Bringing into a contact

[Wishfilly]

I had planned to practice it today too but I fell asleep on the couch instead

It's the first day since about Tuesday when the weather hasn't been absolutely appalling, so I had lots of motivation to ride!

 

[Jenni_]

I too find this exercise very helpful with a young or somehow resistant horse as it seems to make it easier for the horse to understand the benefit of the contact! When spiralling or bending it is far more 'likely' to me that the hindleg will step under 'better' (we are talking an uneducated for whatever reason sort of horse here - not necessarily one that has been started really well and so on ) which will make it much easier for the rider to ride from the hind quarters to the hand and for the horse to use the hindquarters and thus 'meet' the hand rather than ignoring it or resisting it which is what I have found some horses do - no matter how gently persuasive and sympathetic you might try to be!! When the horse 'finds' that contact (and the feeling is pretty hard to miss I find) you can relax and reward easily or keep it and maintain it for a few more strides. Once the horse has got that bit it is much easier to ask for a contact on a straight line. But that is just how I have found it and there are many ways to find and teach the contact I am sure.

No matter what stage of going my horse is at, she is very sensitive to the contact and the most simple and effective way to get her to trust and accept it like you say is to get those hind legs flushing and make sure we're riding from the back to unlock the front. It's my go to for getting her even in both reins, and resetting my dominant left hand.