Trying to get the 'between hand and leg'

lisan

lisan

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Some days it comes quite easily and I feel we are really getting somewhere.

Then last night she seemed really sensitive to my leg but would NOT accept a contact. Thought there must be something wrong so changed bridle and put the KK loose ring lozenge bit back in (were in a neue schule loose ring snaffle)

No difference, so thought it might be the new dressage saddle, so took it off and rode bareback, (very brave
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) no difference! Asked one of the dressagie guys at the yard to have a look (she has recently had her back teeth done, and is not in season - this week anyway!) and after a couple of arguments she started to give, so put the saddle back on and she worked beautifully????????????

All I want is a bit of consistency now we are starting to improve!!!!!
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Have a lesson booked Wed eve, so will see how it goes, but I really wanted Mum to come and watch (as we have been having some nice work) but dare'nt ask her in case we have more Madam moments!!

Edited to add, we did go jumping Sunday - and what a difference my flatwork is making, we are going in a snaffle next time we go jumping!
 
Hang out for it! if you know both she and you can do it, then she's probably just seeing whether she really has to work properly or not.

And well done on the improvement!
 
My mare is exactly the same. Some days she will just not accept the contact, its usually when shes a bit tired and she just wants to go in a floppy long and low outline and not work herself. My mare is the sort of horse where if you dont ask you dont get! she never offers anything.

Just letting you know you are not alone.
 
I can't remeber who's demo it was but they basically said all top dressage riders are going round goin, got it, lost it, got it, lost it, got it, got it, no lost it.

Between hand and leg is no easy thing even on the best trained horses so just keep persevering and the days where it just doesn't happen, well lunge, go jumping or just put her back in the box.

Now you know why dressage riders talk about it in hushed tonnes and read all sorts of ancient manuscripts on the art of dressage.

Acutally pehaps best to stop now to preserve you own sanity!
 
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My mare is exactly the same. Some days she will just not accept the contact, its usually when shes a bit tired and she just wants to go in a floppy long and low outline and not work herself. My mare is the sort of horse where if you dont ask you dont get! she never offers anything.

Just letting you know you are not alone.

[/ QUOTE ]

that is nice to hear - my mare is the same - i always feel like i have to push and push just for the simplest things.
that said when she does go she goes beautifully, it just take a lot to get her to give it.
thank god its not just me!!
 
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[ QUOTE ]
My mare is exactly the same. Some days she will just not accept the contact, its usually when shes a bit tired and she just wants to go in a floppy long and low outline and not work herself. My mare is the sort of horse where if you dont ask you dont get! she never offers anything.

Just letting you know you are not alone.

[/ QUOTE ]

that is nice to hear - my mare is the same - i always feel like i have to push and push just for the simplest things.
that said when she does go she goes beautifully, it just take a lot to get her to give it.
thank god its not just me!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Phew, glad its not just me then! I do lots of other stuff with her to 'keep her entertained' lol! We are doing a trec practice day on saturday and SJ on sunday, then dressaging on Tuesday! Busy busy!
 
My mare is also a pain - she can work nicely but at the beginning of a session it always takes between 10 and 30 mins for her to realise that she will have to work properly so she may as well get on with it. It is quite frustrating to go through the same procedure every day...
 
Reading these posts, it is also the same for me. I have had dressage lessons with a top event rider, and I ride my horse (Mare) with purpose every time I ride. We have basically gone back to basics from last April as I was always too soft with her letting her get away with a longer outline etc etc.
Now we are at the point where I can get her between hand and leg but we, like many, don`t get it 100% of the time. We had to have a month off schooling due to our menage being out of bounds because of all the rain, but now its been sorted and we are now back to schooling. I like hacking but not when its the only thing you can do. For the first 2 sessions, it was obvious that we hadn`t been doing any flatwork but now we are getting it together again.
Today for instance, she was between hand and leg for a while, then we lost it, then we had it, then we lost it, so reading some of the above, has made me feel better.
Thanks everyone, now I know that I just have to keep persevering. I suppose its better to have her there some of the time than none at all.
 
wow! im not alone then either! Today i had a bit of a nightmare... my mare was having none of it... was listening to my leg... but it was almost as the reins were just handles that you hold on to for no reason... :s if that makes sense!
 
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wow! im not alone then either! Today i had a bit of a nightmare... my mare was having none of it... was listening to my leg... but it was almost as the reins were just handles that you hold on to for no reason... :s if that makes sense!

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That definitely makes sense, thats how May felt on monday, but tonight, ran through my P12 and N30 for next week and she was fine! Little bit giddy after extended canter, but otherwise not bad!
 
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