Forward correction is the safest correction. Holding, allowing the hands to be pulled, or pulling back with both hands only exacerbate the situation and can do nothing but harm. Besides the fact that it might hurt the horse s mouth, dragging can certainly irritate a horse. Some horses may simply zone out on the rider. The horse s response may vary, but invariably communication between horse and rider is either dulled or slowed down.
Horses are very sensitive.
Their kind nature encourages them to try to comply with what they think we are asking of them. They learn that it is okay to pull against the rider s hands. Slowly, little by little, performance quality diminishes at a rate that depends upon the nature of the horse. Usually the first disobedience is an expression of confusion, not intended to be disobedience at all. As this pattern of dragging then disobedience repeats, the horse may develop more aggressive resistances to the rider s failure to notice and respond when dragging occurs.