Keeping a Consistent Contact

[nato]

After watching my dressage test on video today, I have only realised the extent to which my hands move while riding! I'd like to be able to establish a more consistent contact, I have a feeling that I tend to lean on my hands for balance as my horse should really be driven from my leg rather than pulled by my hands.

It's causing me to tip forward and bring my heels up too, so I feel like core stability is the key here. My horse is naturally on her forehand and loves to have me sitting on top of her neck, holding her up, so I'd like to move away from this habit from both of us!

Can anyone recommend any videos, articles or give me any tips to encourage a change in my position? Of course I am working with an instructor but it would be good to have something to focus on in between lessons!

 

[PorkChop]

The stronger you can get your core, the stiller your hands will be

Try taking your stirrups away to help with your position.

Ultimately I think you should just keep working on getting her off her forehand - transitions, transitions, transitions Keep her guessing so that she is on alert to what you will ask next.

I know they need to learn to work lightly into a contact but have you tried just not supporting her at all, sometimes does the trick.

 

[nato]

Thanks LJR! I will give no stirrups a try. I am also planning on doing more lunging work with her using the Pessoa to encourage her to work from behind. When I give her the contact she just throws her head up in the air - when I take up a contact and ask her to work from behind she just leans on me. So that's why I feel like a lot of the problem is me and my position. Very disheartened today as I work so hard and put so much into learning and improving!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Rather than you working her on the lunge, how about asking your instructor to give you some lunge lessons? Whilst your horse does need to develop the correct muscles to work from behind, it is better for her to do this gradually by walking/trotting uphill, with transitions and pole work than with devices.
And your inconsistent contact is part of the problem, it is encouraging her to lean and look for the contact. Let go! Have some lessons with neither reins nor stirrups. When hacking or schooling drop the contact so that she doesn't lean on you, until you can be sure that you have an independent seat and your hands only move with the horse.

 

[wkiwi]

Thanks LJR! I will give no stirrups a try. I am also planning on doing more lunging work with her using the Pessoa to encourage her to work from behind. When I give her the contact she just throws her head up in the air - when I take up a contact and ask her to work from behind she just leans on me. So that's why I feel like a lot of the problem is me and my position. Very disheartened today as I work so hard and put so much into learning and improving!

Agree with LJR about riding without stirrups. Also, if you could get someone to lunge you on the horse then you can work on your position without worrying about reins etc.
An exercise you can do without the horse is: get a friend to hold bridle while you hold reins normally. Close eyes. Get your 'horse' to 'toss its head' 'move as if in walk' 'poke its nose out' etc. and see if you can follow the bit with your hands and keep an even contact.
Another exercise to do at rising trot - rest your hands on the withers for a few strides and concentrate on feeling how much your elbow joints move (i.e. how much movement there is when your hands are 'still' (in relation to the horse). Then lift your hands up a few inches and try to keep the same amount of movement in the elbow. This stops the elbow locking (i.e. when the hands go up and down as you rise and sit at the trot).
Every now and again (at any pace) drop your inside hand down by your side (reins in outside hand) with fingertips resting lightly against the numnah. Pretend you are playing the piano with light finger movements. This helps you see if your shoulder and other joints are relaxed (or if that hand is creeping up or too tense to 'play').
Also check the rest of your position (looking up, stretch the upper body, long legs, tits up).
You should be able to find other exercises in books, or people will put them on here, --all good riders work on there position with various exercises all the time.
Don't be disheartened, as at least you are working to improve - so many people don't! It is very hard work learning to do it all properly; if it was easy then everyone would be riding well and i think if you watch a lot of other people doing tests then you will see that just about everyone has faults.

 

[Mooseontheloose]

Core stability and lower leg in position are the answers, but one way to feel the consistency of the contact is to reverse the rein position, ie hold between thumb and forefinger so the thumb is pointing towards the bit- somehow it releases some tension and allows you to follow the movement much more easily.