How to get my horse listening to me and on the bit...

Not sure what you mean by bearing down on the saddle but what you want is for the horse's back to round up under you as he engages his hindquarters. For that you need a light seat. With the reins you need a contact but not short reins as such.

I am on my phone and cannot insert links but there is a good thread on here which has a link to a video. If you search under engage the hindquarters I think it will come up.

Basically you need that first and the contact follows. Lots of transitions, pole work and hill work helps.
 
Many, many transitions and legs on are working for my current project Also aiming for a super light seat (mostly because he is dinky and I'm not). I work with a contact but soften it as much as I can without dropping the reins when he is listening. He is a little show off though.
 
Transitions are good for getting horse to listen to you. Just reading a fab book I picked up second hand Cross Train your horse- simple dressage for every sport, every horse - Jane Savoie and this explains how to get your horse working on the bit really well.

A good instructor should be able to show you, not sure about the description you gave, but sometimes hard to express what someone else has said to you.
 
Bearing down is basically using your lower stomach/core muscles. You feel deep in the saddle but then you have to raise yourself and imagine that theres a gap between you and the saddle to allow the horses back to raise up and drop his head. <--- sounds like a load of rubbish but im compplicated... very! :confused:
 
Country.Girl said:
Bearing down is basically using your lower stomach/core muscles. You feel deep in the saddle but then you have to raise yourself and imagine that theres a gap between you and the saddle to allow the horses back to raise up and drop his head. <--- sounds like a load of rubbish but im compplicated... very! :confused:
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I think your instructor is trying to explain May Wanless 'Ride with your mind' to you. Perhaps it would be better if you read it for yourself, she doesn't describe it in quite the same way as your RI.
As others have said frequent transitions are good for getting your horse to listen to you. Try 10 steps walk/10 steps trot/10 steps walk repeated until you feel the horse is listening.
 
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