Dressage Contact Issue

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Olivia&Archie

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Looking for some help with my 6yo warmblood and some words of hope really…

I am really struggling with contact and getting him to soften. I have weekly lessons with a dressage instructor and some lessons are more productive than others, as to be expected.
I ensure he’s going forward and is off my leg. We work on circles, leg yielding, transitions. His rhythm is very good (my instructor’s words). I then squeeze the inside rein to ask for softness. Horse softens for a milli-second, I continue supporting with my leg, I release with my inside hand fingers and in this tiny amount of time we’ve lost all connection and are back to square one. I’ve tried this out hacking also and it’s even more of a disaster as he gets so distracted even if I am doing transitions frequently/asking him to yield.

My instructor gets on and manages to get it instantly. He is also great on the lunge. My instructor has said I need to be more firm with him but I don’t like the sound of that. It sounds as if he wants me to be “nagging” with the inside hand?!
It’s clear I am the problem as my instructor has no issues but I’m just wondering if anyone has any wise words of wisdom?!

Starting to feel pretty useless and that my dreams of competing are out of reach.
 
Horses don't soften from the inside rein, they soften from the hind leg coming up and stepping under the belly, enabling back and base of neck to lift, and creating a 'circle' of energy.

Also shoulder-fore and shoulder in are your friends; since its hard for a young in experienced horse to soften if its body is dead straight, and taking up the contact on the inside rein will just feel to it like a pull.

What's worked is something my Rider Biomechanics trained coach suggested, on my massive bargey shouldered Clydie x loan gelding, is to get up a good tracking up trot [or active walk] if your on the right rein, adopt rider position 'right, and without leaning forward 'scoop the inside rein up the neck without shortening it [indirect rein of opposition] ask the horse to flex til you see inner eyelash, while use inside or a tap on the inside shoulder with whip to ask him to put some weight on that outside shoulder; give, when you get a bit of flexion, soften, open your seat and go forward as a reward.

The movement with the inside rein might need to be a bit agricultural to start. Imagine your using that rein to just lift up a little bit of fur, or mane. Out of the corner of your left eye ideally you will see the outside front hoof reaching a bit more forward than the inside one, which means the horse is bending laterally, and standing up evenly on both its shoulders. Hope this helps.

Finally your hand aids need to be completely independent. When you get that feeling of contact [like being 'on rails], don't let the outside rein go, because that, with your inside leg, is what maintains the contact.
 
My little mare has a short strong back and a shortish neck and somewhat straight hocks, and also finds it easy to avoid using herself. As @ThreeFurs mentions, shoulder-fore and shoulder-in are your friends, and it can help a lot to enlarge into a corner or on a circle by asking the inside hind to side-step further under the body. How are you riding your half-halts at the moment?
 
Olivia&Archie said:
Horse softens for a milli-second, I continue supporting with my leg, I release with my inside hand fingers and in this tiny amount of time we’ve lost all connection and are back to square one.
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Releasing too soon, or too much can make a young horse feel insecure. You’re basically dropping him. Some horses also prefer a stronger connection than others (not to be confused with allowing the horse to sit on your hands).
 
Don’t feel disheartened if horse goes better for your instructor. Just be happy he can go that nicely. I used to love getting on mine after my instructor had ridden him and get the feel she had set up. You then know what you want to feel and can work towards it.
 
I would honestly try a different instructor. You should be able to follow whatever instructions they give you successfully at least in the lesson. My kids ride fantastically if I stand in the arena and keep issuing instructions - without that constant feedback it is a slower process but still progressing.

Other than that - what have they said about your seat/seat aids? In an established horse, your seat is the most powerful aid. I can sit on a horse and have their back rise up under me, head drop and back legs engage - from my seat alone. My son can follow all the hand/leg instructions but if his core isn’t giving enough, seat not allowing engagement and helping to produce it, it’s just not happening. I pop my kids on the lunge if they are struggling. They subconsciously relax because I am in charge of direction and then the pony has a rider relaxed enough that the aids can produce what we were trying to get.

Horses can also drop out from under you if they aren’t all that strong and you manage to get the back to rise up and an outline - they’re basically saying ‘Oh no, this is hard’ and you lose all engagement from behind. As the head drops you need to ride into what you have created, so you don’t lose impulsion.

But basically, this is something that needs to be done in person with an instructor who you can easily understand and who will help micromanage you until you’ve got it. I was merrily calling out instructions this morning as my son schooled his youngster, because I could see what he wasn’t yet able to feel.
 
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I think you're looking at the wrong end of the horse. You don't need to hold a horse together with the reins, they're capable of doing that themselves. But if they're not using the hind end correctly then you're only trying to pretty up the picture by faffing around with the front end.
 
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