“Hi, I am really hoping you can help me. I have a show coming up a week on Sunday and I am panicking like you cannot even imagine. I have two questions for H&C:

Firstly, I struggle to get and keep my horse on the bit; I can get her on it the odd time but not most of the time and when she is on it she fights with me. What am I doing wrong?

And my second question is when my mare is in canter, she starts to bunny hop on her back legs.  Why does she do this and how can I stop her doing it? The class I am doing is a ridden class and I’m scared I will make a fool of myself. Many thanks for any help you can give me.” Gemma

H&C blogger Alice Oppenheimer replies: “Hello Gemma, You have probably heard this before but first things first – don’t panic.  Competition with the correct preparations should be fun.

One thing at a time

I will try to answer your questions one by one. Firstly lets look at the term  ‘On the bit’.  This is a funny expression in my opinion,  I personally like to think of my horses as being up and into the bridle.  This makes the concept of what you are aiming for easier to understand.  A horse has to engage her hind legs and work over her back to truly push herself into stretching to accept the contact.  The most important thing and, if I understand you correctly, is to have the horse forward and balanced to maintain a contact onto the bit.  Forwards impulsion and balance are vital to encourage the horse to stay to the contact i.e. on the bit and to relax whilst she is there.

In respect of your second question, firstly you must make sure that all aspects of her health are correct i.e. that she is not in pain from her saddle, her back or her teeth. Presuming that everything with the horse is well and that it is therefore a ridden issue, when a horse bunny hops, the presumption is that she is travelling upwards and not forwards, if my understanding of what you have said is correct. The most important thing therefore is to make sure that she travels forwards off your leg and covers the ground, I find that lowering and widening my hands sometimes helps. Once the horse is confident to travel forward, the relaxation and connection, which should prevent the tension being demonstrated by the bunny hopping, should pass.

Golden tip

Lunging the horse in canter I find really helps all of my horses, irrelevant of age, to soften their backs and travel across the ground.

Best of luck at your show Gemma. Alice Oppenheimer."