series of programmed cues. There are a lot of ways to get there.
I was reading the blog of a fairly inexperienced horsewoman the other day, who nevertheless is really trying to learn, through a lot of well-known clinicians and a large amount of trial and error. She kept saying "the soft feel". As in, "Buddy didn't have the soft feel today".
It struck me that the language we use to talk about horses and training can expose a basic lack of understanding.
Lord knows I'm guilty of it.
But what really struck me here was the lady thought of "soft feel" as a definite "thing".
As in, "the" soft feel.
I tend to think of feel as a reaction.
Is that enough confusing subtlety for you?
At any rate, the feel of the horse tells you a lot about the training to the aids that he's had. A soft feel is a rapid, cheerful and willing response to a given aid.
The cue is given, and the horse responds with a light, willing reaction to that cue.
I remember riding a particularly sensitive little mare when I was young who was probably my first real introduction to the world of "feel".
All I had to do was think it, and darned if that little mare didn't do just what I was thinking.
If I thought "trot", she'd trot.
If I thought "canter", we'd be cantering.
I think this has something to do with the core of "soft feel". It's almost the feeling of doing nothing, and having the horse respond to that.
It's a lofty goal. I don't believe it's one that can be obtained through shortcuts.
The good stop is a great example of a horse operating on feel. No one likes to ride a runaway freight train. It's a terrifying feeling when a 1200 pound animal takes hold of the bit, takes off with you at full speed on the trail or straight at an arena wall.
Cramming a super duty bit in that horse's mouth won't do anything to stop it. At that point it would be like grabbing your emergency break when your car's at 80 to slow down.
All you have at that point is the training you have put into the horse on how to respond to your aids.
There is always some sort of pre-signal. Pre-signal has become somewhat of a buzz word in the western world lately because it helps to sell people very expensive bits. But the fact is, anything can have pre-signal. But that's entirely up to the rider, not to the bit. For example, when I want Chevy to slow down, I sit back and deep in the saddle. That's the first cue I give her. In a perfect world, she'd slide to a stop after that. But she's not quite there yet.
My next signal is to say "hhhho". I'm a ho-er, not a whoa-er. But it doesn't really matter what word you use. I guess you could use "easy". Or "yellow". Or "tiger". Whatever floats your boat. But be consistent about it.
This is usually all it takes to get a stop out of her. These are all "pre-signals" because they all take place before any action of the bit or hackamore is introduced. If I don't get a stop out of her with the body/voice pre-signals, we have to move on to...
Engagement of the bit or hackamore. Because I'd like my horse to stop of the slightest pressure, my first signal through the reins is small and light. This is the warning signal. At this point, she's had three chances to listen to subtle, non-offensive cues. If she refuses to listen, then the bit comes into play. But this doesn't happen much anymore.
Starting with soft cues is what develops "feel".
If the horse isn't ever given a soft cue to begin with, he'll just assume he's about to be yanked on and will prepare himself for it by stiffening up his neck and jaw.
Which will make him a hell of a lot harder to stop.
So this is why increasing the leverage of your bit setup will do more harm than good.
Also, your horse doesn't understand English. He only understands the words you've taught him. Chev has a very limited English vocabulary. As do most horses. She knows "hhho", "stand", "walk", "trot", "canter", and various clucks and kisses. Generally a cluck means speed up what you're doing, and a kiss means canter.
Your horse does not understand when you yell "WHAT DID I TELL YOU?! WHOA! WHOOAA! ARE YOU STUPID??? WHY AREN'T YOU LISTENING??!!!"
You are just terrifying Buddy.
And horses can't learn when they're terrified.
Quiet down and don't forget to do some of the listening, too.
Also, for Chevy the stop is a reward. It is a break from work. If I ask her to stop, and she stops but strides right off again without being asked, then she didn't really need a break. We lope off immediately and she gets a few laps to think about what a blessing the stop is. The second time she plants it and stays there. I make it her choice. But if she chooses not to listen, then she has to work.
Equally important is the rider's reaction to the horse's correct response to the given cue. The release of the aid (or "cue") needs to be immediate so the horse knows he is being rewarded for his good behavior. This makes the horse cheerful and quick in his response to the aids, because he knows he'll be rewarded as soon as he does what his owner is asking of him.
I guess that's all I've got on feel for now.
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