Long rein but contact

[toppedoff]

Forgive the weird Post and my explanation but really want to get it right

I ride really quietly and like to think I have soft hands but I was wondering about having long reins yet contact. Obviously since it is "racehorses" at the moment we stand up but our hands should be near the wither or on top from what I've seen on videos and photos but how do I get that contact with long reins? I did try "pulling" back and holding but I felt I was seesawing the poor horse.

Right now my hands go near the neckstrap that now I'm back on board I feel is way too high up and looks a bit too high up go grab now but that's the only sort of way I feel I have a good contact but apart from that I'm always fiddling and fighting to find the contact in long reins

If this all makes sense sorry

 

[Lucky Snowball]

I’m not clear , are you retraining a racehorse or training one? How fast are you going? Sorry if I’m being dim but just back from the pub!

 

[toppedoff]

I’m not clear , are you retraining a racehorse or training one? How fast are you going? Sorry if I’m being dim but just back from the pub!

Sorry! Racing School in the arena right now so not too fast just trying to do what I can to really help myself it's been explained by me instructor alot but I simply just don't seem to click what she says because my brains a bit stupid

 

[fidleyspromise]

Ask the instructor to show you at halt or can you watch one of the others who have the right length/hand position and see if it's easier to see in person?

I've no idea about racehorses sorry.

 

[millitiger]

I think when cantering and doing faster work with racehorses, you aren't looking for the same contact you would have/want with a 'normal' riding horse.
Have you tried asking an instructor at the racing school to go through what feeling you should be looking for and how to achieve it?

 

[Haniki]

https://fb.watch/shY0bfDp_u

@toppedoff I hope you can watch the video I linked to above. It shows some of Philip Kirby’s jockeys riding work on ‘long reins’. As you know, if you shorten the reins on racehorses they tend to go faster. The idea is keeping your reins long, keeps them relaxed.

 

[sbloom]

But that's not a true contact, you can see the slack in the reins, the riders hands appear to be at least partially resting on the neck. It's not so much the length of rein surely but the strong contact that makes them speed up? I would ask for clarity as to me this is a longer rein with a barely there contact, you could have a strong contact with this length of rein, though harder to have a light or intermittent contact with a much shorter rein.

These are lots of discussions in classical dressage about where the elbow should be, where the upper body should be, both effect both rein length and strength of contact, and would be part of long rein/strong contact but I think this is long rein and NO real contact.

 

[toppedoff]

But that's not a true contact, you can see the slack in the reins, the riders hands appear to be at least partially resting on the neck. It's not so much the length of rein surely but the strong contact that makes them speed up? I would ask for clarity as to me this is a longer rein with a barely there contact, you could have a strong contact with this length of rein, though harder to have a light or intermittent contact with a much shorter rein.

These are lots of discussions in classical dressage about where the elbow should be, where the upper body should be, both effect both rein length and strength of contact, and would be part of long rein/strong contact but I think this is long rein and NO real contact.

Yeah it's just really confusing and stressful. I don't want my position to look awful or come all this way only to be riding completely backwards. I've asked for clarification but only just get a repeat of what's been said

 

[The Xmas Furry]

But that's not a true contact, you can see the slack in the reins, the riders hands appear to be at least partially resting on the neck. It's not so much the length of rein surely but the strong contact that makes them speed up? I would ask for clarity as to me this is a longer rein with a barely there contact, you could have a strong contact with this length of rein, though harder to have a light or intermittent contact with a much shorter rein.

These are lots of discussions in classical dressage about where the elbow should be, where the upper body should be, both effect both rein length and strength of contact, and would be part of long rein/strong contact but I think this is long rein and NO real contact.

This definitely a longer rein with light contact.
Mentioning dressage doesnt help in this instance sbloom, just muddies the water for the OP.

TO, watch the video a few times of them lobbing up, that's what your instructor is aiming at (I would hope!)

 

[sbloom]

To me the hands that I can see are resting on the neck, so not a contact. Understanding how bodies work, how physics affect them, can be extremely helpful for some people and it's often only discussed in dressage, the lessons will still be applicable as it's about the principles.

 

[millitiger]

But I think the point is, most racehorses aren't on a contact when working or for a lot of the time when racing, and that is what is expected.

If OP is learning how to gallop racehorses, they need to do it the way it is done and not try and create a normal riding contact.
It is less riding and influencing the horse and more exercising it so try not to interfere and change the way the horse is moving.
Once more experienced and you know what you are doing, you can have a play with contact and feel and how those changes can positively or negatively impact the horse- but while learning to gallop at college you need to do it with them lobbing along off the bridle as that is what is needed at that time.