If your horse resists your commands, he's probably trying to tell you that he's uncomfortable with the bit and the pressure it puts on his tongue.

Bits can only do two things: cause resistance or relaxation. Tongue pressure plays an important role in resistance. When a horse is resisting the bit, he's really evading the tongue pressure because the bit is interfering with his ability to swallow.

To understand how your horse feels, push down on your tongue and try to run. You immediately realize that if your tongue can't elevate, you can't swallow, and therefore can't run very far. This is how your horse feels with the constant pressure of a bit. Select a bit that relieves tongue pressure and allows more tongue relief and you many find you've removed your horse's reasons to resist.

Horses resist the bit to find more tongue relief. These signs of resistance are most often associated with the bit:

1. Going behind the bit.
   
2. Going above the bit.
   
3. Overactive mouth: gaping
   
4. Overactive mouth: tongue out of the mouth, drawing the tongue into the throat
   
5. Overactive mouth: tongue over the bit
   
6. Rooting/leaning on the bit, running through the bit

• Young or green, just beginning training, with a challenging disposition
• Riding in a discipline that restricts bits to a single-jointed mouthpiece

• Young or green, just beginning training, with a steady disposition
• Older, just beginning training for a new discipline, or retraining after a long lapse
• Riding in a level 1 mouthpiece and showing resistance

• Basic training with a good disposition and self-control, can handle more tongue relief
• Advanced training but a challenging disposition---anxious, aggressive, or fearful
• Riding in a level 2 mouthpiece and showing resistance

• Performance horse with advanced training and a solid disposition
• Experienced trail horse with a solid and trustworthy disposition
• Riding in a level 2-3 bit and showing resistance