Riding with a contact....

[miamibear]

Please could some of you knowledgable guys explain something to me?

I has a lesson on Sat it was BRILLIANT but the more i think about something the more worried i am getting.

Instructor said i need more contact on my boy. I have a contact phobia because my old horse used to lean and was very strong and dont want to make new boy like this.

She says all the energy is going out of the front door and as long as the umph from my legs is as much as my contact i wont do any damage. I get the theory but theres a couple of things im not sure on.

1) how do i know if the pressure is equal
2) wont i make him numb in the mouth and dead to the leg doing this?

It seemed to make sense on the day but now im riding on my own im getting worried im ruining him.

Any advice / help / comments would be really appreciated

Thanks everyone

 

[Ferdinase514]

[ QUOTE ]
2) wont i make him numb in the mouth and dead to the leg doing this?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not so long as the contact is elastic and consistent. So make sure your elbows are giving as you ride.

Your leg should be there all the time to keep him going forward, but the aids change all the time, for instance if you are half halting, moving up and down a gear.

 

[rach1984horse]

The next time you are having a lesson. Ask your instructor to hold the reins, below the bit so that the horses's mouth is not being touched at all. You hold your reins as if you were riding, and get you instuctor to show you what the contact should feel like in your hands. This way you know what your working towards.

 

[miamibear]

Thank you for that. I got the elastic feel last night consistent but moving with the horse he kept dropping behind sometimes though and it scared me as i thought i was doing wrong. As soon as i put stronger leg on though he came back in to the contact.

What is your advice when he goes too low in his head?

Instructor said dont release rein and use more leg to get him back up. Makes sense but im questioning my own feeling.

My last instructor was all in to bend this way, bend that way, flex to bring them down but ignored seat and leg so im struggling with the concept a bit. Im keeping with it though!! As i know its a lot more correct!!

 

[Bossanova]

Contact is something I ony start to think about when I have plenty of time on my hands!!

Firstly you must remember there are many ways to acheive the same end result and everyone has their preferences.
Of course there must be a stable and elastic contact at all times but the strength of the contact depends largely upon everyone's own preferred way of riding.

In my view, the horse needs to be willingly moving forwards into a light hand- I dont like to have too much in my hand as I feel theres then a tendancy for the horse to become fixed and reliant upon the hand. Instead, I prefer to have the horse seeking the contact forwards and downwards, my hands being very quick to release and praise when the horse responds correctly.
So I suppose the difference between having what I call a contact, ie a connection and feeling with the mouth but not a holding or hanging hand 'fixing' the horse in to the correct place and riding much more leg into hand is that I'm probaby asking the horse to do more of his own accord- asking instead of dictating

But then thats probably why I will never be a good dressage rider!!

 

[Greyhound]

With my mare to get her into the contact, light, obediant and elastic it all has to come from my legs and seat. Getting the power from the back end up and up and not like your instructor says going out the front door. Lots of half halt mainly with your seat helps and if they get heavy a slight squeeze down the outside rein.

Always allow your elbows to be fluid against your sides, relaxed and not fixed that way you are allowing the forward movement.

Hope that helps

Gh

ETS dont worry too much about getting a contact, always work on impulsion and improving the pace within the pace then the contact will come easily.

 

[miamibear]

She did but it felt awfully strong!!

I know its right as she knows what shes talking about. Guess im just too soft with him!

Perhaps i could do with a few more lessons!!

 

[miamibear]

This was my problem, i am battling between my instrctors method which seems very correct and makes a lot of sense and he did go better last night and the feeling that im holding him up and that the heavy contact may make him lean.

Although at the moment he doesnt have much respect for the contact as he will try to pull me down and likes his head low and does tend to bowl on.

Arrrrgggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

[Parkranger]

I think it totally depends on the horse. If I put my legs behind the girth and squeeze he automatcially comes into an outline with hardly any hand needed - if I had a strong mouth contact he'd just fight me and there's no point!

Is your boy responsive to legs? You may find that you don't need as much mouth contact.....you need to find out what's good for you and also an instructor that understands you both....sometiems it's good for them to get on board so that they can understand the horse itself....

 

[Bossanova]

Ok def if he is heavy already and finds it easier to be on his forehand then you dont want to do it for him. Holding him stronger will feel better because you are lightening his forehand party for him. It's hard to say without riding him but, just as you'd sightly over-bend a hollow horse, I'd think it'd be better to have him sighty above the bit and carrying himself until he learns to push from behind and lighten. so with the contact you keep it as above but when he goes to take it and lean, you shake him off the rein by not giving him anything to lean on- a reease outside-inside, a small upwards pull etc

 

[miamibear]

Yes i agree, although last night was the first time i could stand him and put my legs on in stand and he dropped his head, he doesnt soften on to the bit at all really which is why i think she said i needed a stronger contact. She did feel his mouth through the reins.

He isnt very responsive off the legs, hes a little lazy but when i do persist and put leg on and mean it he rushes off which again i think was the theory behind the stronger contact.

 

[miamibear]

That makes sense totally but when i dont have much of a contact he tends to run through my hands. How do i stop that.

This is like an online lesson LOL

 

[Bossanova]

If he's running because he is falling onto the forehand, put him on a small circle and estabish half-halts through your seat mainly so that you can start to plug him into your seat bones. I think that was one of the most valuable things I've ever earnt- if you can tune a horse in to your seat, it leaves the hands independant to position the head and neck and the legs independant to give aids and for sideways stuff- the seat creates impulsion and contros the speed.
Far easier said than done, but if you can get the feeling of having the horse more from the seatbones and controlling the momentum then the hands are free to do their job rather than having to be slowing as well as positioning.

Sorry I know exactly what I mean but doubt anyone else does as am not brill at putting it in words!!

 

[miamibear]

No, thank you for trying to explain to me!! I understand what you mean, im getting there with my seat, not fully there yet as its all new to me!!

Going to ride tonight if i can and try with not as much contact.

I must say i never felt like i was hindering him or stoppint the forward movement or anything i just felt like i was holding him up and encouraging him to lean, which is the last thing i want!!

Thanks again

 

[miamibear]

Please see pics in gallery for a better explination of what i mean and any comments/advice welcome

Thanks

 

[serena2005]

its so nice to hear someone actually wantin to learn properly, the younger girls at my yard are all force force force....

i just want to say good luck with it and dont give up, it takes a long time to get it right but you will get there!