Help with inconsistent contact

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dressage_diva

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i have great problems maintaining a consistent contact on my 13yr old cob. We came to dressage and "proper" flatwork rather late in our relationship and we're really struggling. Every time we do dressage I get comments saying he needs to work forward from behind into an even contact, but he's naturally really wiggly in his head and it's just making my contact worse! He's very forward - quick off the mark when he does transitions - and always tracks up, he just prefers using his front end to pull himself forward to rear-wheel drive!

My instructor says that my hands are part of the problem as he is very good at convincing me to wiggle my hands and I end up wiggling him more and the contact isn't consistent enough for him to work into. However, when she's seen me ride other horses my hands are much stiller and quieter with an even consistent contact - but the moment I'm back on my boy again my hands start to wiggle. After riding him for 9years I just have my own way of riding him which is really starting to affect our performance at dressage
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Does anyone have any ideas what I could do? I can't afford for him to be sent away and worked by someone who can get him to stop wiggling his head (which in turn might stop me wiggling!), so I'm looking for something that I can do to help the both of us. Even if I try not to ride him with a contact my hands are never still.

I'm having regular lessons on a variety of dressage horses to work on me, but the problem just doesn't seem to arise when I'm on strange horses!

Any advice appreciated!
 
why not put a very loose neckstrap on him (spare stirrup leather does nicely) and have 1 or both hands holding that. i lay it across my palm, with the rein. i tend to do this on youngsters in early days (so i have a hope if we have a sudden drama) and it does tend to keep the hand(s) forward and still.
perhaps elastic-reins might help otherwise, i'm not a fan usually but they might persuade both of you to stay still and let the elastic take the wiggle, for a while until you are out of the habit!
 
have a look at the equiami riding aid as it helped ours who poked her nose and leaned or sometimes dropped the contact and went too high. It got her much more consistent and settled in the contact
 
MYGEORGE - Would you kindly stop with the incessant viral marketing. I have been biting my tongue for so long over this, and have gone from a very satisfied customer who was all lined up to write a glowing review for your website, to one that does not want to admit to having anything to do with your company (I'm assuming this is Hilary?). I'm not sure what you take us all for, but I find it incredibly patronising to think that you are of the opinion that none of us on HHO will see through your thinly veiled marketing campaign.

Off to report you to admin
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Agreed, I have been noticing this more and more! It has got to the point where if I see a post with Equiami in it, I can guarantee that it is by mygeorge!

Isabelle
 
Don't worry Widget, no one is accusing you
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mygeorge has been doing enough promotion all by herself without needing to bring in accomplices
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Admin has PM'd me to say that 'appropriate action has been taken', whatever that means. My blood pressure is much lower now though!
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LS have you tried riding with a schooling whip across the top of your index fingers (under your thumbs)?

It is an old fashioned exercise, but one I come back to occasionally if I find I am getting too handy. It just means that you become VERY aware of what your hands are doing. It also resitricts the movement of your hands so they have to move as a pair and you cant hook wrists etc Restricted movement also means you need to ride more from your legs/seat.
 
gosh this reminds me of when my old instructor got so sick of my wiggly left hand he tied my hands together with baling twine.....it was horrible but really gave me an idea of how much my hands wobbled...i had huge red marks on my wrists after tho....
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