Question # 94: what exercises would you recommend for a horse who gets heavy in the bridle in flatwork. Not resistant, just heavy… he used to be uncomfortable with contact… now he seems almost too comfortable with it. (Vita)

Hi Vita!

Many horses go through a stage where they go from not wanting any contact, to seeing how they can use it to their advantage! So if he was reluctant to take any feel of the rein before, and is now looking to lean on you for a little support, that may be what is happening here.

Horses lean on the bit for support when their hind legs are not sufficiently underneath their bodies. Without their hind legs under them to balance, they may then try to use the rider's hands as sort of a "fifth leg" to hold up their front ends. The fix for this problem is to... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read the full answer to this question)