Dropping behind the contact

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little_legs

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After reading a post in the gallory, im going to ask for some advise in here.

I have a 14.1 Connie that i play at dressage with, we have been working at it for 3 years now (doesnt time fly) anyway. I have always struggled to get him working in a correct outline, I am always open to suggestions.

When i first got him he couldnt even trot and when we went from trot to walk his front legs stopped and his back legs went past his ears, needless to say we are better at that now.

Anyway I started working him in a passoa a while back and that has really worked to improve his consistancy in his outline and working from behind and over his back.

But we picked up a bad habit from this and everytime I rise on the right rein his snatching at the rein, i could feel it but didnt realise how bed it looked till a friend rode him and I had a look from the ground.

The way to solve this was doing sitting trot, this has worked wonders, even if it is killing me.

The only problem with this is that every now and then he drops behind the contact, I realsie that its harder work for him and I never over do the sitting trot we are just doing it slowly.

But I know that judges hate it when horses drop and go overbent. I was at dressage at the weekend and the judge put in the comments that I should of done rising trot, this deflated me a little, as he is working so much better in sitting trot and would of been all over the place if I had done rising trot.

I just cant win
frown.gif

I would love to hear some advise please.


JAne & William
 
what level are you competing at? i think you should try and overcome your problem in rising trot first, often sitting trot slows the hindleg down and makes the whole things look inactive if not ridden properly.

do you have some pictures? as its hard to comment on whats going on from what you have written - or a video would be even better.

i know whn my youngster drops behind the contact i send him forwards by giving him a couple of taps on his bum with my stick to activate his hindleg and get him forwards and into the bridle.
 
Hi Jane. I'm guessing that you're working at prelim/novice & if so, you really do need to sort out the rising trot as PG suggests - unless you are particularly skilled at sitting & the horse really strong & balanced, sitting will not produce a good novice working trot.

Do you understanding what is causing the snatching? (not totally sure what you mean). Could it be a back/saddle problem (i.e. you coming down on the 'bump' causing discomfort). What happens if you rise on the wrong diagonal?

With regard to coming behind the bit, you're totally right about how 'wrong' it is. You need to get him to accept/go in to the contact better, as I explained in the picture gallery post (which I guess is the post you may be referring to?)

Not much help probably, can you elaborate on the problem at all?
 
Thank you for the reply.

I do have a couple of picces that I can post but I dont think you will be able to see it in them, put I dont have a video.

I am working at prelim and novice.

I have tried correcting the problem in rising trot, but he has been so much better since Ive been sitting he is very active, and tracking up.

He is better in rising trot working at home, and in my lessons but take him somewhere new and when i do rising trot he spooks all over the place, as soon as I sit he relaxes and knows that I am there for him

We have come full circle really as he use to be above the contact.



Jane & William
 
Sorry missed your post before replying to the last one.

I really think its a habit that got when I lunged him in the passoa, as he hadnt done it before then, and he only does it on the right rein.

I'm not the best at sitting trot, infact im better without stirrups, as is william, he is still very active when i sit. and I try to give with my hands, and dont hang on.

Its hard to explain really, hes not running with his head between his knees or anything, but just sometimes hes a little to round, its very hard to explain unless you can see it, ill try and get a short video of it.

At home he works well in rising trot when hes relaxed its just at events that he does this thing more with his head if I rise and if I sit he drops behind with his head
confused.gif


Im not explaining it very well am I SORRY!


JAne & William
 
I agree with PG and sal. You have to get your rising trot established, at the moment you are just masking the problem by sitting. If hes spooking at competitions then change between sitting and rising until he relaxes.
 
Thanks for the advise, its interesting stuff.

I work him in both in my lessons, as I say hes much more relaxed at home and away at my lessons that its not quiet such a big thing.

Its just at events that if I rise I lose him, somthing Im going to have to work on, I will try the sitting and rising until his relaxed.


JAne & William
 
I think you should settle him in at a show in sitting, in that case, but work him in for a long time so he has time to relax. Then go rising, as soon as he 'starts' sit for a while straight onto circles/leg yeilding (as a way of saying 'no, listen to me, behaving like that equals hard work'), soon as he relaxes, praise him & go rising, being prepared to go sitting when he tenses again.

I think your 1st goal should be to solve the rising trot problems as opposed to the over-bent thing when sitting.
 
Well he is very nosey at shows, and can nap and not pay attention to me.

I would like to do my tests in rising trot, so I need to crack the inconsistant contact that we have when I rise, and the snatching on the right rein when I rise.

Hes a good boy really, and we have come on in leaps and bounds, i jsut know he has more to give.

Jane & William
 
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