I know this has been done 100 times, but contact issues.

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ForeverBroke_

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Sorry in advance, I know these are done quite a bit and its quite long!!

I've owned my horse for 2 years in June, and in all of this time I've really struggled to get a proper 'contact,' and so get him to round. He's an ex-eventer and really well schooled all in all, but something I'm doing wrong is stopping him from softening.

In my average schooling session I'll do a lot of circles, serpentines, changes of rein, leg yielding, a bit of shoulder out and sometimes canter-walk, walk - canter transitions as well as much more. These all help me to get a him a bit rounder after about 30/40 minutes and then it gets a bit better. He steps through from behind well 98% of the time (can be very very lazy) and mouths well in his bit too. (Loose ring french link snaffle).

I've had a few other people ride him and they've had the same problem initially, but after a week its got better. So, please help - what am I doing!!
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Disclaimer : these are very old photos!! Sorry. This is him on a general 'good day,' though do excuse how large his neck is.. it looks very bizarre!
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And this is his general way of going , excuse muckers, my boots heel fell off!! :
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I tend to ride in Spurs to try to create a bit more impulsion which I find to work. He also scores about 55-65% in his dressage tests and all they *tend* to comment on is the contact.

He's got the dentist in March and is over-due the chiropractor. However, the vet recently said he wouldnt need it...? Think I'll go ahead and get him checked over anyway. Saddle is due April.

Would it be worth getting me seen to?? I don't 'feel,' straight 100% of the time either.

*wail*
 
Well interestingly I had a lesson today and was having the same problem with my gobby mare!!

Instructor gave me a good but somewhat controversial exercise which I will try and explain.

Start on a cricle about 20 meters then have your inside hand fixed on your inside leg (about mid thigh along the seem of your jods ) have outside hand fixed on the d ring of the saddle and keep riding the circle.

Start in walk do not let you hands move al all, the rein needs to be long ish but with a good contact. Keep riding the horse forwards until the horse gives them milimeter but milimeter let the reins out keeping your hand fixed in this same position. Use big sweeping circles to change the rein and smoothly change your hand position to the opposite way round.

Once the hore is accepting and softening in walk do the same in trot. Use some smaller circles spiraling in and out and some bigger sweeping circles to change the rein. Once the horse is accepting then smoothly and very gradually bring your hands up and in, each time the horse hollows take your hands out again. This alone took 45 mins to get her soft and accepting but it really worked brilliantly for my horse she is young and weak so its just helping to build the right muscles for her to do it easily. We even tried it in canter and I got the best canter ever out of her today.

Just remember to keep the engine running though. Get the energy through from the back end!!
 
Thing is if your hands move then so will the horses head!!! This just gives you an idea if it is your hands. Many people will probably say this is a bad idea but it worked for me. The elastic contact should come from your upper arm / elbow not your hands they should stay still!! Glad it made sense, let me know how you get on!
 
I would suggest ensuring that you have a forward hand contact - many people instinctly draw the hand back to create the contact rather than shortening the reins and moving your hand forwards. Make sure your hands are high enough and concentrate on keeping them still. If you are moving your hands to maintain the contact and following his head, I find this just makes it harder. Keep your hands still and soft (not fixed) and he will find it much easier to work into the contact.
 
Agree with decca, keep the hands "high", still and soft and lots of patience, it will come. Make sure your leg aids are there to get the feeling of leg into hand
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(My instructor would have a fit if my hands were low, wide and fixed)
 
Thanks a lot all of you.

I'm almost certain it is in my hands, I have a habit of letting my outside get slack and so he just overbends to the inside so if I can get them sorted at least, I'm praying that combined with the general MOT things will start to fall in place.

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Can I suggest that you try to sit up a bit straighter, and raise your hands, opening your shoulders, you look rather round-shouldered to me, particularly in the 2nd photo, and tipped slightly forward in the 1st. It might also help to concentrate on looking between the horse's ears, using your legs to direct him, rather than your hands.
 
how about checking your own body? Go through from your mind to your toes and soften it all one bit at a time. And check you've got no outside issues getting in the way.
 
FB I was thinking about this earlier, remembering what I did.

Do you have anyone/instructor on the ground to tell you when he is straight? can you feel when he is straight when you are schooling on circle. My idea of straight was overly banana'd to the inside. After lots of being shouted at with 'he's straight now' (in my head..... no he isnt he feels well bent to the outside!) I did start to get the feel of what was correct.

halfpass I can see how that would work, partly I think because you are fixing the outside reins so you cant drop it.
 
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