Meh! I am cross with myself

arwenplusone

arwenplusone

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I cannot ride.
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I mean really, this week I just cannot seem to make it work. Did some dressage on the weekend & looking at the vid & photos, I really need to shorten my reins, but for the love of god I cannot do it without a) meeting resistance from ponio b) getting stiff straight arms or c) making myself lean forwards.

Doesn't help that horse's neck is soooo long but meh! I am an idiot!

Can anyone lend me any extendible gadget arms?
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(edited because I can't type properly either.
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Meh ...MEH ...meh, meeeeeeeehhh !!!

sorry thought I'd join in, I love that word, specially if you say it like an old geezer that smokes 50 a day lol!
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Anyway back to being serious, have you tried riding with shorter reins gradually? rather than taking too much up in one go, as your horse need to adjust in time, and when you have worked in, have you got some of those reins with the notches in (sorry don't the know the technical name for them) so you know where your hands are and you can see if there sneaking back, is your horse working correctly for you, no point shortening your reins if the rest is not coming into play, which many people do and wonder why its so hard work for both them and the horse.
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Well exactly, Kenzo - his frame at the moment is too long. So I DO need to get him working from behind more, up into the bridle. But my reins still look awful and I need to help him a bit by maintaining the contact. Good point about the rein stopper things though - might look at that.



PS: Meeeeeeeeeeeeeehhh!
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shorten your reins but keep an elastic contact with the horses mouth, ie, move with the contact from your elbows!! Once you have this you will have a much better contact generally,and will be there to support your horse to take it(contact) forward! Your elbows in the pic are quite close to your side you prob can move them 4 inch shorter (towards the contact) and still have a more than enough room to have a elastic contact. All with the horse going prop forward, and riding into that elastic contact so he/she follows the bit/contact where ever you go (free walk/collection)ect!!

sorry if thats just made things more complicated!! dont think ive explained it very well!!
 
I hear you, but this is what I have been trying - lol - Iit makes my elbows straight. Perhaps I just have short arm syndrome......
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I have never had this problem before, but I think he's just so big it is really throwing me.
Will keep at it!
 
lol, thats one of my (many) failings too. I have been told a million times over the years 'shorten your reins' and then 'Shorten your god damn reins, NOT LENGTHEN YOUR ARMS'. I blame it on originally learning to ride western. But it is just an excuse!! Ha ha. Love your grey by the way!
 
Do you make sure your hands are 'holding coffee cups'? Mind you when sister did that recently (really concentrating in an equitation class) she then found elbows were welded to hips! My RI taught me a good trick. Take up your contact, then put reins in one hand, slide other hand up rein towards face, then take reins back into both hands, keeping even contact. Start in halt, then walk and progress through the paces. She suggested this when I rode her mechanical horse but I do it on my mare as well. It does help and you can repeat whenever you feel yourself slipping back into bad habits.
 
you need a mental voice in your head saying 'bend your elbows' every two minutes!!!- i have a similar problem, but unfortunately only on one rein- i cannot for the life of me control the whereabouts of my left hand so it drops down lower than my other hand. if i'm having a lesson my trainers constantly yells at me about it so i correct it but i find it very hard when i'm on my own!
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