working long and low

[jenbleep]

i have been told by various people that I should try and work Frankie 'long and low.......' i have a fair old idea what i should be doing but can i ask.........when you ask for stretch from your horse do you keep a contact or just give them all the rein? (I'm thinking it might be keep a slight contact?)

i rode Frankie today and at the end when i was letting him trot round i gave him more of the rein to stretch........in the end i gave him all the rein and was just trotting round with no reins

apart from a couple of times where he was tense ans spooky he seemed to be relaxed and stretching nicely, while working forwards.

is this correct? My dressage lesson isnt until the 5th January

 

[monica987]

You still should have a contact. They can't just be long, they have to be stretching down and taking the conact down. I start of shortish in rein length, and as he takes the contact, release a bit more and more etc until your reins are fairly long but you still have a contact. The best way I find to do this is to keep hands very wide and still and squeezing him inot it, same as asking for him to work round, just release the rein when he takes it so he takes the contact down.
Sorry if I rambles, hope it has helped a bit

 

[rachier]

Sorry to hijack the post, put has anyone got any pics of long and low, cos I was lunging on tuesday and wanted to see if what he was doing was correct.

In walk (want to get him relaxed before I move into trot) he was tracking right up, pushing his head down into the side reins slightly, with his head slightly in front of the vertical.

 

[Bossanova]

Rather than just getting the neck low, which will take the wither with it if you dont set up the stretch properly, think of pushing the nose forward into a soft contact

http://www.sustainabledressage.com/rollkur/why_not/stretchy-circle_grey2.gif

 

[jenbleep]

ohh yes thats what we want

something to aim for

 

[rachier]

Mr Checks certainly didnt look like that hehe!!

 

[CSYMolly]

Like Boss says the horse should take the contact forwards and down, it should feel like someone gently taking your hand and pulling you along. Start with a good contact and make sure your horse is stepping under nicely then gradually let your reins out dont' just throw the contact away and try not let your horse just fall on its forehand. I use it to warm up if Molly is very on her toes and I need to soften her back and as a stretch inbetween hard work and at the end but if she wont take the contact properly and just plops on to her forehand then I leave it for that day as its just counter productive.