I am feeling a bit stupid and frustrated. My RI (who also owns Flicka my share horse) is trying to teach Flicka and me how to get her to lower her head and accept the contact. Up until now I have just been riding her with a very loose contact and letting her poke her nose out if she wants to. She did have a tendency to move her head around a lot - but that has gradually got better.
I don't attempt to get her on the bit when I'm riding on my own, because I just don't know what I'm doing and will end up messing it up. Except in halt that is when she lowers her head very nicely when I ask her to by tweaking the inside rein!! But when we are moving I am trying to just concentrate on getting her nice and forward as I understand that that is the prerequisite for the rest of it anyway.
But under my RI's beady eye I am trying and failing to get than of this! So I think I realise the concept of what I'm trying to do - first get her going forward and then 'collect the energy', keep my outside hand up to support her and tweak the inside rein to encourage her to lower her head and accept the bit, when she does that - 'give' with the reins so she knows she has done well. But I find it incredibly hard to do it! When she does lower her head I tend to soften too much and lower my outside hand and then she shoves her head up again. I am also sometimes too slow to react so she doesn't always get the instant reward she should. I am just finding it really difficult!! So - any tips?
My RI says part of the problem is we are learning together. I'm away for a week now but when I get back she is going to shove me on her other horse - who is a 20 year old school mistress - so I can get the feel of how it should be. But I really want to learn how to do this without doing poor Flicks any damage. She is such a willing soul I don't want to break her. Help!
I don't attempt to get her on the bit when I'm riding on my own, because I just don't know what I'm doing and will end up messing it up. Except in halt that is when she lowers her head very nicely when I ask her to by tweaking the inside rein!! But when we are moving I am trying to just concentrate on getting her nice and forward as I understand that that is the prerequisite for the rest of it anyway.
But under my RI's beady eye I am trying and failing to get than of this! So I think I realise the concept of what I'm trying to do - first get her going forward and then 'collect the energy', keep my outside hand up to support her and tweak the inside rein to encourage her to lower her head and accept the bit, when she does that - 'give' with the reins so she knows she has done well. But I find it incredibly hard to do it! When she does lower her head I tend to soften too much and lower my outside hand and then she shoves her head up again. I am also sometimes too slow to react so she doesn't always get the instant reward she should. I am just finding it really difficult!! So - any tips?
My RI says part of the problem is we are learning together. I'm away for a week now but when I get back she is going to shove me on her other horse - who is a 20 year old school mistress - so I can get the feel of how it should be. But I really want to learn how to do this without doing poor Flicks any damage. She is such a willing soul I don't want to break her. Help!