Question:
What are the benefits/drawbacks to using a flash?
My horse, a six year old gelding, has always been very oral; he loves to have the bit in his mouth and always produces a fair amount of foam. My biggest struggle as a rider is rein contact, and he avoids my hand by going above the bit. When I ask him to step into the contact he gets very busy with the bit, sometimes he grabs it but most of the time it is more like he is chewing and moving it around. It has been suggested to me to use a flash but since I’m the cause of the problem I’m reluctant to try and fix it with tack. I’m hoping that as I improve as a rider he will accept the contact more quietly, but I‘m also worried that I’m creating a problem in the meantime.
- Anna
Answer:
The flash is mostly useful on horses who open their mouths to avoid the rein contact and the rein aids. It should be adjusted so that the horse can still take a treat and chew, but not so loose that he can open his mouth widely. But it shouldn't be so tight that the mouth is tied shut. If your horse merely chews on the bit vigorously and moves it around in his mouth, the flash may not be the right solution. On the other hand, a correctly adjusted flash doesn't hurt the horse, either. So, you can try it and see what happens. The flash is typically not so much a solution to a problem, but it can help your aids reach their target more effectively by taking away a certain wiggle room for evasions. If the horse still moves the bit around a lot with a flash, check his poll and hips for muscle stiffnesses and blockages, and check if your back muscles are engaged enough, so that the connection between hips and elbows is secure enough. I suspect that you will find the solution between these three elements: core muscle engagement, and suppleness of the horse's poll and hips.
Thomas Ritter
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