Too tense, need to relax!

[Morrigan_Lady]

I had a sort of mini dressage lesson last night, which I gained a MASSIVE amount from and really enjoyed. But I was concentrating SO hard on what I was doing, I ended up holding the reins MEGA tight, that I made my arms and shoulder really hurt!
We was working on keeping the contact and driving the horse forward from behind and my word, did Arch feel fab. But my grip on the reins was summut else!
Is there anything I can do to stop me working so hard and relax? But without dropping the contact.

 

[jenbleep]

I don't know if this will help, or make sense from that matter, but my instructor has always told me to imagine my contact is coming from my elbows as apposed to my hand and wrist.

She also said that whenever i feel the horse take the contact and softens instead of holding him there i should relax, and that doesn't mean literally loosening my contact but just relax all over my back and shoulders, which in turn travels down to my elbow and in turn my hands.

sorry if this sounds like i'm talking poop but this is what my instructor said lol

 

[Dressagebabe]

Hi,
If you are very stiff from holding the reins too tight imagine how your horse must be feeling today also! He was obviously matching your strength which would indicate that you were probably pulling rather than holding him between your hand and leg. You need to have a constant conversation with your hands to his mouth so that neither of you are 'fixing' in the contact even more so when driving him forward. By this I mean tiny little squeezes on the reins either together or left then right. I don't mean by sawing from left to right but give with your inside rein for a milli second this can be acheived by stroking his neck with your finger, this releases the rein a fraction, then retake it, squeeze with your inside hand then out side hand like squeezing water from a sponge, It is a constant conversation with his mouth which moves the bit and stops the fixing of the arms. Make sure you are using your leg when you are doing this as he will then seek the 'give' and should stay very round but much more forward in his pace. Hope this makes sense to you.