Bar K Ranch

To get the feel of the horse reaching for the bit correctly…

Think of the base of the horse’s neck as one of those crinkly straws you sip a drink through. When properly reaching for the bit, it will reach up and out just like the last of the crinkles open on the straw. The horse is both stronger and more flexible when he is reaching and lifting at the base of his neck in this way. So think about that part of the neck instead of the horse’s mouth. —Eliza Sydnor Romm

Illustration by Sandy Rabinowitz.