Jingleballs
Well-Known Member
depends who you go to... but mostly, no. it seems to be a very strong, holding contact that's taught generally, and also that, bluntly, we see winning at top levels.
i taught someone years ago who didn't have great balance and, when she lost her balance, i kept saying 'grab the mane not the reins!'... she told me her previous instructor (who had just won a Young Instructor of the Year award) was adamant that if your contact is intermittent because of rider balance issues, it is much better for the horse if it is too strong than too soft. I was gobsmacked - basically saying it's fine to balance yourself with the reins. HOW can a decent seat and balance ever be developed like that... ?! yet this instructor was lauded!
Sorry - perhaps my post wasn't clear - none of my trainers advise a strong contact - on the contrary it's all about having the elbows bend and being elastic with the rein while maintaining a contact.
What I meant was if I leg my boy have an longer than ideal rein and am not riding him up to the contact as such he is happier and therefore more relaxed but this does lead to comments such as frame to long or not working up into the bridle etc.
Re use of legs - I think of inside leg pushing into outside hand and I would never focus on using the hands along without the impulsion and bend generated from my legs.