How much 'weight' do you like in a contact?

[Charmin]

This struck a debate on the yard today.

About a bag full of sugar on each rein, lighter, more?

Let's take this as a fairly established horse, not a green one

 

[PaddyMonty]

The weight of a bag full of sugar is a lot. Only time I would ever want that level of contact would be approaching a 1.60mtr fence. At all other times half that or less.

 

[little_flea]

I think it varies with the horse - as long as the contact is matched up with appropriate leg and the horse isn't on the forehand.

 

[KK200]

I'm a very light contact fan (aim to be able to ride with hands as light as Mr Hester one day!), hate having to be strong with my horse. So a bag of sugar (presuming we are talking about the smallest bags, around 500g) would be WAY too much for me.

But then again I do dressage and dont often jump (especially with current crazy pony), and in dressage we are always peddling this airy light contact idea, if the horse is heavy in the contact then it is most likely leaning on you, on the forehand, downhill and not in self carriage. Bad times for a dressage horse!

When I once got my mare working nicely in self carriage (see other thread for explanation of once!) I could barely feel her, just the tiniest sensation of her mouth at the end of the reins - that's what I want to achieve. So maybe 10g of sugar at most?!

 

[dianchi]

Actually I realised that I was riding too light with my mare and had a lesson where it really clicked and I had far too little in the hand.

Having light hands and contact is two very different things

Personally I think that 10g is no where near enough, perhaps 1/2 bag is about right.

 

[flyingfeet]

I'd like to see dressage competitions with a breaking line between bit and rein and rein so if you use too much force, it snaps and elimination!

Your horse should be working where it is comfortable, therefore a light contact is going to get you a more willing partner. Too much force and you are going to make your horse numb to the contact, then requiring more force - vicious circle.

I think it was Emile who said its like holding a bird, and too much pressure and you kill it.

 

[rara007]

My reins are leather so weigh more than 10g sadly. Though my pony is rather strong having been driven in a curb most of his life, so I'm aiming to get it down from about a 500g to 100ish. He must truely be in the contact driving still though so I must be able to feel him over the weight of the reins.

 

[MungoMadness]

I am taught to have an ounce in each rein. So that's 30g?

 

[Bexx]

I think it's different for each horse I ride. For me it's not so much about weight but if I feel the horse is accepting my hand and isn't leaning and he's working forward straight and balanced then I'm happy I guess cos I don't have my own, I just ride for other people if I were to say I only want a feather light contact, I wouldn't be able to get results from different kinds of horses

 

[kirstie]

I would say ideally, the equivalent of an iphone 4 in each hand, maybe slightly more, though it is not always like that!

My trainer very much drums into me 'giving hands, giving hands'- it has done me and my mare no end of good. She responds so much better to that than a hold and push approach, as previous trainers have had me do with her. Don't get me wrong, there are times when I do need to 'take' and get after her but generally I like to push my hands forward and allow.

That doesn't mean I am riding around with flappy reins, quite the opposite, it is more of a feeling of a consistent contact coming from my elbows, alllowing them forward, with my horse going forward into it, accepting the bridle and hand.

I don't think I have explained it very well, but I understand it!

 

[nikkimariet]

I'd like to see dressage competitions with a breaking line between bit and rein and rein so if you use too much force, it snaps and elimination!

But that in itself is subjective to an ideal... How much is too much force? Too much force based on whose ideal?...

Contact is individual entirely to the horse, the rider and the situation.

I can't stand feather light horses that give you nothing to work into. I also can't stand having my arms pulled out.

I settle for a happy medium of what the horse wants and what I want. There is no right or wrong as long as rider nor horse is uncomfortable.

 

[Sophire]

We are currently doing a bit of a project at uni, we're actually focusing on the direct transition from trot to halt, however, a parameter we're testing is the force down each rein. Force is measured in KG, and with one rider averaged between 3-4kg of force and the other rider 8-9kg on different horses. After 7 weeks working on each horse, one owned by the rider and one a college horse, both had decreased. Pressure was 1-2kg for first rider and 5-6kg for the second. Both decreasing. Obviously this was during the time in seconds it took from asking for the halt to getting it, but outside of this timeframe, the same force was seen used often, even for a half halt down one rein or a general feel down the rein. It was interesting, but I really don't think it can be subjected to 'weight' exactly, or that of physical objects.

 

[Cortez]

Depends entirely on the horse, the stage of training, the situation and what horses offer you. Most young horses go through a "heavy" phase; some unbalanced horses are happy to lean, some are afraid of the contact, some take advantage. The ideal is not too light, not too heavy. And I would hope that horses get lighter in the contact as they get better balance, but judging by some very high-up horses/riders that doesn't always hold true.