Thoughts on John Lyons’s Giving to the Bit
and the Dressage Horse
By Suzon

     As a student of dressage, one of the most useful things that I got out of the John Lyons Certification Program was the system of educating the riding horse that John calls “Giving to the Bit.” John has given a lot of thought to how the working horse--of any discipline--functions and has divided the body, especially the fore of the horse, into a number of important “spots” to better understand and develop the horse. Each spot is a point in the evolution of educating the horse to connect and collect his body. At first, I thought this was an interesting and effective way to get a horse responsive to the bit; however, the more I thought about it, and the more I used the system, the more I realized that its more than just a way to get a good mouth and a little more softness through the shoulders. It allows you to pinpoint and develop the key elements that are so important to the building of a classical horse. And while the system, at first glance, may seem to put entirely too much focus on the fore of the horse, it does truly open doors that allow the horse to more effectively use his body in the classical back to front balance.
     So just what is this Giving to the Bit all about? It is a focused Request, Response, Release technique aimed at softening and heightening the horse’s response to the bit. It can be used with any horse of any discipline. The finished product can be a horse “mise en main” (put in hand) on contact or a draped rein. And while the system focuses on the reins, the result is a horse that is ridden almost entirely off a subtle seat.
     Whether you want to ride with contact or no contact, the GTTB exercises can help unlock any horse. John would like every horse to do everything on a draped rein. However, he does want the horse to be connected, both in his body and to the rein and rider. I must say, it’s been an amazing exercise to learn to find the right dressage feelings in the horse riding on a draped rein. Of course, you don’t have to get this fanatical. However, John has a point when he says, “contact breeds contact.” In other words, the more you feel your horse’s mouth, the more he’s going to lean on you hands. So if you choose to ride on contact, I recommend working to keep the contact as soft and quiet as possible.
     In working with this method, I have had a number of epiphanies regarding the importance of many of the individual spots above and beyond the explanations John gives for them or his apparent expectations from them. But first, let me give you a brief explanation of the technique and then show you just where these “spots” are.
     The method is simple. For equipment, you will need a jointed full-cheek snaffle or D-ring bit (smooth, no twist) and a pair of reins that will fall easily and be comfortable in your hands. I personally recommend reins made of boat rope (which you can make or buy) because they don’t hurt your hands, and they fall well and very obviously. Obvious is important from the horse’s perspective. The release of the reins is the key here and that release should be as clear as possible
     Just to keep everything straight, I’ll describe the steps on the left side, but of course, both sides must be educated. You will just need to transfer the rein technique from left to right. What you’re going to be doing is this: start with the reins lying on the neck. Pick the reins up in the middle with your RIGHT hand and slowly take the slack out of the left rein (slow is important). Then grasp the rein further down in your LEFT hand, bring your hand back to the pommel of the saddle and plant it there (later, you won’t need to plant). You are now putting a little steady pressure on the bit. Now wait and watch. Your horse will do one or all of three things. He’ll pull (this is normal, don’t let go), he’ll get stuck in neutral and do nothing (this is normal, don’t let go), and/or he’ll GIVE. A “give” is defined as energy and/or movement in the direction of the rein. It may take a second or 20 minutes. The key is that he first must decide that he does not want pressure on his mouth, he will then decide what course of action he will take. He will probably keep trying different options until he stumbles onto moving his head in the direction of the rein (puts slack in it). A very important point is that you are not “pulling” on the rein. This is not a tug of war. You are just a “post.” You do nothing but hold. If you are immovable, he will be the one who must give. At first, he may only give a little for a split second, but when this happens LET GO. Drop the rein completely down on his neck. This tells him he did what you want (because he’s looking for the release…he doesn’t want you hanging on that rein). Count to 2 and pick up the rein again. Do this several thousand times.
     As you pick up the rein, you will be focusing on the individual spots below. As you do, you’ll gradually evolve through all the spots. As you get one spot, start working on the next (you’ll be perfecting one spot while working on another). You can use one of two techniques to move up to each new spot. You can “hold through the give” and ask for more, or you can give a quick partial release to say, “yes, thank you” and then take up the slack and say, “but I also want something else.” Use whichever works best for you and your horse.
     No matter which spot you are working on, keep that spot and your expectations of it clearly in your mind. This is an important step in perfecting your communication with your horse. As you pick up on the rein with a specific goal, your body will change subtly. Horses, who are masters of communicating with body language, will quickly pick up on these body changes and translate them into cues. As John puts it, “I think different, therefore I am different.” This is where you will develop your communicative seat—and you’ll do it without really trying.
     Now, here are the spots. I will try to describe each one in terms of what John has outlined for its response, and then go on to add my own thoughts in regard to each spot and how it applies to the classical horse.

SPOT #1 is the “baby give.” #1 is the jaw at the corner of the mouth. It is an important spot and will require a lot of your attention throughout your horse’s education. Here, John requests energy or movement in the direction of the rein. When this spot gives, you will feel slack in the rein because the horse will move its head in the direction of the rein. This is the very beginning and most important. In the beginning, if you’re not sure the horse gave, drop the rein anyway. When in doubt, give. Pretty soon, you’ll learn what you’re looking for. This is the most obvious spot of softness. Every dressage rider will agree the jaw must be alive. However, in seeking a mouth that is alive, John is not looking for a jaw that is active. It is often taught in dressage that one sign of a horse’s submissiveness to the bit is that he softly chews the bit. While this may or may not keep his jaw from locking, it is not necessarily an indication of his responsiveness. A chewing jaw is a noisy jaw. Can the horse effectively hear what you are saying with the rein if he is moving the bit around constantly? Many riders translate this desire for activity in the jaw into working the bit continuously in an effort to keep the jaw soft. In my opinion, what this teaches the horse is how to tune out to all the meaningless movement in his mouth. The goal in giving to the bit is a jaw (and tongue) that is relaxed, waiting for the next request, a jaw that can hear clearly. When the rider picks up on the rein to communicate with his horse, the jaw, the #1 spot, should soften, the tongue will also soften and upon release of the rein, the horse will often make a chewing action with his mouth, but this action does not need to continue indefinitely. It is merely an indication that the horse has softened in response to the request made by the rein. Throughout the process, the goal is to minimize your actions to maximize response. Concise communication is the result.

SPOT # 2. John has identified spot #2 as being just behind the ear. This is the one spot I have moved slightly for a clearer understanding of the mechanics of it. My spot #2 has migrated slightly down. It is located directly under the ear and in line with the eye. Why have I done this? Why fool with an established, effective system? Anatomy. The John spot behind the ear basically focuses on the Atlas joint. Certainly this is an important spot to unlock. John asks only for this spot to move four inches to the side. In other words, the horse will not just move his nose (and tip his head) to give; he will give his whole head to the side. This is certainly important. However, I think the two spot should go one step further. I have moved it down to the location of the TMJ or jaw hinge.  If the TMJ moves to the side, the softening of the Atlas joint moves it. However, as this spot evolves I will look less for a movement to the side--for ultimately a dressage horse must be straight--and more for a softening of the muscles of the entire TMJ/Atlas area. For a horse to truly yield his jaw he cannot carry tension in or clench this area. So spot two evolves from a simple swing of the head to a total softening of the entire TMJ and Atlas area. The softness you feel in the one spot will evolve to encompass a softness of the entire jaw and Atlas area. I cannot stress the importance of this softness enough. This is not a softness that is an evasion of the rein, this is a working softness that allows the horse to come more fully “though.” As we will later see, if this spot is not on line, the rider will never be able to find the pivotal spot # 6.

SPOT # 3 is the long muscles on the side of the neck. As this spot gives, you will start to see the line of muscle become parallel to the ground--where before it probably was up. Then the muscle will start to relax and wobble and bounce, finally the neck will get a nice even bend to the left from ear to withers (remember, we’re on the left side). Again, this is another spot that later will not be worked to the side, but certainly holds importance, even when worked in line. As I’m sure most dressage riders can recognize, these are the long and low muscles. Developing spot #3 teaches the horse to give his neck forward and to relax his entire neck. As the spot becomes more level, the curve of the cervical spine is straightened, an important point in the stretching of the top line in the long and low exercise. As the horse is introduced to greater collection, this three spot should not be entirely disregarded. As the neck rises in collection, it should still be relaxed in these long muscles and stretch forward. Dressage riders often talk about achieving a nuchal flip, a term used to describe the crest flipping over on a horse with a relaxed neck when he changes from one bend to the other. This is the three spot at work.

SPOT #4 is the poll. Here you will be focusing on making the horse adjustable in regard to the elevation of his poll. After connecting spots 1,2 and 3, you will give your release when the horse positions its poll at a desired elevation. To begin with, your goal will be 4” above the withers. John allows a window of flexibility from 4 inches below the level of the withers to 4 inches above during the training of this exercise. Your horse is given a grade of C for 4” below, B for level and A for 4” above. I agree with this training window for young horses. However, since the horse will be making use of these spots his entire career, your ultimate goal with the four spot is accurate response. You will need to position the poll from well below the withers in a long and low stretch to well above in high collection. A rule to remember with this spot is that the poll, no matter what work your horse is doing should always be the highest point in the outline of the neck, never the crest, with the exception of dropping the poll below the withers for long and low work. When the poll is brought below the level of the withers, it is important to remember, for the sake of maintaining the connection at spot #6 that spot #1 must be allowed to move forward and away. The reason behind all this will become clearer when we get to our discussion of the six spot.

SPOT #5 is the arch of the mane, which will develop from the withers to the ears as a prelude of breaking at the poll. The important point here is that the arch flows outward from the withers and is not a retraction of the neck. The width of the neck should remain even for the entire length. “Bunching” of the neck muscles either at the base of the neck, in the middle of the neck or at the atlas reveals tension and shortening. When the neck is tense, it becomes very difficult to keep the two spot unlocked. It also makes it impossible to find spot #6.

NOTE: Spots 1-5 are relaxation spots…spots 6-9 are muscle-building spots and the horse will need a bit longer to rest between gives until he has built that muscle. And he will continue building muscles as long as his working life continues.

SPOT #6 is THE SPOT. This spot is pivotal to the correct use of the head, neck and forehand of the horse. The 6 spot is located at the base of the neck where it joins into the chest and a little to the side, but not quite at the point of the shoulder. Mechanically, what you want here is for the nose (spot #1) to come toward spot #6, or for the neck to break at the poll. You don’t want to curl the nose to the chest. In fact, this cannot be stressed enough. If spot #1 is brought behind the line of vertical, the six spot cannot exist. You will never find it. However, done correctly, you will begin to feel a connection between those two spots (#1 and #6). It’s a “sweet” spot and you’ll feel it when you hit it right. You will feel it lift, for this is what it does. The six spot is the core of the elevation of the forehand, it is the trigger muscle group that lifts the withers and the muscles of the abdomen. Without its support, elevation of the forehand becomes a house of cards. Once you have identified the feel of the six spot, you can begin to develop its possibilities. The horse lifts this spot at the very base of his neck and as it rises, the root of the neck at the withers also rises, as do the withers (spot #9). As we saw with the four spot, there are a few rules of thumb that must be followed to insure the six spot can function correctly. First, there must be relaxation and give in the one and two spots. If the jaw is clenched or the muscles of the jowl/atlas region are tense, horse will not be able to lift the six spot. As important is the position of the four spot in relation to the rest of the neck. When held above the withers, the poll must be the highest point on the neck. If it is allowed to drop down below the crest, the six spot will again be rendered ineffective--as I like to say, it disappears. If the poll is carried below the level of the withers, as in the long and low exercises, the one spot must be allowed to move forward. There must be a lengthening between the imaginary line between the one spot and the six spot. To curl the horse behind the vertical when the poll is carried below the withers will result in the six spot, again, disappearing. Without the support of the six spot, the horse will drop the withers, defeating the purpose of the long and low exercises. When the six spot is engaged, the withers rise, the neck is allowed to telescope across its crest out of the withers (further development of the five spot), the back is freer and the loin is encourage to round when weight is balance back into the haunches. When the nose is brought too far in, the #2 spot becomes tight, which in turn causes tightness elsewhere. A horse can be pulled into raising his back. He can lift his loin in tension, but he is dependant on his rider to maintain this position. To do it himself, he must find the key at the base of his neck which will show him the way to balance back in self carriage. There is no spot in the forehand of the horse more important to the development of balance, schwung, and collection than the six spot.
     Now let me give you a clue with your own body. Get down on all fours. First, leave your back flat, not forced down, just relaxed and flat. Now put your head down so the back of your neck is level with your back. This is a horse going around with his head and neck on the vertical, but he isn’t connected. He can do this position low or high and can be going well forward, I call it hunter on the bit. Now, a horse doesn’t have collarbones, but we’ll have to make do. Take the area between your collarbones and let it rise up through the base of the back of your neck where it connects to your back. What does that do to you? It should, if you’ve got it right, spread and lift your shoulder blades (your withers) as well as round your back and neck, and your pelvis should be freer to curl under. You will notice that one of the reasons your back rounds is because as the six spot rises, your stomach muscles are also engaged, which supports your lower back. This is what John talks about when he’s talking about finding and using the six spot.

SPOT # 7 is the “hinge,” the line just in front of the scapula where the neck connects to the shoulders. What you will see here is that first there will be ripples in the skin where the horse is starting to relax the muscles. Then the spot will become a hinge and fold to the side like a book. Then there will start to be a hole just below where the line of the 3 spot and the hinge come together, further evidence of relaxation. Finally, the neck will “turn over” and become thicker on top than underneath (the horse relaxes the muscles along the bottom of the neck and works the muscles on the top). I went back and forth in my thoughts about the seven spot for a long time. Classical principles tell us that we should never break the horse in half, either longitudinally or laterally. I cannot deny that educating the seven spot breaks the horse in half laterally. I came to terms with this after many months of developing the muscles involved in turning over the neck. As I began to once again ride my horse straight, I found that because I had taken the time to educate these muscles individually, my horse now thoroughly understood what was required from her neck, and the muscle had developed to make it easy for her to use herself correctly in straightness. So eventually, when you’re working for straightness, you won’t work 7 so deeply (in the beginning, the horse’s head will be far to the side), but don’t skip over it or your horse may not learn to use the neck fully and properly. The turning over of the neck is supremely important. This develops the strength of the reaching crest and the relaxation of the throat. As the horse begins to carry himself using the seven spot without flexing to the side, you will still see the wrinkles in the skin at the line of seven as well as a neck that is properly turned over, indicating that the seven spot is properly at work. Spot seven is also important in easing the way for the horse to learn what to do with spot # 8.

SPOT # 8 is the shoulder. When the horse gives in 8, a hole will develop in the muscle between spot 7 and the girth--right in the middle. Then the shoulder will ripple and soften and move away from the rein. Eventually he will step in the opposite direction. At first you say, “Oh yes, this will be useful for lateral work.” This is more than just an exercise in going sideways. In response to the inside rein, the horse should pick up his shoulder, setting him, in dressage terms, in the outside rein. What you are asking the horse, when you soften the eight spot, is to carry himself level without leaning to the inside. This is the first element of lateral bending. No matter what a horse does in dressage, his first order of business is to lift the inside shoulder, be it to step into the bend, away from the bend or move straight. Softening both shoulders leads to a lifting straightness where the horse floats between the reins.

SPOT # 9 is right beside the withers. First you will feel the withers move as though they are “stepping downhill” as the horse moves the 8 spot. Keep working until they start to be level and eventually feel as though they are stepping “uphill.” This is where you unlock the withers to allow the energy to come from the back and over the neck and elevate the entire muscle system. When we speak of connecting one to six to nine, you will feel the energy hit the sweet spot at six and then be captured and rise up through the withers, elevating and unlocking everything as it goes. This takes a fair amount of work and physical development on the part of the horse. You will feel it come and go, but if you keep seeking, it will get more consistent and more profound as the horse develops. This feeling, combined with an effective half halt (finding six) and proper impulsion will give you throughness the likes of which you’ve always dreamed.

     In conclusion: We are admonished in dressage to always ride the horse from back to front. We are told that if we are concerned about the horse’s neck, we are focusing on the wrong end. I will not argue with those statements. However, after using this method, I have come to believe that in order to ride the horse from back to front, he must be educated from front to back. Now there’s a statement straight from the mouth of a rogue.
I know, from the descriptions above, this method seems to advocate a heck of a lot of “bridle riding.” In truth, it develops a horse in such a way that the bridle is nearly eliminated. How does the horse differentiate between a rein signal to lift more in six or soften more in the shoulder? Again, as John describes it, “I think differently, therefore I am different.” As you, the rider, think about the request you are making, your body becomes subtly different. To the horse, your body becomes the pre-cue to the rein. He does not want you to pick up that rein and put pressure on the bit, so he learns to read your thoughts through your body language, your seat and posture. As he becomes more adept at understanding, the pre-cue becomes the cue and the rein becomes secondary to the seat. In advanced work, when the rein has been connected to the hip, one can even communicate with the hip and hind leg to request lateral movements or even more engagement. This means the legs can remain quieter, reserved for stimulating impulsion and jump.
     Impulsion and jump, activity in the hind limbs, engagement, lowering the hindquarters—in all this bridle madness, I have not forgotten those things. I once asked John why my horse’s free walk was improved after doing an exercise called Hip-Shoulder-Shoulder, a basic of John’s Giving-to-the-Bit training. His explanation was so simple I am chagrined that I did not see it myself. He said to me that with giving-to-the-bit, we are saying to the horse relax this part, then that part, then the next. Relax, relax, relax—we are repeatedly asking the horse to give in his body and become suppler. Not only has the horse responded in the neck and head, but the response is carried progressively along to the rest of his body. As he learns this relaxation, he lets go of his back, allowing it to swing. In time, I found that I was no longer constantly urging my horse forward; her steps became freer and more forward because her body allowed her to move so. As she came to understand the mechanics of spots 6 through 9, her balance improved. When I requested her forehand to rise, she sent her center of balance naturally toward the rear and because of the freedom and relaxation in her back; she could step under that center, as she never had before.
      Collection is the art of perfecting connection, the horse being connected through his body and to his rider. It’s teaching the horse to direct his energy so that he may move symmetrically as a balanced whole. By progressively asking for more and more lift through relaxation, the horse will over time, transfer more and more weight in his haunches (by “folding” the joints of the pelvis, stifle and hock…he relaxes these joints and receives the weight he has lifted off his front end), thus freeing the forehand and providing the balance for all those wonderful upper level movements. The key word here is progressively. While the classical school says that a horse should always be ridden in a connected manner, it takes years to develop the muscles that will eventually allow him to load his hindquarters in high collection consistently. You can’t make a finished classical horse overnight. Giving to the bit will not help you get there faster, but it will give you some effective tools in achieving that goal.
     It has certainly worked for my horse. So I repeat, it is my theory that in order to ride the horse from back to front, the horse can be trained from front to back. Giving to the bit teaches the front of the horse to relax, connect and rise. If the front end is soft and rising, the hind end is allowed to step underneath it, like opening a door allows you to step through. The balance allows the impulsion and the impulsion amplifies the balance. The total picture is one of lightness and harmony…isn’t that what dressage is all about?

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